According to the ČNB and European regulators, in recent years the volume of assets under management by collective investment structures in the Czech Republic has been steadily growing at double-digit rates, and the share of cross-border investments through local structures within the EU and beyond is becoming one of the drivers of that growth. For entrepreneurs from Europe, Asia and the CIS this is not abstract statistics: access to the EU single market, predictable regulation and a transparent tax environment turn an investment company in the Czech Republic into a practical tool for scaling capital and business.
In practice this means: the market entry threshold is rising, but those who set up the structure correctly from the start gain a long-term competitive advantage and easier access to institutional capital.
In this article I have gathered for you a distillation of COREDO‘s practice: a step-by-step procedure for registering an investment company in the Czech Republic in 2026, realistic timelines, requirements for the share capital, nuances of interaction with the Czech National Bank (ČNB) and the key strategic decisions that are best made before submitting the first application.
Company registration in the Czech Republic for investments
The specifics of registering a company in the Czech Republic for investment business are important for those who want to combine access to the EU market, transparent regulation and a considered tax burden. Once you understand why the Czech Republic is considered a workable jurisdiction for an investment company, it will be easier to assess the real advantages, risks and requirements for the structure of your future business.
Why the Czech Republic as a jurisdiction for an investment company?
When entrepreneurs ask me which country is reasonable to start a European expansion from, the Czech Republic makes the short list. The reasons are practical:
- A stable legal system and predictable corporate law of the Czech Republic. The Act on Investment Companies and Funds (ZISIF) clearly describes the forms, licensing procedures and management requirements.
- EU membership and direct access to the single market through passporting mechanisms for certain licenses and cross-border distribution of products.
- Developed infrastructure: local custodians, auditors, fund administrators, IT providers for asset and investment portfolio management.
- A balance between the level of regulation and operating costs compared to a number of “top” Western European jurisdictions.
For those considering registering a company in the Czech Republic as a first step toward cross-border investments in the EU and CIS, this combination provides the opportunity to build a sustainable structure without excessive ownership costs.
Types of investment funds in the Czech Republic
Czech regulation offers several types of structures if you are targeting an investment fund in the Czech Republic or a management company:
- classic investment companies (akciová společnost, SICAV) under asset management;
- investment funds with various legal forms (including a fund for qualified investors – a fund for professional and semi-professional participants);
- open-ended funds (retail segment, closer to the UCITS model);
- closed structures (private equity, venture, property funds for real estate, infrastructure, private debt).
The choice of form determines the ČNB’s requirements for capital, corporate governance and disclosure. In one of the recent projects the COREDO team structured a hybrid model for a client: an investment management company + a separate Czech investment fund for qualified investors. This allowed splitting licensing risks and flexibly managing new sub-funds for different strategies.
The role of the Czech Republic in the EU and cross-border investments
A properly structured legal entity registration in the EU in the form of a Czech investment structure opens up:
- the distribution of products among investors in other EU countries, taking into account the AIFMD/UCITS regimes and local marketing rules;
- a convenient hub for cross-border capital flows between the EU and Asia, including the use of SPVs and sub-funds for deals in different currencies;
- a legal basis for cross-border legal support of projects in EU and CIS countries with a single decision-making centre.
COREDO’s experience shows that a well-designed investment fund structure in the Czech Republic allows managing a portfolio of assets across several jurisdictions, while compliance and reporting are centralized and clear to the regulator.
Registration of an Investment Company in the Czech Republic 2026
The procedure for registering an investment company in the Czech Republic in 2026 includes several sequential legal and regulatory stages, from choosing the legal form to obtaining a license from the Czech National Bank. Below we will consider the general logic of the process: which steps need to be taken, which authorities are involved and what requirements must be taken into account already at the planning stage of the structure and investment strategy.
Overall logic of the process
The procedure for registering an investment company in the Czech Republic in 2026 remains formally similar to the current one, but taking into account tightened requirements for disclosure of ultimate beneficial owners, AML control and the quality of business plans in the financial services sector. In practice I divide it into six blocks.
Name verification and selection
First step: checking the uniqueness of the company name in the commercial register and compliance with restrictions for the financial sector (references to “investment fund”, “asset management” etc. must be agreed with the ČNB). At this stage, COREDO lawyers immediately tie the name to the future license and marketing strategy to avoid changing the brand after obtaining permits.
