Glitch fixed: Banking identity now available to foreigners in Czechia

Foreigners residing in Czechia, including those from EU countries, can now obtain a bank identity (Bank iD), allowing them easy access to online services provided by the state and companies.

The Czech authorities have resolved the complication that prevented foreigners, especially those from the EU, from receiving electronically readable documents. This change opens up the Bank iD service to approximately 600,000 potential users, according to Bankovní identita, a joint venture of nine banks.

A Bank iD can be used to sign in to your data box, log into the portal of the Czech Social Security Administration as well as the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, communicate with insurance companies, and even do online shopping.

Previously, foreigners from EU countries faced difficulties as they received documents without a machine-readable zone, unlike foreigners from non-EU countries. This meant that banks could not use the standard identification process for them, Peníze.cz writes.

However, the Directorate of the Foreign Police Service has now added the necessary data on foreigners with Czech documents lacking a machine-readable zone to the register of residents.

As a result, banks can remotely verify these clients in the register and issue them bank identities. Moneta and Fio are the first two banks to start remotely issuing bank identities to foreigners from the EU with permanent or long-term residences in Czechia.

Other banks, such as Raiffeisenbank, are also preparing to offer this service in the near future. However, some banks, like ČSOB, have not yet announced a specific date for providing bank identities to foreigners from the EU.