Changing your address in Czechia as a foreigner with a long-term residence permit isn't just a move — you're legally required to report your new address to the Ministry of Interior's OAMP (hlášení změny místa pobytu) within 30 days if you plan to live at the new place for longer than 30 days. Permanent residence holders have 30 working days (if the move is for longer than 180 days), while holders of temporary protection have just 3 working days. Missing the deadline can bring a fine of up to 3,000 CZK, and failing to report your address can complicate a residence permit renewal. Here's a breakdown of the deadlines for each status, the required documents, and a full checklist of who else needs to be notified.
This obligation is set out in the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals (Act No. 326/1999 Coll.). The deadline depends on your residence status:
| Status | Notification deadline | When it's required |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term visa (dlouhodobé vízum) and long-term residence permit (dlouhodobý pobyt) | 30 days | If you'll live at the new address for longer than 30 days |
| Seasonal work visa | 15 days | If you'll live at the new address for longer than 30 days |
| Permanent residence (trvalý pobyt) | 30 working days | If the address change is for longer than 180 days |
| EU citizens and their family members | 30 working days | If the address change is for longer than 180 days |
| Temporary protection (dočasná ochrana) | 3 working days | If you'll live at the new address for longer than 15 days |
You need to notify the OAMP (Odbor azylové a migrační politiky, the Ministry of Interior's Department of Asylum and Migration Policy) — ideally the branch covering the district of your new address. The clock starts on the day you actually move: you cannot report a change in advance, "for the future." Note that hlášení změny is a separate procedure. Even if your new address appears in another application you've filed (for example, a residence permit renewal), double-check with OAMP that the change of residence has actually been registered.
OAMP won't process an address change without proof of accommodation. Any one of the following documents will do:
If you're confirming your address with a potvrzení from the owner rather than a lease, their signature must be úředně ověřený podpis — officially certified (at Czech POINT, by a notary, or at a municipal office). If the flat has several co-owners, a certified signature from just one of them is enough.
Certification is NOT required in three cases:
If your landlord refuses to sign a potvrzení, remember: a valid lease or sublease agreement in your name is enough on its own — no separate consent is needed in that case. If an owner objects to any registration of tenants at all, that's a warning sign worth noting even at the apartment-hunting stage — we covered these risks in our article on where to look for a flat in Prague. In disputed situations, immigration lawyers can help.
The notification itself is free for holders of a long-term visa or long-term residence permit. What happens next depends on your status:
| Status | Fee | New card |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term visa / residence permit | Free | The change is recorded in the register; whether you need a new card will be confirmed when you submit your notification |
| Permanent residence | 1,000 CZK (children under 15 — 500 CZK) | A new biometric card is issued: you'll be invited in to have your biometrics taken, and you must pick up the card within 60 days |
| EU citizen (osvědčení o registraci or permanent residence) | 200 CZK | A new document is issued |
| Family member of an EU citizen with temporary residence | Free | — |
Payment is by bank transfer or card at the ministry branch. Standard processing time for the notification is 30 days.
Failing to report an address change within the set deadline is a přestupek (administrative offense). According to current information from the Ministry of Interior's portal for foreigners, missing the notification deadline can bring a fine of up to 3,000 CZK; for EU citizens and their family members, gov.cz cites a fine of up to 5,000 CZK. But money isn't the main risk here: a breach of this obligation is recorded in your file and can negatively affect a residence permit renewal or a permanent residence application. On top of that, official mail will keep arriving at your old address — including summonses and decisions from authorities that are legally considered delivered even if you never saw them. If you've already missed the deadline, submit your notification as soon as possible: voluntarily fulfilling the obligation is always better than having the violation discovered.
OAMP is mandatory, but it's not the only place you need to notify. Go through this list:
| Where to report | Deadline / note |
|---|---|
| Registr vozidel (vehicle registry, if you own a car) | 10 working days, a fee of 50 CZK per change — online via Portál dopravy or at any úřad obce s rozšířenou působností |
| Health insurer (VZP and others) | 30 days from the date of change — more on the system in our guide to health insurance for foreigners |
| Employer / accountant | Right away — the data is needed for reporting purposes; self-employed (OSVČ) individuals must also report changes to the tax office and ČSSZ — check deadlines with your accountant |
| Bank, mobile carrier, internet provider | Via online banking and personal accounts; home internet is tied to the address — the contract is transferred or reissued, details in our guide to home internet in Czechia |
| Česká pošta | Order the dosílka service — paid mail forwarding to your new address; you choose the forwarding period when setting it up at the post office |
| Utility providers | Update or cancel your electricity and gas contracts — see our article on utility payments for how to do it |
| Your child's school and kindergarten | The assigned (spádová) school and kindergarten are tied to your residential address — if you're moving to a different district, check the conditions for transferring; it's also more convenient to choose a pediatrician near your new home, see our guide to children's doctors and child insurance |
And don't forget your old flat: properly close out the lease and get your deposit back — a step-by-step guide is in our article on getting your rental deposit back.
No. Holders of long-term visas, long-term residence permits, permanent residence, and temporary protection all report address changes to the Ministry of Interior's OAMP. The Foreign Police only registers short-term stays (tourists, for example).
For long-term residence, the notification is free and the change is simply recorded in the register; with permanent residence, a new card is issued for 1,000 CZK, along with a new biometrics appointment. Whether you specifically need a new card should be confirmed when you submit your notification to OAMP.
No. The notification can only be submitted after the address has actually changed — the deadline is counted from the day you move. OAMP won't accept a "for the future" notification.
The shortest of all: 3 working days from the move, if the new address is for longer than 15 days. You can submit it in person at OAMP, by post, or via datová schránka. Keep in mind: having your old address deregistered without reporting a new one can cause problems with your status, and having a current address on file also matters when renewing temporary protection.
If you have a signed lease or sublease agreement, you don't need a separate potvrzení with a certified signature — the agreement is enough on its own. If there's no agreement and the owner refuses to sign a confirmation, put the arrangement in writing or contact an immigration lawyer.
The standard processing time is 30 days. Permanent residence holders will additionally be invited in for biometrics for their new card; it must be picked up within 60 days of submitting biometric data.
Yes: the notification to OAMP can be sent via your datová schránka or by email with a recognized electronic signature, and the owner can send proof of accommodation from their own datová schránka without a certified signature. It's the fastest option — no lines, no certifications needed.
Comments (0)
Please be polite. Spam and insults will be removed.