Founding documents and business plan
To register a company in the Czech Republic for investment activities the following will be required:
- charter and founding agreement with a clear description of the scope of activities;
- a detailed business plan of the investment company: target markets, product line, investment strategies and ROI, cost structure, assets under management forecast, risk management model;
- internal policies: conflict of interest management, compliance, AML for investment companies, internal control.
When the COREDO team prepares the package, we proceed from the fact that the ČNB looks at these documents effectively as a “Due Diligence dossier” of a future market participant, rather than a formality.
Legal address and bank account
You will need:
- a confirmed legal address in the Czech Republic (an office or an office solution from a certified provider);
- a preliminary agreement with a bank or a licensed payment/EMI organization on opening an account.
Depending on the business model, it is possible that a classic bank account is combined with infrastructure for electronic money services (EMI license). In one of COREDO’s cases the client required a combined structure: an investment company + a Czech EMI provider as a partner for settlements with investors in different regions.
Preparation and submission of documents
documents for registering an investment company in the Czech Republic include:
- founding documents;
- information about beneficiaries and ownership structure (including registration of a company with foreign founders);
- confirmation of the source of funds for forming the share capital;
- resumes and proof of qualifications of key executives and board members;
- internal regulations on compliance, AML, risk management;
- draft agreements with a depositary (for certain fund structures) and with an external auditor.
The package is sent to the commercial court for incorporation and simultaneously to the ČNB for obtaining a license.
Notarization of documents
Some documents must be notarized and, if necessary, apostilled (if the founders are non-EU residents). COREDO’s practice shows that careful preliminary verification of the wording and the signatories’ powers at this stage can save up to several weeks in the overall launch timeline.
Awaiting the decision and issuance of the license
After submitting the application, the ČNB conducts a comprehensive review: it analyzes the business reputation of the beneficial owners, the sustainability of the business model, the internal control system and the company’s readiness to comply with regulatory requirements for investment companies. In a number of projects COREDO accompanied written requests from the regulator and participated in meetings where it was necessary to present the risk and compliance model in detail.
Estimated timelines for stages
| Registration stage | Description | Timeline (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Name verification and approval | Checking uniqueness and compliance with the financial profile | 3–5 business days |
| Document preparation | Founding documents, business plan, compliance and AML policies | 3–6 weeks |
| Notarization | Signing and notarizing founding documents | 1–2 business days |
| Filing with the commercial court and ČNB | Registration and start of the licensing process | 4–8 months (depending on structure complexity) |
| Opening an account and confirming the legal address | Bank compliance check and lease/office agreement | 1–3 weeks |
These timelines are averages. In complex projects with multi-level structures and cross-border flows the regulatory phase can be longer; COREDO’s experience allows managing expectations and building a roadmap in advance.
Requirements and licensing for an investment company in the Czech Republic
Requirements for an investment company in the Czech Republic and Licensing: this is not a formal procedure, but a set of strict regulatory rules that determine access to working with investors’ capital. To actually enter the market, it is important to understand not only the minimum figures for share capital, but also what capitalization and structural parameters the company must demonstrate to the regulator in practice.
Share capital: minimum and reality
The formal share capital for an investment company in the Czech Republic depends on the specific type of license and whether the structure falls under the UCITS/AIFMD directives. For a number of management companies and funds there is a minimum threshold comparable to pan‑European standards (from hundreds of thousands to millions of units of the base currency), while for lighter regimes: lower.
In practice, the COREDO team recommends focusing not only on the minimum share capital and its bare minimum, but on a “comfortable” level: it should demonstrate to ČNB the resilience of the business model and create a buffer for operational risks. In several cases the regulator explicitly pointed to the insufficiency of the initially declared capital given the scale of planned operations.
Czech National Bank requirements for structure and management
A Czech National Bank (ČNB) license for an investment company requires meeting a number of criteria:
- a transparent ownership structure without “black boxes” in offshore jurisdictions;
- the qualification and experience of board members and top management in asset management;
- an effective compliance and internal control system, and an independent risk management function;
- policies for managing liquidity, market, credit and operational risks.
ČNB’s role in licensing investment companies is not limited to issuing the permit: supervision continues in the form of regular reporting, inspections and monitoring of key risk indicators and capital adequacy.
