Identity cards, passports, or birth certificates. These are all documents that prove our uniqueness, our identity. Few of us can imagine our existence without them. And they are particularly important for government agencies. However, different customs prevail in some foreign countries (England, Sweden). There, people prove their existence based on a bank account. Will bank identity become popular with us too?
What exactly is bank identity?
Bank identity allows ordinary citizens to communicate with authorities using an online application. As a regular citizen, you no longer have to wait long hours in the hallway of an office or be limited by its opening hours.
Bank identity works on a similar principle to logging in to online banking. At this time, the law offers the possibility of setting up an electronic ID card.
Another option is NIA ID (access using a username, password and verification via SMS message), my ID, and also the mobile key of eGovernment.
The electronic ID card as a key not only to banking services
Think of the electronic ID card as a specific identification means that allows citizens to identify themselves in an online environment based on qualified and authentication certificates. For its full functionality, you need to activate the assigned chip. Then it will also serve as a recognised travel document when travelling to EU countries.
You can obtain an electronic ID card at the same time as a standard identity card at personal document offices on any office with extended jurisdiction. The condition for obtaining it is an age of at least 15 years and Czech citizenship.
If the mandatory condition is met (less than one year has passed since the issue of the standard identity card and the appearance or data of the citizen have not changed significantly), you can also apply for it in an online environment. To issue it, you must necessarily complete a specified form in electronic form.
If there is suspicion of misuse or loss of the electronic ID card, the rules are similar to those when using a card for an account. You can easily block the identity card using the chip. Then contact the department of the Police of the Czech Republic and the local office with extended jurisdiction.
What is the waiting time for the identity document? The office will issue it to you within a standard period of 30 days from the date of the application. If you set up an electronic ID card as a subsequent document after the expiry of the previous one or a change in citizen data (residence, status), you do not pay any fee.
If a document is lost or stolen, you will pay the administrative authorities a fee of 100 CZK (about 4.6 USD). If you require the document to be issued in a very short term (within 24 hours or within five days), expect it to be significantly more expensive.
When requesting the issuance of a document within 24 hours , the relevant authority will charge you a fee of 100 CZK (about 4.6 USD) (for a person under 15 years of age), 500 CZK (about 23 USD) for those over 15. If issuance within 5 working days is sufficient for you, prepare for a fee of 500 CZK (about 23 USD) for a person under the age of 15 and 300 CZK (about 14 USD) for those older.
💡 Tip: Also read the article: How to transfer money abroad?
Mobile key of eGovernment
This application allows the use of online identity via a mobile phone, tablet or computer. Its user no longer sends verification and authorisation SMS messages. Installing, activating and logging into services using electronic identification is enabled by the National Point. A prerequisite for setting it up is the Android operating system.
How do you set up a bank identity?
You can set up a bank identity through your bank’s internet banking application or with the help of a personal banker. Currently, several banking institutions are actively involved in the project to connect banking services with public reporting. Where can you get help setting up a bank identity?
The following financial institutions offer bank identity setup:
- Air Bank
- Česká spořitelna
- ČSOB
- Komerční banka
- Moneta Money Bank
The key to successfully using this online service is a sufficient level of identification and authorisation resources, which are necessarily required by the provider of this online service.
The most used and comprehensive portal at the moment is the Citizen Portal. Through the banking environment, it connects to many other state portals and self-governing bodies.
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What options does the Citizen Portal offer?
Through the Citizen Portal you gain the ability to check and oversee the validity of your documents (identity card, passport, driving licence) as well as the validity of vaccination against covid-19. You can apply free of charge for an up-to-date extract from the Criminal Register or your driver penalty point score.
The service will actively notify you of an invalid identity document and points deductions. To streamline the service offering, you can also easily create a data box in the online environment.
Using the portal, you can also view the land registry, access the Czech Social Security Administration application or the tax office.
💡 Tip: Also pay attention to the article: How to easily send money to an account?
Bank identity versus data box
Setting up a data box will effectively help you access other services via the online environment.
In addition, you can easily use these services without setting up a data box:
- Information from the land registry.
- Extract from the business register.
- Access to ePrescription.
- Information from the health insurance company.
- Overview of pension insurance.
- Information about sick leave.
- Access to the portals of individual municipalities.
- Information from the driver’s register.
If you decide to set up a data box, you will also get these options:
- Extract from the driver’s points score.
- Proof of study.
- Tax return.
- Extract from the criminal record.
- Application for a business licence.
- Certificate of indebtedness to the tax office, health insurance company and social security administration.
Is mass use of bank identity expected? Experts agree that it will be appreciated by users who are accustomed to working in an online environment, energy suppliers, IT specialists, and employees with home office arrangements, either part-time or full-time.
An open question remains regarding its security. Internet banking and payments through mobile applications have become a common daily routine. They save us time and make life easier.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic also saw a significant increase in cyberattacks on banks and public administration bodies. Can a banking app securely protect its clients’ data and prevent its misuse? If a fraudster gained access to the system, they could obtain all data in one place. Creating a fictitious bank account and misusing the data of its owner would then be unhindered.
USD amounts are approximate, converted at the Czech National Bank rate of 21.80 CZK (about 1 USD) per USD on 2 October 2026.
