Birth number (rodné číslo, RČ)
RČA ten-digit personal identifier divisible by eleven (§ 13 of Act No. 133/2000 Coll., on Population Records). The first six digits give the date of birth, with 50 added to the month for women; people born before 1954 have nine digits. The Interior Ministry sets the numbers, registry offices assign them at birth and the ministry assigns them to foreigners. A number assigned in Slovakia before 1 January 1993 is also valid.
Example
A woman born on 23 January 1990 has a birth number in the form 905123/XXXX: year 90, month 01 plus 50, day 23 and a four-digit suffix. When she buys a flat for CZK 4,000,000 with a CZK 3,200,000 mortgage, the land registry (katastr) records her as owner with her name, birth number and address. A foreigner who has no birth number is recorded with a date of birth instead (§ 4(2) of Act No. 256/2013 Coll.).
In practice
Banks want your birth number to identify you under the anti-money-laundering act and to put it in contracts. The law allows for clients without one, though: a date of birth and sex are enough (§ 5 of Act No. 253/2008 Coll.). The loan itself depends on the bank's rules; Moneta, for instance, requires a residence permit with an assigned birth number for its loans to foreigners. If you don't have one, ask before you start collecting documents.
How it differs
For Czech citizens the insured person's number on a health insurance card equals the birth number, but a foreigner's may differ (§ 40(4) of Act No. 48/1997 Coll.), so don't give it to a bank as a birth number. An individual's tax ID (DIČ) is the code CZ plus the birth number; anyone without one gets a separate identifier from the tax office (§ 130 of the Tax Procedure Code). Special rules for Ukrainians are covered in mortgage for Ukrainians with temporary protection.
Frequently asked questions
Do foreigners in Czechia get a birth number?
Only some do. The Ministry of the Interior assigns one to a foreigner with a residence permit, to a person granted asylum or subsidiary protection, and on request to a foreigner who needs it under a special law, for example for public health insurance (§ 16 of the Population Records Act). Holders of temporary protection or special long-term residence under lex Ukrajina are not assigned one (§ 6(14) and § 7v of Act No. 65/2022 Coll.).
Do I need a birth number to get a mortgage in Czechia?
The law does not require one: identification under the anti-money-laundering act and the owner's entry in the land registry both work with a date of birth. Banks set their own conditions, however, and some want a birth number from foreigners, so ask before you apply without one.
Is my health insurance number the same as my birth number?
For Czech citizens it is. A foreigner's insured person's number may be different, so check before you write it on a bank form as a birth number.
Related terms
In-depth guide
Calculate your own situation
Instead of abstract definitions — enter your own parameters and see the result for yourself. No registration, no form, no salespeople.