Data box and Czech digital identity

A Czech digital identity lets you log in to government services online, and a data box (datová schránka) is an official electronic mailbox for letters from offices. Foreigners with a residence permit, long-term visa or EU registration certificate can get both, and they are free.

Czech public administration is increasingly online. To use it you need a digital identity (Identita občana), a secure way to log in run by the state's National Identity Authority (NIA). With it you can sign in to the Citizen Portal (Portál občana), file tax returns, apply for some benefits and get documents such as a criminal record extract.

Foreigners can get one if they hold a residence permit, a long-term residence permit, a visa for over 90 days, or, for EU citizens, a registration certificate. You also need to be listed in the population register (registr obyvatel), which happens through the Ministry of the Interior when you get your residence document.

There are several ways to log in. Bank identity (bankovní identita) uses your internet banking log-in, but not every bank offers it and it usually needs a Czech document with a machine-readable zone. NIA ID uses a username, password and text code, and you confirm your identity once in person at a Czech POINT office. The Mobile eGovernment Key (Mobilní klíč eGovernmentu) is a free app. The Czech eID card (eObčanka) is only for Czech citizens.

A data box (datová schránka) is an official electronic mailbox. Offices send letters to it instead of by post. For private individuals it is free and voluntary. If you have a business ID (IČO), one is created for you automatically.

Once you have a data box, it is important to check it. A letter counts as delivered ten days after it arrives, even if you never open it, so deadlines can start running without you knowing. Set up email or app notifications. Messages are deleted from the online box after 90 days unless you save them or pay for storage.

You can set up a data box online if you already have a digital identity, or in person at a Czech POINT desk (for example at a post office or municipal office) with your passport and residence document. The official web version is in Czech, but the free Datovka app works in English and saves messages on your computer.

Step by step

1. Get a Czech mobile number and your residence document.
2. Choose a login method: bank identity if your bank offers it, or NIA ID or the Mobile eGovernment Key.
3. For NIA ID, register online and then confirm your identity at a Czech POINT office.
4. Log in to the Citizen Portal (Portál občana) to see what services are available.
5. Decide whether you want a data box, and if so set it up online or at Czech POINT.
6. Turn on notifications so you never miss an official letter.

Last checked 2026-11-11. Open this guide in the app to add the dates to your calendar.