Bank iD, the data box and Czech e-government, set up in English.
Czech public services are more digital than most in Europe, but nearly all of it is in Czech and assumes you already know how the pieces fit together. This is the tech side: what each piece is, how they connect, and how to get them working on your own phone and laptop.
By Josh, Reboot Prague · Last updated October 2026
What this page is, and isn't
It covers apps, logins and devices. It isn't legal, tax or immigration advice. For the paperwork itself, a relocation agency, an accountant or the office concerned is the right place. Rules here change, so check anything important on the official site.
How the pieces fit together
- Bank iD: your Czech bank vouches for who you are, so you can log in to government sites with your normal banking login. You switch it on in your internet banking.
- Identita občana: the state's login gateway. When a government site asks you to log in, it sends you here, and you pick Bank iD or another method.
- Portál občana: the citizen portal, one place for many services. You can also set up a data box from here.
- Datová schránka (data box): an official electronic mailbox. Once you have one, letters from Czech authorities arrive there instead of by post. It's free; optional for private individuals, and set up automatically for the self-employed.
- Datovka: a free app from CZ.NIC, the organisation behind the .cz domain, for reading data box messages on a computer or phone and keeping copies.
- Mobilní klíč eGovernmentu: the state's phone app for confirming logins, an alternative to text-message codes.
Bank iD: the key that opens the rest
You need a Czech bank account with internet banking at a bank that offers Bank iD, which most of the big ones do, and a valid residence document issued in Czechia. The bank checks your document details when you switch it on, and if activation fails, a mismatch between the details the bank holds and the ones on your card is the usual reason.
The tech trap is the phone. Your banking app is what approves Bank iD logins, and it's tied to one phone and usually a Czech number. Change phones without moving the banking app first and you lose the key to everything else at the same time. When you get a new phone, set up the banking app on it while the old one still works.
The data box, and the two rules that catch people
Messages count as delivered even if you never open them. An official message is treated as delivered when you log in, or ten days after it arrives if you don't. Deadlines can start running from then. A data box nobody checks is worse than no data box, so turn on the free email notifications for new messages.
Messages don't stay forever. Under the current rules, the contents of a message are deleted 90 days after it's opened, unless you pay for the Datový trezor (data vault). A change to this has been discussed, so check the current position on the official site, but either way: save anything important. Datovka keeps a local copy of every message it downloads, which is the easy way to do that.
Setting it up so it doesn't become a problem
- Switch on Bank iD in your banking app, then test it once by logging in to Portál občana.
- Install Datovka on your laptop, and on your phone if you like, and connect it to your data box so messages are saved locally.
- Turn on email notifications for new data box messages.
- Keep the logins in a password manager, and note which phone your banking app lives on.
- Before changing phones, move the banking app first.
- Back up the laptop that holds your Datovka archive. That archive may be your only copy of official letters.
Most of these sites are only in Czech. Your browser's built-in translate works well enough on them to see what each button does, which makes the forms far less intimidating.
What I do, and what I don't
I'll install and connect the apps, get Bank iD working on your devices, set up notifications and local archiving, walk you through each screen in English, and make sure a phone change can't lock you out. I don't fill in official forms for you or advise on residence, tax or legal questions. The setup itself fits in one software setup session, on-site or remote.
Frequently asked
Can foreigners get Bank iD?
Yes, with a Czech bank account and internet banking at a bank that offers it, plus a valid residence document issued in Czechia. Not every bank offers Bank iD, so check with yours.
Do I have to have a data box?
Private individuals don't, but once you set one up, authorities will use it instead of post. The self-employed have one set up automatically.
What happens if I don't check my data box?
An official message counts as delivered ten days after it arrives, even if you never open it, and deadlines can start from then. Turn on email notifications so nothing slips past.
Are data box messages kept forever?
No. Under the current rules the contents are deleted 90 days after a message is opened, unless you pay for the Datový trezor. Save anything important, for example with the Datovka app.
Want a hand with it?
Tell me which part you're stuck on. You'll hear back with what it takes and roughly what it costs.
Mon–Fri, 9:00–19:00 · usually a reply within a few hours