Mandatory Lobbyist Registration in the Czech Republic: RELOB Guide

Mgr. Jáchym Petřík
Mgr. Jáchym Petřík
20.5.2026 | ARROWS law firm

As of 1 July 2025, mandatory registration of lobbyists applies in the Czech Republic under Act No. 168/2025 Coll., which establishes the central RELOB register. Companies that systematically influence legislation or government decision-making must register before commencing lobbying activities; otherwise, they face fines of up to CZK 1 million. This guide will show you step by step how to register and what risks arise from non-compliance with these obligations.

The photograph shows a lawyer advising on the mandatory registration of lobbyists.

What “lobbyist” means under Czech law

To properly understand the registration process, you must first understand who is meant by the term “lobbyist” in the legal sense. Under Act No. 168/2025 Coll., on the regulation of lobbying, a lobbyist is a natural or legal person who carries out lobbying activities on a continuous basis, for remuneration or free of charge. The key terms here are continuity (meaning an activity performed repeatedly or with the aim of achieving a lasting result) and registration in the Register of Lobbying (RELOB).

Lobbying activity means any activity carried out by a lobbyist (or a lobbying intermediary) for the purpose of influencing the process of adopting legislation, international treaties, conceptual and strategic documents, government policy statements, the state budget and other decisions specified by law, which relate to the national level. Lobbying applies exclusively to the central state level—i.e., Parliament, the Government, ministries, and selected state authorities and institutions. Regions and municipalities are not covered by the regulation.

Important exception: If your attorneys are conducting standard legal proceedings before a court or an administrative authority, this is not lobbying activity under this Act. Lobbying begins only when, outside formal proceedings, you seek to influence the authors of legislation or decision-making processes.

Determine whether you are actually lobbying

Before you embark on the registration journey, you must answer a fundamental question: Are we really lobbying? The Act contains a number of exceptions and borderline situations, and an incorrect assessment can cost you money. This phase should not be left to improvisation.

Most frequently asked questions:

1. Does drafting comments on a legal regulation in the inter-ministerial comment procedure constitute lobbying? Generally no—formal comment procedures via the EKLEP/eLegislativa system are not lobbying activity under Czech law. Likewise, it is not lobbying activity if you participate in public consultations initiated by the lobbied authority. However, if you initiate informal meetings with officials outside this system and try to persuade them before you submit your comment formally, the line becomes blurred and it may constitute lobbying.

2. Is lobbying communication with MPs’ assistants? Under the Act, assistants to members of the Chamber of Deputies and senators, if acting on the basis of an authorisation from an MP or senator, are considered lobbied persons. The original draft considered excluding them; however, the final version of the Act includes them. Communication with them with the aim of influencing the decision-making process is therefore lobbying activity.

3. Can I participate in public consultations or meetings of advisory bodies without registration? Yes, if these are public consultations initiated by a state authority or public meetings of advisory bodies where the outputs are available. That is not lobbying. But if you later initiate private meetings with members of these bodies with the aim of influencing them, it may constitute lobbying activity.

Attorneys at ARROWS advokátní kancelář regularly deal with precisely these borderline situations and can provide you with a specific legal opinion on whether a particular activity of your company does or does not constitute lobbying. In many cases, it may appear to be simple business communication, but in fact it meets the characteristics of lobbying.

Identify the entities involved and their roles

The next crucial step is to identify the persons and institutions that will appear in the register. There are four different entities, and it is essential to understand their function correctly.

A lobbyist is the entity that carries out lobbying activity. This is a natural or legal person (typically your company or organisation) that has an interest in whether certain decisions are or are not adopted. In the register, for a legal person, all members of the statutory body must be listed. For a natural person, the person alone is sufficient.

A lobbying intermediary is a natural person who actually carries out lobbying activity—i.e., communicates with lobbied persons. If the lobbyist is a legal person (a company), a lobbying intermediary is mandatory. This is typically an employee, attorney, member of management, or external adviser who acts on behalf of the company. Each such intermediary must be registered separately as a lobbying intermediary and must state for which lobbyist they act. A legal person cannot lobby in practice on its own—it always needs a natural person who will act as the lobbying intermediary.

