Verification of a signature in the Czech Republic and its use in Slovakia
QUESTION
I would like to ask for information on whether a signature verification on a document by the Czech Post is accepted for use in Slovakia? Or must the signature verification be performed exclusively by a notary?
ANSWER:
Since you do not specify what kind of document it is or for what purpose it is to be used, we can only provide a general answer.
The possibility of using documents issued or verified by the authorities of the Czech Republic is generally governed by Act No. 270/1995 Coll. on the State Language of the Slovak Republic.
According to Section 3, Paragraph 4 of the State Language Act: “A natural person and a legal entity in official communication with an authority under paragraph 1 and in official communication with a legal entity under paragraph 1 shall use the state language, unless this Act, a special regulation, or an international treaty promulgated in the manner prescribed by law provides otherwise.6b) A person whose mother tongue is a language fulfilling the requirement of basic intelligibility in relation to the state language may use their mother tongue in official communication with an authority under paragraph 1 and in official communication with a legal entity under paragraph 1. Authorities and legal entities under paragraph 1 are obliged to accept a document in a language fulfilling the requirement of basic intelligibility in relation to the state language, if it is a document issued or verified by the competent authorities of the Czech Republic.”
According to Section 3, Paragraph 1 of the State Language Act: “State authorities, local self-government authorities, other public administration authorities, legal entities established by them, and legal entities established by law5) shall use the state language in official communication, and their employees, civil servants, members of the municipal police, members of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (hereinafter referred to as ‘Armed Forces’), armed security corps, other armed corps, and the Fire and Rescue Service are obliged to master and use the state language in official communication; this is without prejudice to the use of languages of national minorities in official communication according to a special regulation5aa) and the use of other languages in official communication with foreign countries in accordance with established practice in international relations.”
AKMV
JUDr. Veronika Michalíková, MBA