Getting a phone number and home internet
Start 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 new provider does most of the switching work for you.
A prepaid card (předplacená karta) is the easy first step: you top up credit and there is no contract. It suits your first weeks, a probation period, or a stay you are not sure about.
A monthly tariff (paušál) is usually cheaper if you are staying longer. The big operators are O2, T-Mobile and Vodafone, and all three have customer care in English. For a contract they normally want your passport, a second form of ID (such as a driving licence), your residence permit if you are from outside the EU, and sometimes your lease.
Read the contract length before you sign. Many contracts run for two years. Under Czech rules, an early termination fee can only be charged if you end the contract within three months of signing, and even then it is capped at one twentieth of the monthly payments still left. Some 'discounted' tariffs only stay cheap if you spend a minimum amount each month.
You can keep your number when you change operator. The new operator handles the move, and you get a verification code from your old one.
For home internet, check what reaches your address first. ČTÚ runs a coverage map (vportal.ctu.cz) and a price comparison tool (srovnavac.ctu.cz), both in Czech. If you rent, ask your landlord what is already installed in the building.
When you switch home internet provider, you only deal with the new one. Give them the verification code from your old provider and agree a date. Your old provider must keep you connected until the new service starts. If the switch is late because a provider broke the rules, you can claim a fixed compensation (paušální náhrada). Complain to the provider first, then to ČTÚ.
Step by step
- Buy a prepaid SIM in your first days so you have a Czech number for landlords, employers and offices
- Once your stay is settled, compare monthly tariffs on srovnavac.ctu.cz or on the operators' own sites
- Take your passport, a second ID and your residence permit to the operator's shop when you sign a contract
- Check the contract length and any minimum monthly spend before signing
- For home internet, check coverage at your address on vportal.ctu.cz and ask your landlord what is installed
- To switch provider, get the verification code from your current one and give it to the new one
Last checked 2026-11-11. Open this guide in the app to add the dates to your calendar.