Licensing, AML and EMI
licensing specifics of investment companies in the Czech Republic in 2026 will largely be determined by updated European standards:
- thorough AML compliance checks (anti‑money laundering) for investment companies: KYC procedures, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening;
- assessment of readiness for new sustainable finance requirements (ESG disclosure, SFDR) for products distributed in the EU;
- increased attention to cross‑border investments and funding channels.
In some cases it makes sense to separate functions: the investment company concentrates on asset management, while the payment/EMI structure focuses on payments and the issuance of electronic money. But there are scenarios where a group of companies under common control builds a vertically integrated model.
Taxation and incentives for investment companies in the Czech Republic
Tax regulation and incentives for investment companies in the Czech Republic determine not only the size of the fiscal burden but also the overall profitability of investment projects in this jurisdiction. Understanding current tax rates and obligations is the first step to properly structuring a company and making the most of available benefits.
Tax rates and obligations
The Czech tax regime remains competitive within the EU context, especially taking into account double taxation agreements and the specifics of taxation of collective investment funds. For investment companies the key points are:
- corporate income tax;
- taxation of dividends and interest income;
- rules on thin capitalization and transfer pricing for intra-group transactions.
When planning a structure, COREDO always models how registration of an investment company in the Czech Republic will affect the tax obligations of the business in the investors’ countries and the countries of the target assets.
Tax incentives and planning
For investment companies in the Czech Republic in 2026 the following are important:
- preferential regimes for certain types of investment funds in the Czech Republic (including funds for qualified investors);
- opportunities to use a Czech company as a holding with a preferential regime for dividends and capital gains when criteria are met;
- tools for optimizing taxation of cross-border investments in the EU and Asia.
In several projects COREDO structured arrangements so that a Czech company acted as the center of managerial and investment expertise, while the risk and tax burden at the level of the target countries were allocated through sub-holdings and SPVs.
Compliance, AML and Internal Control in Czech Investments
Compliance, AML and internal control in Czech investment companies today are becoming an integral part of launching and scaling a financial business: without a built AML framework, transparent KYC procedures and documented internal control it is practically impossible to obtain a licence and work with banks. In the following sections we will explain how to correctly build an AML framework and internal control already at the business launch stage in order to meet the requirements of Czech regulators and avoid critical risks.
AML framework and launching a business
From the regulators’ point of view, ensuring AML compliance when registering an investment company in the Czech Republic is one of the key questions for market admission. Typically required:
- a developed client identification system (KYC), including beneficiaries and sources of funds;
- procedures for monitoring transactions and detecting unusual activity;
- staff training and fixed accountability for violations.
COREDO’s practice confirms: if the AML framework is designed at the project stage, questions from the ČNB during licensing are reduced both in volume and in depth.
Internal Control and Risk Management
Risk management in Czech investment companies goes far beyond standard VaR models. The regulator expects:
- independence of the risk management function from the front office;
- regular stress tests and scenario modelling;
- clear documentation on limits for country, instrument and counterparty levels.
The COREDO team develops practical procedures for clients: from investment committee regulations to dashboards for monitoring key metrics in real time using specialized technologies for managing investment funds.
Impact of EU Regulations 2026
EU financial regulation in 2026 increases requirements for:
- transparency of ownership structures;
- reporting on sustainable finance and ESG risks;
- information exchange between national regulators.
For Czech investment companies this means the need to integrate an expanded set of metrics and reports into processes in advance. In a recent project COREDO helped a client adapt an existing Czech structure to the new European standards to preserve the right to market products in multiple EU jurisdictions.
Structure of an investment fund
The structure of an investment fund and asset management determine how the fund is organized, who makes the key decisions and under what rules risks and returns are allocated among investors. Understanding common fund structures makes it easier to choose the appropriate investment format and to build your own capital management taking into account objectives, the investment horizon and risk tolerance.
Typical fund structures
In the Czech Republic, several basic architectures are used:
- corporate fund (SICAV) with a sub-fund structure – convenient for parallel strategies across different asset classes or geographies;
- trust-like and partnership forms for a limited group of investors;
- real estate funds and infrastructure funds with a focus on physical assets.
The choice of an investment fund’s structure is always linked to the investment strategy for Czech investment funds and their target investor audience.
