Pursuant to the Decorations Act only the person on whom the decoration has been bestowed and from whom the decoration or the right to wear the decoration has not been withdrawn may wear the decoration.
The decorations are worn in compliance with the Decorations Act and in the case of wearing a foreign state badge of honour or decoration in compliance with its statute.
The Office of the President of the Republic will give explanations as regards individual cases of wearing decorations.
Decorations are generally worn only on ceremonial state or social occasions. As an exception, the Cross of Liberty may be worn at all times.
Decorations are worn as originals or as miniatures. A rosette badge or a ribbon may also be worn as an attribute of a decoration. As an exception, the Cross of Liberty is worn only as an original. A holder of a decoration has the right to apply to the Office of the President of the Republic for a miniature of the decoration and an additional rosette badge in addition to the decoration bestowed on him or her, by paying a state fee.
Decorations are worn as original or as miniatures with different attire as follows:
1) one sash, up to four order stars, up to two neck crosses and all breast decorations worn as originals or all decorations worn as miniatures may be worn on a tail coat on the left lapel above the buttonhole (drawing 1, figure 2, 3; drawing 2, figures 1, 2, 3);
2) the miniatures of decorations or the rosette badge of one decoration may be worn on the left lapel of a dinner jacket (drawing 3, figures 1, 2);
3) one neck cross, one order star and original breast decorations or the rosette badge of one decoration may be worn on a dark suit (drawing 7, figures 1, 2);
4) the rosette badge of one decoration may be worn on a day suit (drawing 7, figure 3);
5) on uniforms, decorations may be worn as follows: – on an evening dress uniform, the same decorations may be worn as on a tail coat (drawing 6, figures 1, 2);
– on a regular dress uniform, one neck cross and order star and original breast decorations or ribbons may be worn (drawing 5, figures 1, 2, 3);
– on a regular uniform, ribbons may be worn (drawing 6, figure 3);
6) on an evening dress one sash, up to four order stars and one neck cross as originals or all decorations as miniatures or the rosette badge of one decoration may be worn (drawing 3, figure 3; drawing 4, figures 1, 2, 3);
7) on local costumes, if worn as festive attire, decorations may be worn as originals or as miniatures (drawing 8, figures 1, 2, 3).
Different classes of decorations shall be worn as follows:
1) collar – placed on shoulders, decoration on the breast;
2) 1st class decoration – with the sash with a cross (coat of arms) worn diagonally over the right shoulder and the left hip and the star worn on the left side of the breast;
3) 2nd class decoration – with the cross (coat of arms) worn around the neck and the star worn on the left side of the breast; 4) 3rd class decoration – around the neck;
On an evening dress the neck cross (coat of arms) – on the left side of the breast attached to a ribbon tied in a horizontal knot (drawing 4, figure 1);
5) 4th or 5th class decoration – with the medals (crosses) worn on the left side of the breast.
A person on whom diff erent classes of the same decoration have been bestowed shall generally only wear the decoration of the highest class. As an exception, a person may wear all classes of the Cross of Liberty, the Order of the Cross of the Eagle with swords, the metal crosses of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle and decoration medals which are bestowed on him or her.
A person on whom diff erent decorations have been bestowed shall generally wear the decoration of the higher class in front of decorations of a lower class. As an exception, the Cross of Liberty shall be placed in front of all other decorations regardless of their class.
Decorations of the same class shall generally be worn in the order they were bestowed, i.e. the decoration bestowed last shall be worn in the fi rst position. As an exception, the Orders of the Cross of the Eagle with swords shall be worn in the fi rst position among other decorations of the same class. The positions shall be counted from the centre of the breast to the left.
The collar of a decoration shall be worn on particularly ceremonial state occasions, having regard to the following:
1) the collar shall always be worn together with the corresponding star but without the sash of the decoration (drawing 1, figure 1);
2) the star which is a part of the insignia of the collar shall be placed higher than any other stars which are being worn;
3) the sash of another decoration may be worn together with the collar. In this case, the star which is a part of the insignia of the decoration shall be worn after the star which is a part of the insignia of the collar;
4) on ceremonial occasions which require decorations to be worn but do not require collars to be worn, the holders of collars shall wear the sashes which are a part of the insignia of the collars together with the corresponding stars, and the stars shall be placed higher than any other stars which are being worn.
