This guide sets out essential information for British citizens about moving to or living in the Czech Republic. Read about how our embassy in Prague can help.
This information is provided as a guide only. You should obtain definitive information from the Czech authorities. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is not liable for any inaccuracies in this information.
Read general guidance on moving or retiring abroad.
To stay up to date:
If you were living in the Czech Republic before 1 January 2021
Some parts of this guide only apply if you were living in the Czech Republic since before 1 January 2021. These are indicated with sub-headings.
You should also read our Living in Europe page for detailed guidance about citizens’ rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.
Coronavirus
You should follow the advice of the Czech Government and your local authority. You can also read our Czech Republic travel advice.
For information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine as a UK national in the Czech Republic, see our coronavirus travel advice.
Visas and residency
If you have lived in the Czech Republic since before 1 January 2021 you and your family members have the right to request a residence document – Potvrzení o přechodném pobytu občana EU. This document shows that you have the rights defined in the Withdrawal Agreement.
We strongly recommend that you request Potvrzení o přechodném pobytu občana EU. It shows your right to enter the Czech Republic and exempts you from European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and visa requirements.
To get this document you must report your residence to your local office of the Ministry of Interior by 31 December 2021.
This deadline is indicative which means that your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement will not be affected if you do not meet the deadline. However, we recommend that you obtain your new document as soon as possible.
From August 2021, you will be able to exchange your Czech residency permit for a biometric card.
Read the Czech government’s guidance on residency.
We will update these pages with details of the new system as soon as more information is available. You should sign up for updates to this guidance.
Moving to the Czech Republic
Check the entry requirements for the Czech Republic. Read the Czech government’s guidance on visas.
Passports and travel
You should carry your residence permit (i.e. Potvrzení o přechodném pobytu, or Průkaz o povolení k trvalému pobytu), as well as your valid passport when you travel. If you have applied but not yet received your permit, carry a proof of application.
If you have not yet applied for a residence permit, you should carry evidence that you are resident in the Czech Republic. This could include a tenancy agreement or a utility bill in your name, dating from 2020.
If you cannot show that you are resident in the Czech Republic, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the Schengen area, and your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in the Czech Republic.
Passports
Check the Czech Republic travel advice for passport validity requirements. You can apply for or renew your British passport from the Czech Republic.
As a non-EEA national, different border checks will apply when travelling to other EU or Schengen area countries. You may have to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queueing. You may also need to show a return or onward ticket.
Entry requirements
You can travel to other Schengen area countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa for purposes such as tourism.
To stay longer, than 90 days in 180-day period, to work or study, or for business travel, you must meet the entry requirements set out by the country you are travelling to. This could mean applying for a visa or work permit.
If you stay in the Czech Republic with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.
Different rules will apply to EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area. Check each country’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.
Travel to the UK and Ireland has not changed.
Healthcare
Read our guidance on accessing healthcare in the Czech Republic and make sure you are correctly registered for your circumstances.
State healthcare: S1
You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you live in the Czech Republic and you:
- are receiving a UK State Pension
- are receiving some other ‘exportable benefits’
- are a frontier worker who lives in the Czech Republic and commutes to work in the UK
- have been sent to the Czech Republic temporarily by your employer
Read our guidance on using an S1 form in the Czech Republic to ensure you are correctly registered for healthcare.
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)
If you are resident in the Czech Republic, you must not use your UK-issued EHIC or GHIC for healthcare in the Czech Republic, unless you are a student or a detached (posted) worker. Current EHICs will remain valid until the expiry date on the card.
If you are living in the Czech Republic, you may be eligible for a new UK-issued EHIC or GHIC if you’re:
- a UK student in the Czech Republic
- a UK State Pensioner with a registered S1
- a frontier worker with a registered S1
The card you receive will depend on when you moved to the Czech Republic.
Apply now for a new UK EHIC or GHIC
An EHIC or GHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance.
For more information read our guidance on healthcare when travelling in Europe and advice on foreign travel insurance.
You should also read guidance on:
Working in the Czech Republic
If you were legally resident in the Czech Republic before 1 January 2021, you have the right to work, as long as you remain legally resident.
You may need to apply for one or both of the following:
If you are planning to come to the Czech Republic to work, you may need a visa. Read the Department for International Trade’s guidance on working or providing services in the Czech Republic and sign up for their updates.
Frontier workers
If you live in the Czech Republic and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or EFTA country, before 1 January 2021 you may need a permit to show that you are a frontier worker.
Professional qualifications
You may need to get your professional qualification recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in the Czech Republic.
Read guidance on:
If you were living in the Czech Republic before 1 January 2021
If the relevant regulator in the Czech Republic officially recognised your professional qualification before 1 January 2021, or you started the recognition process by this date, make sure you understand the terms of your recognition decision. Seek advice from the regulator if needed.
