Basic information about delivery of mail and money orders

This document contains basic information about conditions required for proper delivery of mail and money orders to the addressee as well as about delivery options available to the addressee.

Further information includes a basic description of customs clearance of inbound international mail; advice of mandatory or optional cooperation of the addressee with the Czech Post at customs clearance; and conditions of acceptance of complaints regarding delivery of mail. For detailed information about our delivery services see the Postal Terms and Conditions of the Czech Post - Basic Postal Services.

General provisions

1. The Czech Post provides once-a-day delivery every working day.
2. The way of delivery depends on the postal service chosen by the sender. We are bound to fully respect the choice.
3. The way of delivery can be changed by the addressee only if it is not prohibited by the agreement between the sender and the Czech Post.
4. If the addressee is notified to pick up a deposited item from the deposit post ofice or to do another act vital for its delivery, the notice will inform him/her about what to do.
5. If the addressee is too frail to come to the post office in person, he/she can ask the post office personnel:
   1. to have the deposited item delivered to, or
   2. to have any of the application forms mentioned in clauses 11, 13, 15, 18, 19 and 22 collected from, the place where the addressee stays.
6. The addressee can ask the personnel at any post office about which post office is the designated delivery post office for his/her particular address.

Delivery to letter boxes

7. The Czech Post provides delivery of mail and money order documents to letter boxes bearing the addressee's name and surname (or at least the same surname as the addressee's surname) or the addressee's business name.
8. Letter boxes must be located at a sufficiently clear place by the main entrance to the house, on the same floor. The access to them must not be difficult. They must be sufficiently large and in a good condition. The addressee's names on letter boxes must be legible and large enough to make it easy for the postperson to find a particular addressee quickly. You can ask our personnel for recommendation about proper formats of letter boxes, clarification of things you may not understand and for similar advice. The above principles are essential for proper delivery of mail and money order documents as well as for your satisfaction. The failure to comply may result into non-delivery and return of the mail or money order back to the sender.
9. Your house must be open to the postperson at the time of attempted delivery. If this is impossible, you can label one or two doorbells with the Czech Post logo (the label is available free of charge at any post office) and secure the presence of some person (receptionist, security guard, etc.) who will come and open the door when the postperson rings. Alternatively, you can give the key to your house to the postperson (the service is free of charge).

Delivery to individuals at home

10. Mail delivered to individuals against certificate of delivery is normally delivered to the addressee at home.
11. The addressee can ask (by filing an application with any post office) for delivery of mail and money orders addressed to him/her to himself/herself only or only to persons staying at his/her home.
12. Unless the addressee has proceeded in accordance with clause 11 and/or unless it is prohibited by the agreement made between the sender and the Czech Post, the item can be delivered to another suitable person (particularly, to a neighbour) in the absence of the addressee at home at the delivery time. The postperson will then leave a notice in the addressee's letter box informing the addressee about who accepted the item and about the time of delivery.
13. If the addressee does not want to proceed in accordance with clause 12 and if it is not prohibited by the agreement made between the sender and the Czech Post, he/she can ask for delivery of mail and money orders to an authorised person living in the same house in the absence of the addressee at home at the delivery time. The addressee must use the proper application form and certificate of authorisation and consent of the particular person. The application may be dismissed should such procedure be unreasonably time-consuming. The same procedure can be used also if the addressee lives on the 5th floor or higher and the house has no lift, in which case the postperson is not obliged to deliver mail or money orders to the addressee at home. In this case the addressee can appoint one or two persons as his/her authorised person.
14. There should be a diagram of the house next to the letter boxes. The diagram or similar device indicating the position of individual flats in the house is not required if it is easy to find the way to the addressee's flat. 

Delivery to individuals at post office

15. Mail or money deposited at the delivery post office will be issued to the addressee. Alternatively, the addressee can authorise another person to pick it up on the addressee's behalf. Such person must present a recipient card or authenticated power of attorney to get the item. The exception are items qualified by the sender as "Do vlastních rukou výhradně jen adresáta" ("Delivery to the Addressee Only"). An application for recipient card can be filed by the addressee at any post office.
16. The item will be delivered only against valid identity card or passport. Passport holders must be able to prove that they are at least 15 years old. Items addressed to persons younger than 15 can be delivered to a parent or legal representative of the addressee. The exception are items qualified by the sender as "Do vlastních rukou výhradně jen adresáta" ("Delivery to the Addressee Only").
17. The procedure under clause 16 applies also to incapacitated addressees and to addressees with restricted capacity to accept mail or money orders.
18. The item must be collected from the post office within the notified latest collection time. Unless it is prohibited by the agreement made between the sender and the Czech Post, the addressee can ask or apply for a longer collection time (up to a maximum of one month). The exception are money orders. The sender can also order a longer collection time. This option can be used either for a particular (already deposited) item or for all items arriving within the set time (up to a maximum of one month).
19. Should the addressee be unable to collect the item from the deposit post office stated in the Notice, he/she can ask or apply to the deposit post office personnel to have the item forwarded to another post office where it would be ready for collection. The same option can be used for all items coming to the post office that are to be delivered to the addressee's place. The addressee can file the proper application for with any post office.

Delivery to legal persons 

20. The rules applicable to individuals apply with necessary modifications to delivery to legal persons. If you are a legal person, your authorised person should contact the delivery post office to discuss particulars of delivering to you.

Special ways of delivery

21. The addressee can make an agreement with the Czech Post about holding of mail and money orders at a chosen post office for collection by the addressee. The agreement can also provide for leasing of a post office box.
22. The addressee can apply for redelivery of mail and money orders to a place other than the address on the item.
23. Regional capitals and cities with populations of 100,000 or more have at least one post office open for Sunday and public holiday collection of mail and payment of money orders. This concerns all kinds of deposited items and items where the addressee asked for change of the deposit post office in accordance with clause 19.

Customs clearance of inbound international mail

24. Customs clearance is conducted in accordance with international standards and Czech customs regulations, normally in the absence of the addressee.
25. Should the addressee's presence be necessary to clear the item or should an act (such as submission of certain documents) be required to be done by the addressee, the addressee will be notified by the Czech Post about the requirements. Should the addressee fail to do the required act within one month, the item will be sent to the country of destination for return to the sender. The addressee can ask for a longer time limit (up to two months).

Complaints regarding delivery of mail

26. If an item is not delivered, the sender or the addressee can complain one year from the day of posting. The complaint will be accepted by any post office providing that the customer presents the original or a copy of the certificate of posting. The matter will be investigated to find out whether and how the item was delivered.
27. The process applies also to outbound international mail but the time limit to complain is six months from the day of posting. There are no mandatory time limits for the resolution of any complaint.
28. Items that are damaged on arrival to the delivery post office will not be delivered but deposited at the delivery post office. The same office will also register the addressee's complaint. The addressee can ask the personnel to open the damaged item before delivery to determine the scope of damage.
29. Complaints regarding damaged items can be made also after delivery providing that the damage has not been evident on delivery. Such additional complaints will be accepted only two working days after delivery. The best solution is to register the complaint with the delivery post office (although it would be accepted by any other post office as well). An additional complaint will be accepted only if the customer presents the item 'as delivered'. Should this be impossible, the customer must present a trustworthy proof of the 'as delivered' condition.
30. Similar rules apply to inbound international mail.

Complaints regarding delivery of money orders

31. Similar rules apply to complaints regarding delivery of money orders.