A lobbied person is a person holding a position in a public authority (e.g., an MP, senator, member of the Government, senior official of a ministry or an official authorised by them, the chair, vice-chair and members of supervisory bodies, the President, Vice-President and members of the Supreme Audit Office, etc.) who is the target of lobbying activity. This does not apply to you unless you are such a person.

A client is a natural or legal person in whose interest lobbying is carried out. If you lobby in your own interest, your own company is the client (and the client is then not stated, as the lobbyist acts in its own interest). If you lobby for a third party, you will state that third party as the client.

Example: Construction company XY wants to influence an amendment to the Building Act. The company is the lobbyist. The company’s director of legislation, who will negotiate with MPs, is the lobbying intermediary. The construction company is also acting in its own interest, and therefore the client is not stated because it is identical to the lobbyist. If the company were lobbying for an association of site managers, that association would be the client.

Incorrectly determining these roles leads to incomplete registration, fines for incomplete information, and attorneys at ARROWS advokátní kancelář have repeatedly dealt with situations where companies registered only partially and then found that they had breached Czech law.

Verify the conditions for registrability

This is not merely a matter of filling in a form. The Act imposes strict conditions on lobbyists and lobbying intermediaries that must be met.

The condition of full legal capacity means that a natural person must be able to act legally on their own. For natural persons, this is straightforward (the person must be of legal age and not subject to any legal restriction of capacity). For legal persons, they must be duly incorporated and capable of legal acts.

The condition of integrity is less obvious, but far more serious. A person is not considered to have integrity if they have been finally convicted of an intentional criminal offence committed in connection with lobbying activity, or of a criminal offence against the Republic, against public order in matters of public affairs, against property, against economic discipline, against the substance and function of legal persons, against mandatory rules of market competition, against currency, against fairness in commercial relations, against the tax system, against public procurement and public auction, or of a bribery offence.

A person is also not considered of good repute if they have been finally convicted abroad of an offence with comparable characteristics, and the conviction has not yet been expunged, or they are not regarded as if they had not been convicted.

If someone has received a suspended sentence, it depends on the specific offence and the time that has already elapsed since the conviction was expunged. You should verify the current status with the Criminal Register. Although the Ministry of Justice will verify the information itself (if it concerns a natural person residing in the Czech Republic), any delays or errors in verification may lead to the registration being refused.

If you are unsure (for example, you have something in your past and are not sure whether it affects the good-repute requirement), it is better to discuss it with the attorneys at ARROWS, a Prague-based law firm, before you submit the application. An error in declaring good repute means providing false information in the register, which in itself is an administrative offence punishable by a fine of up to CZK 300,000.

Collecting the required documents and information

Although registration is carried out primarily electronically, you must prepare a range of information and, in some cases, supporting documents.

For natural persons – citizens of the Czech Republic and the EU/EEA:
  • First name(s) and surname
  • Address of residence
  • Date of birth
  • Birth number (for Czech citizens) or another identifier (for EU/EEA citizens)
  • If you act as a lobbying intermediary, the identification of the lobbyist on whose behalf you act.
  • If you act as a lobbyist for a client, the identification of the client (if the lobbyist is not acting in their own interest).
  • Statutory declaration of good repute (with regard to international criminal offences)
For natural persons – foreign nationals (outside the EU/EEA):

Third-country nationals register in a similar way, but must submit a certificate of good repute issued by the competent authority of the state of which they are a citizen, and of the state in which they stayed continuously for more than 3 months in the last 3 years (or a declaration that such a document cannot be obtained). These documents must not be older than 3 months and must be officially translated into Czech.

For legal entities:
  • Business name (company name)
  • Company identification number (IČO)
  • Registered office
  • First names and surnames of all members of the statutory body (with all their details, birth number or identifier)
  • First name and surname of the lobbying intermediary – mandatory (a legal entity without a lobbying intermediary cannot carry out lobbying activities)
  • Client details, if different from the lobbyist.
  • Statutory declaration of good repute (for the legal entity and all members of its statutory body)

Legal entities must also have a functioning data box (datová schránka), because the Ministry of Justice will send the login credentials there. If you are not sure whether you have a data box, verify it in advance at portál.gov.cz.