If the stars of several decorations are worn at the same, the following rules apply:
1) if two decoration stars are worn at the same time, they shall be placed one above the other and the star of the higher decoration shall be placed higher (drawing 1, figure 3);
2) if three decoration stars are worn at the same time, the star of the highest decoration shall be placed above the other two stars which are set side by side (drawing 2, figure 1);
3) if four decoration stars are worn at the same time, in addition to the three stars, the fourth star which complements the three stars shall be placed below the two stars which are set side by side (drawing 2, figure 2);
4) no more than four decoration stars may be worn at the same time. When a 1st class decoration is worn, the following rules apply:
1) a 1st class decoration shall always be worn with the corresponding star and the sash shall be worn over a waistcoat;
2) on a uniform, the sash shall be worn diagonally over the right shoulder and left hip and under the shoulder strap and belt;
3) holders of several 1st class decorations shall wear only one sash and the star of the corresponding decoration shall be placed higher than any other stars which are being worn.
When a 2nd or 3rd class decoration is worn, the following rules apply:
1) a 2nd class decoration shall always be worn with the corresponding star;
2) on a tail coat, a decoration which is worn around the neck shall be placed as high as possible under the horizontal knot of the necktie and the ribbon of the decoration shall cover the part of the necktie around the collar;
3) if a uniform or dark suit is worn in combination with a shirt with a laydown collar and a long necktie, the ribbon of a decoration which is worn around the neck shall be placed under the collar and the neck cross (coat of arms) shall be placed as high on the necktie as possible;
4) holders of several 2nd or 3rd class decorations shall generally wear only one decoration of this class at a time, placing the star which is part of the insignia of the 2nd class decoration higher than any other stars of the same class which are being worn;
5) as an exception, two decorations to be worn around the neck may be worn together with the 1st rank Cross of Liberty, although the Cross of Liberty shall be placed higher than the other decoration worn around the neck. 4th and 5th class decorations shall be worn in the order of the classes such that the upper edge of the ribbon of the decoration is located 1 cm below the buttonhole of the coat lapel. Several breast decorations may be worn attached to a plate which joins the ribbons of the decorations.
The metal crosses of the Cross of the Eagle and the medals of decorations shall be worn in the same way as 4th and 5th class decorations and they shall be placed after the latter.
Decorations may be worn as miniatures attached to a plate on the left lapel of a tail coat or dinner jacket.
A rosette badge or a ribbon shall be worn in the buttonhole of the left coat lapel.
A ribbon may be worn on a uniform as an attribute of a decoration. Ribbons shall be attached to the left fl ap of uniform jackets as follows:
1) up to 4 ribbons – in one row;
2) 5 ribbons – in two rows: 2 in the upper and 3 in the lower;
3) 6 ribbons – in two rows: 2 in the upper and 4 in the lower;
4) 7 ribbons – in two rows: 3 in the upper and 4 in the lower;
5) 8 ribbons – in two rows: 4 in the upper and 4 in the lower;
6) 9 ribbons – in three rows: 1 in the upper and 4 in both of the lower rows;
7) 10 ribbons – in three rows: 2 in the upper and 4 in both of the lower rows.
The rows of ribbons shall be placed on a uniform jacket such that the lower row is 2 cm above the upper edge of the left breast pocket. Ribbons shall be arranged from right to left and from top to bottom according to the rules of sequence of decorations and their classes.
The badges of honour and decorations bestowed by officially authorised and registered agencies and organisations are worn based on the statutes thereof on public holidays and on the festive occasions of the respective agency on the left side of the breast after state decorations or on the right side of the breast. The neck crosses bestowed by agencies and organisations may be worn if the neck cross of a state decoration is not worn.