The Insolvency Register (ISIR) is a publicly accessible database of all insolvency proceedings in the Czech Republic. It is maintained by the Ministry of Justice and is available free of charge. When checking a business partner, ISIR is the first place to look — an active insolvency proceeding is the strongest warning signal company data can provide.

What is an insolvency proceeding

An insolvency proceeding is a court process that resolves a situation where a debtor is unable to repay their due obligations. In the Czech Republic there are three main forms:

  • Bankruptcy (konkurs) — for companies and individuals. The debtor's assets are liquidated and proceeds distributed to creditors. The company typically ceases to exist afterwards.
  • Debt relief (oddlužení) — for individuals and sole traders. The debtor repays over 3–5 years; remaining debts are discharged.
  • Reorganisation — for larger companies. The business continues operating under a court-approved reorganisation plan.

How to search ISIR

You can search by:

  • Company ID (IČO) — most reliable for companies. One IČO = one entity, unambiguous result.
  • Name and surname — for individuals (sole traders, directors). May return multiple matches.
  • Company name — less reliable; a company may have changed its name.

Firmometr checks ISIR automatically as part of every company lookup by IČO. You see the result immediately, without visiting another site.

Reading results — case reference and status

ISIR shows key information for each proceeding:

  • Case reference (spisová značka) — in the format KSOS 31 INS 1234/2025. "KSOS" identifies the regional court (Regional Court Ostrava), "INS" marks insolvency, the numbers are the case identifier and year.
  • Proceeding status — the most important field. "Probíhající" means active; "Skončené" means closed.
  • Type of resolution — bankruptcy, debt relief, or reorganisation.
  • Date initiated — when the court opened the proceedings.

Four statuses in Firmometr

Firmometr translates raw ISIR data into four clear statuses:

  • Clear (CLEAR) — no records in ISIR. Green light.
  • Active debtor (ACTIVE_DEBTOR) — active insolvency proceedings. Red — do not proceed without payment upfront.
  • Active co-debtor (ACTIVE_CO_DEBTOR) — the company appears as co-debtor in another party's proceedings. Amber — review details.
  • Past debtor (PAST_DEBTOR) — proceedings are closed. Consider how long ago and under what circumstances.

What to watch for when interpreting results

  • Records against directors — a clean company may have a director with a personal insolvency. Worth checking for larger contracts.
  • Date of closure — if insolvency ended recently, the company may not yet be fully stable.
  • Type of proceeding — reorganisation (company keeps operating) is less alarming than bankruptcy (assets being sold).
  • Repeated insolvency — multiple proceedings in succession is a strong negative signal.

Why a one-off check is not enough

ISIR changes in real time. A company that is clean today can enter insolvency tomorrow — petitions are filed unexpectedly and proceedings become public immediately. If you have an ongoing business relationship, continuous monitoring is essential.

Firmometr's watchlist fills this gap: add a company to monitoring and receive an email the moment its insolvency status changes. A free account covers up to 3 companies.

Summary

The Insolvency Register is the most important — and most overlooked — check when assessing a business partner. It is free, available online, and updated in real time. Checking via Firmometr takes under 10 seconds: enter the company ID and get the result immediately.