Guides for foreigners in Brno and Prague

40 plain-English guides, each with the official sources we checked.

Residence

• Renewing your employee card (and other long-term permits)You can file the renewal from 120 days before your card expires, and the absolute last chance is the card's final day of validity.
• Reporting a change of addressNon-EU permit holders report a move to the Interior Ministry within 30 days; EU citizens have 30 working days, and only if they will stay…
• Registering after you arriveMost non-EU newcomers must register within 3 working days of arrival; EU citizens staying over 30 days have 30 days.
• The A2 Czech exam for permanent residenceMost non-EU applicants for permanent residence need the A2 Czech certificate, and the waiting list is long, so sign up early.
• Permanent residence after five yearsAfter five years of continuous legal stay, most non-EU residents can apply for permanent residence, with an A2 Czech certificate and proof…
• Lost or stolen residence card or passportReport a lost, stolen or damaged residence card to the Interior Ministry within 3 working days.
• Which status do you have? What each one lets you doYour residence status decides whether you can work freely, when you renew, which changes you must report and how fast you reach permanent…
• Status: student (long-term residence or visa for study)For non-EU nationals studying in Czechia for more than 90 days; you can usually work freely while you study.
• Status: employee cardThe standard work-and-residence permit for non-EU workers, tied to a specific job.
• Status: EU Blue CardFor highly qualified non-EU workers with a well-paid contract; valid up to three years.
• Status: family member of a foreigner (long-term residence for family purposes)For spouses, children and some other relatives joining a non-EU foreigner who lives in Czechia.
• Status: temporary protection (Ukraine)For people displaced from Ukraine; free access to work, but strict reporting deadlines and periodic extension rounds.
• Status: long-term residence for businessFor non-EU nationals running a trade licence or sitting on a company's statutory body.
• Status: other long-term residence permitResearch, other educational activities and other purposes: the general long-term rules apply, but work rights depend on the purpose.
• Status: EU citizen (and EEA or Swiss)You can live and work in Czechia without any permit; a registration certificate is optional.
• Status: family member of an EU or Czech citizenFor non-EU spouses, children and other relatives of EU citizens, and of Czech citizens living in Czechia.
• Status: permanent residenceThe most secure status: free access to work, a permit that does not expire, and a card renewed every 10 years.
• Czech citizenshipAfter at least five years of permanent residence (three for EU citizens), you can apply for Czech citizenship. You need to pass a Czech…
• Bringing your family to CzechiaIf you are from outside the EU, your spouse and children usually apply for a family reunification permit, and you often need to have lived…

Transport

• Exchanging a non-EU driving licenceIf your licence is from outside the EU, you usually have three months after getting long-term or permanent residence to apply for a Czech…
• Motorway vignette, buying a car and winter tyresTo drive on Czech motorways you need an electronic vignette, bought only at edalnice.gov.cz. If you buy a used car, the change of owner…

City

• Waste fee: who pays and howIn Brno each resident pays a yearly waste fee themselves; in Prague the building owner pays and it usually reaches you through your…
• Public transport: tickets, passes and finesBoth cities let you tap a bank card or use an app instead of hunting for paper tickets, and a yearly pass pays off quickly if you ride…

Health

• Health insurance and finding a doctorWhether you are in the public system or need a commercial policy depends on your job and your residence type; once insured, register with…
• Emergency numbers, out-of-hours doctors and pharmaciesIn an emergency call 112, which works in other languages and without a SIM card. For a problem that cannot wait until your GP opens but is…
• Finding a GP and a dentistRegister with a general practitioner (praktický lékař) and a dentist near home before you need one. If nobody will take you, your health…

Money

• TV and radio feesIf your household has a phone, laptop, TV or radio, you probably owe the Czech TV and radio fees, unless you are a foreigner without a…
• Opening a bank accountMost people open a Czech account in their first weeks, because salaries, rent and many bills are paid by bank transfer. Bring your…
• Income tax: annual settlement or your own tax returnIf you are employed, your employer takes tax from your salary every month. Once a year either your employer does the annual tax settlement…

Housing

• Finding a flat and proving your addressKnow the deposit cap, get a proper written contract, and make sure your landlord can give you the paperwork the immigration office asks for.
• Electricity, gas and your yearly billYou pay monthly advances and once a year the real use is settled, so you get money back or pay extra. Who you deal with depends on whether…

Start here

• Your first week: a checklistThe handful of things worth sorting in your first days, in a sensible order, with links to the detailed guides.

Work

• Changing jobs on an employee card or blue cardOn an employee card, a new employer or a new position usually has to be reported to the Ministry of the Interior at least 30 days before…
• Getting a trade licence (živnost)To work as a freelancer or run a small business in your own name you need a trade licence (živnostenské oprávnění). Most people start with…
• The Labour Office and unemployment benefitIf you lose your job, register with the Labour Office (Úřad práce) quickly. You may get unemployment benefit if you paid pension insurance…

Daily life

• Data box and Czech digital identityA Czech digital identity lets you log in to government services online, and a data box (datová schránka) is an official electronic mailbox…
• Getting a phone number and home internetStart with a prepaid SIM if you are not sure how long you will stay, then move to a monthly tariff once you know. For home internet, the…
• Learning Czech: free courses and language exchangeEvery region has an integration centre with Czech courses that are usually free for legally resident foreigners. Add a language exchange…

Family

• Nursery and school for your childrenThe enrolment dates changed in 2026: primary school enrolment is now 15 January to 15 February, and nursery enrolment 15 March to 15…
• Maternity pay and parental allowanceMaternity pay (PPM) comes from sickness insurance, so it depends on having worked and paid in. Parental allowance (rodičovský příspěvek)…