NEW DIGITAL PORTAL IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC: EASIER FOR ALL?
In recent years, the digitisation of public services has become a priority for many European governments, and the Czech Republic is no exception. The Ministry of Interior recently announced the launch of a new digital portal that aims to simplify the relationship between citizens and public administration. This innovative tool will allow many bureaucratic procedures to be carried out online, reducing time and costs for both the administration and users. But what does this mean in practice for the Czech citizens and the large foreign community living in the country?
A Portal to Simplify Bureaucracy
According to the statement of the Minister of the Interior, Vít Rakušan, the new portal was created with the aim of reducing the need to physically go to government offices to carry out operations that could be easily managed online. The system currently includes only seven digital modules, but plans to gradually expand the service to include 161 different functions by 2026.
Services already available include verification of birth certificates, request for digital photographs for commemorative purposes and issuance of lustration certificates (documents demonstrating the absence of collaboration with the secret services of the communist regime). In addition, the portal also allows you to submit general questions and requests to the Ministry of the Interior. From mid-February, new forms will be added, including those relating to the acquisition of Czech citizenship and financial compensation claims for emergencies.
Access to Services: A Benefit for All?
Access to digital services is designed to be as inclusive as possible. Czech citizens can authenticate themselves using their electronic identity card (eObčanka), while foreigners residing in the Czech Republic can access using their bank identity (“bankovní identita”). This avoids the creation of a separate electronic identity for foreign nationals, simplifying the authentication process.
However, some services require a higher level of authentication, which means that at the moment only Czech citizens with an electronic ID card can use it. This could be an obstacle for foreigners who need to access certain public services online.
The Restrictions for Foreigners
Despite the progress in digitisation, the new portal still has some significant limitations for the foreign community. In particular, essential services such as applications for residence permits, visa renewals and long-term residence management have not yet been digitised. This means that foreigners will still have to physically go to the offices responsible for these practices, which is a barrier to accessibility.
The exclusion of these services from the portal could be frustrating for the many foreigners living and working in the Czech Republic, many of whom were hoping for a wider digitisation. However, the Ministry of the Interior has indicated that the system will be gradually expanded, so it is possible that in future these procedures will also be integrated into the digital platform.
What are the Future Prospects?
The digitization project of the Ministry of the Interior does not stop there. In the coming months, the portal will be enriched with new services, including those relating to political parties, state border management, voluntary organisations, archival services, identity cards and travel documents. The aim is to make more and more paperwork accessible in digital format, reducing waiting times and simplifying the relationship between citizens and public administration.
Some of the future digitised services will also be integrated with other existing government systems, such as the electoral management system and the national archives database. This will allow for a smoother interconnection between the different institutions, avoiding unnecessary duplication of data and making practices even more efficient.
The new digital portal represents an important step forward in the modernisation of the Czech public administration. For Czech citizens, this means fewer queues at the ticket counters and greater convenience in accessing services. However, for the foreign community, the current restrictions still represent a significant barrier, especially with regard to residence permits and other key practices for those living and working in the country.
Despite these limitations, the initiative demonstrates the Czech government’s willingness to invest in digitisation and make public services more accessible and efficient. It remains to be seen whether the system will be extended in the coming years to include services most needed by foreigners. In the meantime, those who are not yet able to use the portal will have to continue using traditional methods, hoping for a system evolution in the near future.
Sources: https://www.expats.cz/ , https://mv.gov.cz/mvcren/ministery-interior-czech-republic.aspx
