Czech post and parcels: the notice slip, pick-up points and the 10-day rule

The most important piece of paper in a Czech mailbox is not a bill. It is the small notice that says someone tried to deliver a registered item and found nobody home. A newcomer sees it as a nuisance. A court, a tax office or a landlord's solicitor sees it as the moment a clock begins.

This explainer covers how postal delivery in Czechia works, why registered mail matters, and the many ways a parcel can find you. Keep the first part in mind. The parcels are less critical.

The national post and the others

The national postal operator is Česká pošta, a state-owned company with a network of post offices and smaller partner outlets. It delivers letters and parcels and offers financial and administrative services at the counter. It is also the usual carrier for official mail from courts and offices.

Alongside it, private carriers deliver most online orders. Several delivery companies operate in Czechia, along with parcel networks that use pick-up points and lockers rather than doorstep delivery. The post operator itself has a separate pick-up network, and some e-shops run their own lockers. Which one delivers your parcel depends on the seller, and a tracking number tells you.

Addresses and mailboxes

A Czech address lists the street and a building number, often written as two numbers separated by a slash (the first is the registration number of the building, the second the number along the street), and a five-digit postcode. The name on the mailbox matters. If it is missing or does not match your name, delivery to you may fail. Put your name on the box and the bell in the first week, and add your landlord's instructions if the building uses a shared box.

If you move, you can ask the post to redirect your mail for a period as a paid service. For official purposes, tell the authorities of the new address directly; a postal redirect does not update a register.

Registered mail and the notice slip

Registered letters (doporučené psaní) are logged and delivered against a signature. Some come with a delivery receipt for the sender. Others are marked "to be delivered into own hands" (do vlastních rukou), which means only you or a person you have authorised may take them. Authorities and courts often use this form.

If the postal worker finds nobody home, they leave a notice that tells you where and until when you can collect the item, usually a few days at your nearest post office. Take an identity document. If someone else collects on your behalf, you need a written authorisation.

Here is the rule that matters. For official proceedings, such as a letter from a court, a tax office or a municipal authority, an item that is not collected is generally treated as delivered on the tenth day after it was left at the post office, even if you never opened it (for example under the Administrative Procedure Code; as of 2026; check the Ministry of the Interior or the authority that sent the letter). The exact rule depends on the type of proceeding and the wording of the letter. From the deemed delivery date, deadlines run. People lose appeals this way, not because they were wrong but because the letter was in a post office while they were on holiday.

A similar logic applies to data boxes. If you have one, messages generally count as delivered when someone with access logs in, or after ten days if nobody does. See how to set up a data box for how that works and why many people prefer it to paper.

What to do when you are away

If you travel for long periods, make a plan. Give a trusted person written authorisation to collect your mail, arrange for the landlord or a neighbour to check the box and set up notifications if you use electronic delivery. Tell important correspondents, such as a bank or a court in a case you are involved in, where to write. If a letter does reach a post office while you are away and you return in time, go and collect it. Even a late collection is better than none, because the document will tell you exactly what deadline has started.

Collecting a parcel

The delivery experience varies by carrier. The common options are:

• home delivery by courier, with a time window and often a phone call or text before arrival;
• delivery to a pick-up point, such as a shop or a kiosk in a network, with a code sent to your phone;
• delivery to a parcel locker, opened with a code or an app;
• collection at a post office, with an identity document.

Storage periods differ by carrier and service. The notification tells you the date, so do not rely on a rule of thumb.

Parcels from abroad

Parcels from outside the EU may be stopped for customs. Since July 2021, EU rules no longer exempt low-value imports from VAT, so goods ordered from outside the EU are subject to value added tax on arrival. Customs duty may also apply to goods above a threshold. Sellers, couriers or the post operator may collect VAT at the border or from you on delivery. The Customs Administration publishes guidance on the rules and procedures. If a carrier asks for a payment before delivering, check the sender and the notification against the tracking page. Scams that imitate delivery messages are common, and they ask for a small fee through a link. If you did not order anything, or the message does not name the carrier you expect, go to the carrier's own site and enter the tracking number there.

Packages from other EU countries do not attract customs duty, though the seller's VAT arrangements may differ.

A hypothetical missed letter

Imagine a hypothetical resident who spends three weeks abroad in August. A registered letter from a municipal office arrives on the second day, and the notice sits in the mailbox. By the time the resident returns, the item has gone back to the sender, the ten days have long passed and the deadline in the letter, perhaps to respond to a request, has run out. The letter counts as delivered although the resident never saw it. The remedy, in a case like this, is to contact the office quickly, explain, and ask what can still be done, but the rights available are narrower than they would have been. The habit that avoids all this is simple: before any long trip, ask a neighbour or a friend to check the box, or have someone authorised to collect on your behalf.

Sending things

At a post office you can send letters, registered mail and parcels. Staff will advise on options, and larger offices have English-speaking staff at times. To send a document that must be provable, such as a notice to a landlord, use registered mail with a delivery receipt (dodejka) and keep the receipt. A copy of the notice and the receipt together are your proof of delivery. Our guide to renting a flat in Czechia as a foreigner explains when a written notice matters.

Post offices also offer other services. Many are Czech POINT contact points, where you can obtain official extracts, as described in our guide to using Czech public services online.

Frequently asked questions

What does the notice in my mailbox mean?

A registered item is waiting at a post office. The notice says where and until when you can collect it.

Can a friend collect a registered letter?

With a written authorisation and identification, usually yes. Letters marked for delivery into own hands have stricter rules.

What happens if I never collect an official letter?

For official proceedings it can be deemed delivered after the storage period, generally ten days, and the deadlines start to run.

Do I pay VAT on a parcel from outside the EU?

Yes, since July 2021 imports are subject to VAT, and customs duty may apply to higher-value goods.

Put your full name on the mailbox today, and tell anyone who writes to you officially to check that the address is exactly as it appears on your registration.

This is a general explainer, not legal or tax advice.