Registration – procedural steps by type of entity

The registration itself takes place on relob.gov.cz and differs depending on whether you are a natural person or a legal entity.

Registration of a natural person – citizen of the Czech Republic or the EU/EEA

1. Go to relob.gov.cz.

2. In the top right corner, click “Log in”.

3. You will be redirected to the login page, where you choose the login method (Citizen Identity – NIA).

4. You log in using an electronic identity (e.g., eObčanka, bank identity, Mobile Key, etc.).

5. After your identity is verified, you will be logged into the system.

6. On the home screen, click the tile “Notification of lobbying activity – natural person” or “Notification of a lobbying intermediary – natural person” (depending          on your role).

7. Complete the form with all mandatory details (name, address, date of birth, client/lobbyist details, etc.).

8. Confirm the statutory declaration of good repute.

9. Submit the application by clicking “Submit”.

After you submit it, you will be redirected to a confirmation screen. The Ministry of Justice will process your application within 7 days and will send you a confirmation of entry in the register. Natural persons then log into the register via NIA.

Registration of a natural person – foreign national (outside the EU/EEA)

If you are a third-country national, you must first submit a notification of lobbying activity and attach the required documents proving good repute. The Ministry of Justice will then assess these documents. The process is more complex and takes longer, as it includes verification of the submitted documents.

Registration of a legal entity

1. Go to relob.gov.cz.

2. On the home screen, click the tile “Notification of lobbying activity – legal entity”.

Note: Unlike natural persons, no login is required at this stage. You proceed directly to the form.

3. Fill in all company details (business name, IČO, registered office, members of the statutory body with their identifiers).

4. You must specify a lobbying intermediary (a natural person who will actually lobby on your behalf).

5. Confirm the statutory declaration of good repute for the company and all members of the statutory body.

6. Submit the application.

Within 7 days, the Ministry of Justice will send login credentials to your data box. You will use these credentials to log into the register.

Important note: The lobbying intermediary (natural person) must register themselves in the register as a lobbying intermediary and provide the identification of the lobbyist for whom they will carry out the activity. The mutual link will appear in the register only after both parties confirm this relationship in the system.

Implementation of mitigation during the transitional period

The Act included a transitional period from 1 to 31 July 2025, during which already active lobbyists could lobby without registration if they registered during that month. This period has already ended. For 2026 and beyond, lobbying activities may be carried out only after entry in the register.

If, therefore, your company is still not in the register and is lobbying on an ongoing basis, this is a breach of the law and you face sanctions.

FAQ: Most common questions about registration

1. Do I have to register if I take part in a public consultation organised by a ministry?
Generally no – public consultations initiated by a public authority are not lobbying activities. However, if you then initiate informal meetings with officials outside this formal framework with the aim of influencing them, the line becomes blurred. If you are unsure, ask the attorneys at ARROWS, a Prague-based law firm, about your specific situation.

2. What happens if I do not register even though I should?
If you lobby on an ongoing basis without registration, you face a fine of up to CZK 1 million (for a legal entity up to 3% of annual turnover), potentially a ban on activity and publication of the decision on the administrative offence. This can seriously damage your reputation.

3. How long does registration take?
Typically up to 7 days from the notification. If the Ministry of Justice finds deficiencies in the submitted information, it will ask you to remedy them within 15 days. If you do not remedy them in time, it will issue a decision refusing entry in the register.

4. If I register, when can I start lobbying?
Immediately after you are entered in the register. Registration is constitutive – without it, you have no right to lobby.

5. I am an attorney leading lobbying for a client, but I also provide legal advice. Am I a lobbyist?
If you initiate systematic meetings with officials or members of parliament outside formal proceedings with the aim of influencing legislation, this constitutes lobbying activity. Legal advice and court representation alone are not lobbying. The line can be blurred – it is safer to contact the attorneys from ARROWS advokátní kancelář, who understand the difference.

Obligations after registration

Registration is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a range of obligations. Many companies are not aware of this and engage in lobbying activity without knowing the following rules.

