Moving to Prague: a complete step-by-step plan

A move to Prague goes wrong in one of two ways. People do too much too early: sign a twelve-month lease for a flat they have never seen, before the permit that lets them stay has been approved. Or they do the right things in the wrong order and spend a month going round offices that cannot help until a previous step is done.

This plan is organised by dependency. Each step lists what it needs and what it unlocks. It covers the main route for an EU citizen and for a person from outside the EU, and it points to our detailed guides. Rules change, so the official source named at each step wins over anything written here.

Step one: know which route you are on

Your citizenship decides the path. An EU citizen can live in Czechia without a residence permit. A person who stays more than 30 days reports the stay to the foreign police within 30 days of arrival (as of 2026; check the Ministry of the Interior). A non-EU national needs a visa or residence permit that matches the purpose of the stay. The types are: a Schengen short-stay visa for up to 90 days in any 180, a long-term visa for stays over 90 days and up to a year, a long-term residence permit for longer stays, and permanent residence. See our overview of visa types and the Schengen 90/180 rule.

For work, the main routes are the employee card, tied to a vacancy in a central register, and the EU Blue Card for higher-qualified jobs; trade licence holders and company owners follow other routes. Our guides explain employee cards and Blue Cards and how to get a long-term residence permit. The Ministry of the Interior, through its department for asylum and migration policy, decides these applications.

Step two: secure the right to stay and the income

Apply for the visa or permit from your home country, through the Czech embassy or consulate, where the route requires it. Processing takes time and the requirements are strict, including a criminal record extract, proof of accommodation and proof of insurance. Do not buy a one-way ticket and a twelve-month lease until you hold the decision. Employers who sponsor the card usually help with the process.

Step three: a temporary base

Book short-term accommodation for the first weeks. Most permit applications need proof of accommodation at the address where you will stay. A serviced flat or a furnished short-term let gives you time to see districts in person before signing a long lease. The hotel or accommodation provider handles the arrival report for third-country nationals who stay there; a friend or a landlord must do it if you stay privately.

Step four: arrival and registration

On arrival, a third-country national reports the place of stay to the foreign police within three working days. An EU citizen who stays more than 30 days reports it within 30 days. The foreign police handle this report and the checks. Permit holders later report address changes to the Ministry of the Interior, not to the police. Our guide to registering your address shows the details.

Step five: health insurance

Health insurance is not optional. An employee in Czechia is covered by the public system, with contributions paid with the salary. A non-EU national outside the public system must hold commercial insurance meeting the Foreigners Act for most permits. A person who is not working and not state-insured may be a self-payer. The rules are in our guides to public health insurance and health insurance for foreigners. Register with a GP once you are covered; see how to register with a GP.

Step six: a Czech bank account

Employers pay salaries to Czech accounts, landlords want rent from one, and the tax office wants refunds sent to one. Banks differ on what they ask of foreigners. Every bank must offer a basic payment account (as of 2026; check the Czech National Bank). Our guide to opening a bank account as a foreigner lists the usual documents.

Step seven: a long-term home

Now look for a flat. A landlord may ask for a deposit of up to three months' rent, which must be returned at the end of the lease with interest, less justified claims (as of 2026; check the Ministry for Regional Development). A tenant on an open-ended lease can end it with three months' notice, and a landlord can end it only on statutory grounds. Read our guide to renting a flat as a foreigner. New-build flats offered for rent can be browsed on Novostavby.com (in Czech).

If you are weighing a purchase against renting, the buy or rent calculator on Hypoteky.com compares the long-run costs under your assumptions, and the Hypoteky.com guide to mortgages for foreigners explains what lenders ask of newcomers. Do not decide to buy in your first weeks. Learn the districts first.

Step eight: tax, numbers and the rest

You become a Czech tax resident with a permanent home here or a habitual stay of at least 183 days in a calendar year (as of 2026; check the Financial Administration), and are then taxed on your worldwide income, subject to treaties. See Czech tax residency and how Czech income tax works for employees. A foreigner with a long-term or permanent residence permit can get a birth number from the Ministry of the Interior, as explained in how to get a Czech birth number. A data box simplifies dealings with the authorities; see setting up a data box.

For daily life, learn how to buy tickets for public transport in Prague's ticket system, and what your expected monthly outgoings are in our cost of living breakdown. Some Czech helps; start with the introduction to the Czech language.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Can I move to Prague without a visa?

EU citizens can. Others need a visa or permit for stays longer than 90 days in any 180, and they must hold it before settling.

Do I need an address before I arrive?

You need accommodation to report your place of stay and, for most permits, to support the application. A temporary address is enough at first.

Who do I tell when I move flat?

Permit holders report address changes to the Ministry of the Interior. EU citizens should check the current rule with the same ministry.

Do I need a Czech bank account?

Not by law, but salaries, rent and tax refunds are much easier with one.

A practical next step

Write the eight steps on a page, put a date beside each and mark the ones that need a document from your home country. Those take longest. Start there.

This is a general explainer, not legal, tax or mortgage advice.