Capital and risk management
Effective capital and risk management includes:
- diversification across countries and sectors taking into account political and regulatory risk;
- integration of currency and interest-rate risk into the overall portfolio model;
- use of derivatives and structured products within limits permitted by regulators.
In one COREDO case, we support a Czech fund that invests simultaneously in debt instruments in the EU and stakes in fast-growing companies in Asia. For that fund we built a multi-level system of limits and hedging procedures.
Technologies and operational model
A modern investment company in the Czech Republic relies on:
- centralized accounting and risk analytics platforms;
- automation of reporting to regulators and investors;
- integration with banks, custodians and payment systems via APIs.
Solutions developed by COREDO together with technology partners enable clients to roll out reporting under new regulatory requirements with minimal changes to the operational cycle.
Recommendations for entrepreneurs and key takeaways
In this section you will find practical recommendations and key takeaways for entrepreneurs that can be applied immediately to your project. Below is a step-by-step launch checklist that will guide you through all stages: from idea validation and risk assessment to first sales and scaling.
Step-by-step launch checklist
If you are thinking about how to open an investment company in the Czech Republic in 2026, the practical sequence of actions will be as follows:
- Define the target model: an investment company, a fund, or a combination; fix the target markets and product range.
- Develop the investment company’s business plan with realistic scenarios for AUM, returns, and expense structure.
- Choose the legal entity form and prepare the articles of association taking into account the requirements of ZISIF and ČNB.
- Agree on the trade name and legal address, prepare infrastructure for opening a bank account.
- Establish the registered capital at a level that will satisfy the regulator and provide stability.
- Develop document packages for AML, compliance, internal control, and corporate governance.
- Prepare and notarize the documents for registering the investment company in the Czech Republic.
- Submit applications to the commercial court and the ČNB, and manage communication with the regulator.
- Set up operational processes, reporting, and IT infrastructure before starting to accept investments.
Legal address, bank account, and EMI
When choosing a legal address and bank account for the company, the following are important:
- reputation and experience of the counterparty (landlord, bank, or EMI provider);
- the bank’s willingness to work with an investment profile and the geography of your investors;
- potential integration with payment infrastructure if you plan to obtain an EMI license or cooperate with such providers.
The COREDO team implemented several projects where preliminary work with the bank before the company’s incorporation helped avoid prolonged KYC processes after obtaining the ČNB license.
How to minimize difficulties and time costs
The main difficulties in registration are not “paperwork”, but:
- underestimating the depth of ČNB’s requirements for risk management and compliance;
- an overly optimistic business plan;
- an opaque beneficiary structure.
Our experience at COREDO has shown that early auditing of the structure (including sources of capital, the group’s corporate structure, and planned cross-border flows) reduces the likelihood of additional rounds of questions from the regulator and helps meet the originally stated timelines for registering an investment company in the Czech Republic.
Impact of the New EU Rules on Investment Business in the Czech Republic 2026
The impact of the new EU rules and the prospects for the development of the investment business in the Czech Republic in 2026 are directly linked to a comprehensive overhaul of financial regulation, tighter requirements for transparency and capital control, and the reallocation of EU budgetary priorities in favor of innovation and digitalization. For the investment business in the Czech Republic this means not only an increase in compliance burden, but also new niches for products, structures and services that meet the updated EU standards in 2026.
New EU financial regulation 2026
The impact of the new EU regulations on investment companies in the Czech Republic will appear along several lines:
- strengthening requirements for transparency, reporting and corporate governance;
- development of unified ESG disclosure standards;
- further digitalization of interaction with regulators and data exchange.
For Czech market participants this is both a challenge and an opportunity: companies that are already integrating future requirements into their processes today will be able to bring products to other EU markets more quickly.
Scaling and long-term effects
From a strategic perspective, opportunities to scale the investment business in the Czech Republic include:
- launching additional sub-funds for new strategies without creating a separate legal entity;
- expanding the geography of investments (EU, Asia, Middle East) with centralized management and compliance;
- using the Czech Republic as the group’s centre of competence with branches or partners in other countries.
For entrepreneurs focused on the long term, registering an investment company in the Czech Republic is not a one-off legal operation, but a foundation for building a sustainable international investment business. COREDO’s practice confirms: careful preparation at the start, the right choice of structure and a constructive dialogue with ČNB turn the regulatory environment from a barrier into a competitive advantage.