Duty to identify yourself

At each first contact with the lobbied person (a member of parliament, senator, minister, head of department, etc.), you must inform them that you are a lobbyist (or a lobbying intermediary) under the Czech Act on Lobbying Regulation, and you must state whose interests you are lobbying for (if you are not acting in your own interest). If the lobbied person requests it, you are obliged to provide them with written confirmation of these details without undue delay. A breach of this obligation is punishable by a fine of up to CZK 50,000.

In practice, this means that when you contact a lobbied person and want to talk to them about changing a law, you must say right at the beginning: “I am a lobbyist (or a lobbying intermediary) under the Czech Act on Lobbying Regulation and I am acting in the interest of company XY.” If the communication is in writing (email), this statement must be included in the text. You cannot “forget” to identify yourself and think “I’ll say it next time.”

Duty to keep records

Even before you start lobbying, you must set up a record-keeping system. Each time you lobby, you must note:

  • Date and time of the contact
  • Identification of the lobbied person (i.e., who you spoke to)
  • Form of contact (in person, by phone, in writing)
  • Subject matter of the lobbying activity
  • Where applicable, the specific proposal, request, or objective

This documentation will be necessary to complete the mandatory statement that you must submit twice a year. Without these records, you will not be able to reconstruct what you lobbied for and with whom. These records must be retained for 5 years from the end of the calendar year to which the record relates.

Duty to submit a statement on lobbying activity

The most important and most frequently breached obligation is the submission of the semi-annual statement. Lobbyists must submit statements twice a year:

  • By 30 January for the period July to December of the previous year
  • By 30 July for the period January to June

In these statements, you must state:

  • Subject matter of the lobbying activity (which legislation, measures, or policy documents you sought to influence)
  • Identification of the lobbied person (i.e., which official or member of parliament you influenced)
  • Whose interests you lobbied for (client name, if any)
  • Financial resources spent on lobbying activity (for the past half-year)
  • Financial donations made to political parties or members of parliament in connection with lobbying
  • Funds received for lobbying activity (if the lobbyist performs the activity for remuneration)
  • Form of communication (in person, by phone, in writing)

If you did not carry out any lobbying activity in the given period, you must submit a so-called negative statement – i.e., it is sufficient to state only “I did not carry out lobbying activity.”

Failure to submit a statement, or submitting a false or incomplete statement, may result in a fine of up to CZK 300,000.

Duty to report changes

If any detail stated in the lobbying activity notification changes (for example, the lobbying intermediary changes, your client changes, you change the company’s registered office, or you cease to meet the integrity requirement), you must notify the Ministry of Justice without undue delay, no later than within 10 days of the change arising. Failure to comply with this obligation is punishable by a fine of up to CZK 300,000.

Example: If a new person becomes your new lobbying intermediary, you must not start lobbying with them until they register as a lobbying intermediary and you report this change to the Ministry. If you fail to do so, you are carrying out lobbying activity with an unregistered person and you are breaching the law.

Risk table

Possible issues

Fine under Act No. 168/2025 Coll.

How ARROWS helps (office@arws.cz)

Carrying out lobbying activity without being entered in the register

Up to CZK 1,000,000 (for individuals), up to 3% of net turnover (for legal entities)

Our attorneys in Prague at ARROWS advokátní kancelář will ensure your correct registration, verify that all persons are properly registered, and carry out an audit of your register.

Providing false or incomplete information in the notification

Up to CZK 300,000

ARROWS will review your registration and ensure that all information is correct and complete before submission.

Failure to submit the statement on lobbying activity (or submitting an incomplete/false one)

Up to CZK 300,000

ARROWS will help you prepare and review the semi-annual statement, ensure timely submission, and monitor all deadlines.

Failure to identify yourself as a lobbyist/lobbying intermediary at the start of contact

Up to CZK 50,000

ARROWS will provide training for your team so that everyone knows they must identify themselves at the very beginning of every communication with a lobbied person.

Failure to report changes in the notification details in time

Up to CZK 300,000

ARROWS will set up internal processes and track mandatory change notifications to prevent delays or omissions.

