Company setup in the Kodo Portal now includes a lookup through ARES and VIES. Use your VAT number or Czech company ID to find the available company details, fill in the form and review them before saving.
When you start working with a local partner, the first task is often a familiar one: enter your company's legal name, address and registration details into another form. The information already exists, but copying it from invoices or email signatures takes attention. A trading name can slip into the legal-name field, or a digit can disappear from an identifier.
We have added a company lookup to the Kodo Portal to make this part of onboarding easier. You can use it when completing your company registration details and in the shared company profile used for packaging EPR and WEEE.
The lookup helps you bring existing information into the form. You remain in control of what is saved: check the result, add anything missing and confirm the profile.
Two services, two different identifiers
ARES and VIES serve different purposes. The portal offers the appropriate lookup for the information you have.
| Service | What you enter | What it helps you do |
|---|---|---|
| ARES | A Czech company's eight-digit IČO, its company identification number | Find the Czech business and fill in the available legal name, registered-address details and identifiers |
| VIES | An EU VAT number including its country prefix | Check VAT validity and fill in the company name and address when returned |
ARES is the Czech Ministry of Finance's service for accessing information about registered economic entities. It brings together information from source registers. In the portal, its lookup uses IČO; you do not need a VAT number to search for a Czech company. About ARES — Czech Ministry of Finance.
VIES stands for VAT Information Exchange System. It is the European Commission's service for checking EU VAT registration using national VAT databases. It is not a single European company register, and the availability of names and addresses varies. Checking a VAT number — Your Europe.
This distinction matters when choosing which number to enter. A company registration number and a VAT number are different identifiers, even when they look similar.
How the lookup works in the portal
You can complete the process in five steps:
- Choose the country of registration. Enter the VAT number with its country prefix. For a Czech company, you can instead enter its IČO in the dedicated field.
- Run the search. Select “Search by VAT number” or, for a Czech company, “Search by IČO”.
- Check the company returned. Make sure the result belongs to the legal entity you want to register.
- Select “Fill in form”. The portal adds the available details. Review the name and address, including the city and postal code, and complete any missing fields.
- Save the profile. A search or a click on “Fill in form” does not save your changes by itself.
The lookup does not supply your contact person, authorised signatory or every company detail needed for the case. Those fields still need your input.
Less retyping, a clearer starting point
The useful change is quite practical: you spend less time transferring information between documents and the portal.
It also gives you a chance to notice a mistake early. If the returned company name does not match the business you intended to register, check the identifier before continuing. If an address is incomplete, you can finish it while reviewing the form.
Consider a seller whose shop uses a brand name that differs from the registered company's name. The lookup helps identify the legal entity that should appear in the company profile. That makes the information easier to check when Kodo prepares the next steps with you.
These checks can reduce avoidable entry errors. They do not guarantee that every source record is complete or current, so reviewing the result remains part of the process.
One company profile for EPR and WEEE
For the same organisation, the Kodo Portal shares company details between packaging EPR and WEEE. If your company extends its agreed work to electrical equipment, you can use the existing profile rather than create another company record.
The product records and reporting requirements remain specific to each area. The lookup simply makes the common company information easier to prepare and maintain.
Completing the profile is one step in onboarding. It does not itself appoint Kodo as your representative or complete registration with a compliance scheme. Kodo confirms the documents and arrangements needed for your agreed service.
If the lookup does not return everything
A valid VAT result may arrive without a company name or address. You can enter those details manually. Temporary service outages are also possible; an unavailable or unconfirmed result should not be treated as proof that the company does not exist. Your Europe explains VIES results and availability.
Manual entry remains available when a lookup cannot help. The aim is to make company setup easier while keeping the form usable for different businesses.
The main conclusion
This update removes some repetitive typing from company onboarding and gives you a useful point of comparison before saving. Search, review and confirm: a small change that helps start the work with clearer company details.
Frequently asked questions
Can I search ARES using my VAT number?
The ARES lookup in the Kodo Portal uses the Czech eight-digit IČO. To check an EU VAT number, use the VAT lookup through VIES.
Can a Czech company without a VAT number use the lookup?
Yes. The ARES lookup uses IČO and does not require a VAT number. You can also complete the company details manually.
Does the portal save the returned details automatically?
No. Review the result, select “Fill in form”, complete or correct the fields and then save the profile. Running a search does not change your saved company record.
How Kodo can help
Kodo helps international sellers organise the company information, source records and agreed steps for Czech packaging EPR and WEEE. The portal gives your team a shared place to provide details and work through questions with Kodo. You can create a free client account to get started; Kodo confirms the scope of the service and access to the relevant working areas with you.
For legal, tax, regulatory, certification and investment-incentive matters, companies should work with qualified specialists and the responsible authorities.
Related reading
- Kodo Portal: Czech EPR, Business Enquiries and an App You Can Install
- A shared Czech EPR workspace for international partners
- Business Support in the Czech Republic — A Simpler Way to Request a Proposal in the Kodo Portal
Sources
This article describes company onboarding in the Kodo Portal and provides general information about company lookups. Review returned details before saving and verify tax or regulatory questions with the responsible authority or a qualified adviser.