Studying in the Czech Republic
You will be eligible for broadly the same support as Czech nationals, as long as you were legally resident in the Czech Republic before 1 January 2021. Check that you are correctly registered for residency.
Read our guidance on:
Moving to the Czech Republic to study
If you are planning to study in the Czech Republic, make sure you meet all visa requirements before you arrive. Contact the relevant Higher Education provider in the Czech Republic to check what fees you may have to pay.
For more information read studying in the European Union.
Money, tax and banking
If you work in the Czech Republic, you have the same tax rights and duties as Czech citizens.
The UK has a double taxation agreement with the Czech Republic to ensure you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.
Existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in the Czech Republic have not changed.
Read guidance about:
You should obtain professional advice on paying tax in the Czech Republic.
National Insurance
Find out if you need to pay National Insurance in the UK or social security contributions in the Czech Republic.
Banking
Whether UK banks can provide services to customers living in the EEA is a matter of local law and regulation.
Your bank or finance provider should contact you if they need to make any changes to your product or the way they provide it. If you have any concerns about whether you might be affected, contact your provider or seek independent financial advice.
Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on banking, insurance and financial services changes for more information on cross-border banking.
Declaration of overseas assets
If you live in the Czech Republic for more than six months in the current year, you will need to pay tax on your worldwide income here. This may include income from securities, insurance, annuities, and property. We recommend that you check with your local Czech tax office.
Pensions
Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in the Czech Republic.
If you are moving or retiring abroad, you must tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax.
Read our State Pension guidance if you have lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and you are claiming or waiting to claim your UK State Pension.
If you retire in the Czech Republic, you can claim:
Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on pension and retirement changes for more information on cross-border pensions.
Life certificates for UK State Pensions
If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible – your payments may be suspended if you do not.
Benefits
Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in the Czech Republic.
You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.
Check which UK benefits you can claim while abroad and how to claim them.
Many income-related benefits such as pension credit and housing benefit cannot be paid to you if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.
Czech benefits
You may be entitled to Czech benefits. To find out if you are entitled to Czech benefits and how to claim, you can read the European Union’s guidance on claiming benefits in an EU country like the Czech Republic.
You can request proof of the time you have worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.
Accommodation and buying property
Read guidance on how to buy a property abroad.
Driving in the Czech Republic
If you are resident in the Czech Republic, exchange your UK licence for a Czech one (in Czech). You can only exchange your UK licence after you have been living in the Czech Republic for 185 days.
You can exchange your UK licence at any municipality with extended competence (in Czech).
You will need to provide at least two documents proving you are resident in the Czech Republic for more than 185 days in a calendar year. This can be your permanent residency permit, temporary residency permit, lease agreement, property ownership listing, employment contract, etc. You do not have to take a driving test to exchange your licence.
For information on driving in the Czech Republic, read our guidance on:
Driving in the UK with a Czech licence
You can use your Czech licence in the UK for short visits, or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test. We will update these pages if there are any changes to the rules, as soon as information is available.
Bringing a UK-registered vehicle into the Czech Republic
Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.
If you spend more than 185 days in the Czech Republic with your UK-registered car, you must register your vehicle with Czech authorities.
Voting
You cannot vote in local or national parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic or European Parliament elections.
You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:
Births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships
If your child is born in the Czech Republic, you will need to register the birth with local authorities and you can register the birth abroad as well (optional).
If someone dies in the Czech Republic:
Find out how you can get married abroad.
You will need to make a declaration in the Register of Vital Records (matrika) in the municipality where you plan to get married.
Find out about notarial and documentary services for British nationals in the Czech Republic.
You may also need:
Pets
If you have a pet passport issued by the Czech Republic or another EU member state, you can use it to travel with your pet to Great Britain and elsewhere in the EU.
A GB-issued EU pet passport is not valid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. You should speak to your vet before you travel to get the necessary pet travel documents and ensure you’re compliant with the EU Pet Travel Regulations.
Read guidance on:
Check the rules of the country you’re travelling to for any additional restrictions or requirements before you travel.
Emergencies
You can dial the European emergency number on 112 or:
- 158 for police
- 156 for local police
- 155 for health emergencies
- 150 for firefighters
If you are the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact the British Embassy Prague.
Returning to the UK
Tell the UK and Czech authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently. To help prove you are now living in the UK, you must de-register with the Czech authorities.
If you receive UK State Pension or benefits payments, you must tell the International Pension Centre.
If you get healthcare in the Czech Republic through the S1 form, you must contact the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 (0)191 218 1999 to make sure your S1 form is cancelled at the right time.
Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, tax, access to services and bringing family members.
Disclaimer
This information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Czech authorities. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is not liable for any inaccuracies in this information.