Final summary

Registration of a lobbyist under Act No. 168/2025 Coll., on Lobbying Regulation, is unconditionally mandatory from July 2025 if your company systematically influences legislation or the state’s strategic decision-making. The process itself may seem simple at first glance – you fill in a form and within a week you are registered. In practice, however, there are a number of details and stages that many companies are not aware of.

The key steps are: to correctly understand whether your activity constitutes lobbying, identify all involved parties (lobbyist, lobbying intermediary, client), verify the integrity requirement, gather all necessary information, register via RELOB, and then comply with all obligations – from identifying yourself as a lobbyist to submitting semi-annual statements.

Most often, mistakes occur in the following areas: companies cannot clarify whether they are in fact lobbying, they register but forget to register lobbying intermediaries, or conversely they register everyone but fail to comply with post-registration obligations. Sanctions for mistakes are high and may even lead to a ban on activity and reputational damage.

If you do not want to risk high fines, delays, and legal uncertainty, it is better to have the comprehensive registration and subsequent compliance handled by the attorneys at ARROWS, a Prague-based law firm. Our experts understand all aspects of lobbying regulation, can prepare a legal opinion on whether a specific activity constitutes lobbying, carry out an audit of your registration, and ensure that all obligations are fully met. Contact us at office@arws.cz and we will clarify the situation for you.

FAQ: Most common questions about registration

1. Does the registration obligation also apply to smaller companies that occasionally go to see MPs?
Yes. The law does not contain an exemption based on company size. If your activity is “continuous” (meaning repeated or systematic, or aimed at achieving a lasting result), you must register. Even one meeting per year, if it is part of a systematic effort to influence legislation over time, may be considered continuous activity. If you are unsure, ask the attorneys at ARROWS, a Prague-based law firm.

2. Can a person with a criminal record in the past register as a lobbyist?
It depends on the nature of the offence and whether the person is regarded as if they had not been convicted. If it is an intentional offence committed in connection with lobbying activity, or an offence against the Republic, against public order in public affairs, against property, against economic discipline, against the essence and function of legal entities, against mandatory rules of market competition, against currency, against fairness in commercial dealings, against the tax system, against public procurement and public auction, or an offence of bribery, the answer is no. In other cases, the person may still be of good character. Verify the current status of the criminal records extract. If in doubt, it is better to consult the attorneys at ARROWS, a Prague-based law firm before submitting an application that could contain inaccurate data.

3. How long do I have to keep documentation of lobbying activities?
You must keep records of lobbying activity for 5 years from the end of the calendar year to which the record relates. The attorneys at ARROWS, a Prague-based law firm will help you set up the correct record-keeping system.

4. Can I be represented by someone else during registration, or do I have to do it myself?
Natural persons must register in person (by logging in via the Citizen Identity – NIA). Legal entities may appoint an administrator who will handle the registration on behalf of the company and using its details, but this administrator must also be a natural person and log in using their own electronic identity. It is not possible to hire a lawyer to register on your behalf. However, a lawyer can assist throughout the process.

5. What happens if, during lobbying activity, I find out that I no longer meet the good character requirement (e.g., I have just been convicted)?
You must notify the Ministry of Justice within 10 days. Your authorisation to lobby will cease and you will be removed from the register. If you do not report it yourself and the Ministry learns about it through other means, you may be fined up to CZK 300,000. If you report it yourself and demonstrate good character, no fine will be imposed.

6. Can I lobby if I am not a natural person, but an individual doing business under a trade licence?
Yes. A natural person (including a sole trader with a trade licence) registers as a lobbyist or lobbying intermediary. You do not have to be a legal entity. You proceed in the same way as any other natural-person lobbyist/lobbying intermediary – you log in via the Citizen Identity (NIA).

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only and serves as a basic guide to the issue as of 2026. Although we strive for maximum accuracy, laws and their interpretation evolve over time. We are ARROWS Law Firm, a member of the Czech Bar Association (our supervisory authority), and for the maximum security of our clients, we are insured for professional liability with a limit of CZK 400,000,000. To verify the current wording of the regulations and their application to your specific situation, it is necessary to contact ARROWS Law Firm directly (office@arws.cz). We are not liable for any damages arising from the independent use of the information in this article without prior individual legal consultation.

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