EU Citizen Registration in Czechia: What Changes in 2030
Popular
Nothing changes for EU citizens in Czechia today. Until December 31, 2028, the current act 326/1999 Sb. applies: if you plan to stay longer than 30 days, you report your address to the foreign police within 30 days of arrival, and the registration certificate (osvědčení o registraci, 200 Kč) is voluntary. The new foreigners act, signed by the president on November 4, 2026, takes effect on January 1, 2029. The duty to register with the Interior Ministry starts on January 1, 2030: within 90 days of arrival for anyone planning to stay longer than 90 days, and by December 31, 2031, for EU citizens already living here. Holders of a registration certificate or permanent residence issued before 2030 do not register again. Not registering can cost up to 10,000 Kč. Around Prague checked the current act, the approved text of the new act, the fee act and the Interior Ministry's pages on official websites on November 10, 2026.
Timeline at a glance
| Date | What happens | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Now to December 31, 2028 | Police address report within 30 days; registration certificate voluntary | Act 326/1999 Sb., § 87a, § 93 |
| November 4, 2026 | New act signed; sent for publication November 9. No Collection of Laws (Sbírka) number yet as of November 10, 2026 | Chamber print 144 |
| January 1, 2029 | New act in force; filings with the ministry go online through a foreigner account (cizinecký účet) | § 712, § 700, § 571 |
| January 1, 2030 | Registration mandatory for EU citizens arriving from this day | § 261, § 712 b) |
| December 31, 2030 | Certificate holders (as of January 1, 2029) activate their foreigner account | § 701 (2) b) |
| December 31, 2031 | Deadline for EU citizens living here on January 1, 2030, without a certificate or permanent residence | § 692 (3) |
The same rules cover citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (current act § 1 (3), new act § 6).
Today (until December 31, 2028): what the current act requires
| What | Who | Deadline | Where | Fee | Fine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Address report (§ 93 (2)) | EU citizens staying over 30 days, and their family members | 30 days from entry | Foreign police; not needed if your hotel or other accommodation provider registered you | None in the fee act | Up to 3,000 Kč (§ 156 (5) d)) |
| Registration certificate (§ 87a) | EU citizens staying over 3 months, on request | None, voluntary | Interior Ministry (OAMP) | 200 Kč (fee act, item 116 (5)) | None |
| Change of address (§ 98 (1)) | Certificate holders: ministry; others: police at the new address | 30 working days, if the move is for over 180 days | Ministry or police | No fee item | Up to 3,000 Kč |
For the certificate you bring your passport or ID card, photos, proof of accommodation and proof of health insurance; the insurance proof is not needed if you came to work or run a business (§ 87a (2)). The Interior Ministry says the certificate is not a condition of your stay. It helps you prove how long you have lived here, get a Czech birth number (rodné číslo) and vote in municipal and European elections. It is issued for 10 years. See our guide to the foreign police and OAMP offices in Prague.
From 2030 under the new act
| What | Who | Deadline | How | Fee | Fine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration (§ 261) | EU citizens planning to live here mostly for over 90 days (exchange students: over 180 days) | 90 days from entry | Interior Ministry, online form via the foreigner account (§ 571, § 572) | Not yet set | Up to 10,000 Kč (§ 650 (1) e), (4)) |
| Registration of people already here (§ 692 (3)) | EU citizens here on January 1, 2030, without a certificate or permanent residence | December 31, 2031 | Same | Not yet set | Up to 10,000 Kč |
| Address report (§ 626 (2)) | Stays over 30 days | 30 days from entry | Police; not needed if you gave the ministry proof of housing and live there (§ 627) | Not set | Up to 10,000 Kč (§ 650 (1) l)) |
For registration you submit proof of health coverage, proof of housing, a valid travel document and a photo; people who work or run a business here do not need the health proof (§ 262). Parents register an EU-citizen baby born in Czechia within 6 months (§ 261 (2)). The ministry can refuse only someone who is a real, present and serious threat to public order or security (§ 263). The certificate is valid for 10 years (§ 354).
Filings with the ministry go only through the foreigner account (§ 571), except for steps done in person at the office (§ 576). You must open it at the latest with your first filing (§ 633 (4) e)). Newcomers can open it with a payment card and a scan of their passport (§ 517 (3)), but after 180 days they must log in with a qualified electronic ID (§ 633 (5)); see our guide to Identita občana. As of November 10, 2026, the ministry has not published forms, fees or the online system for 2030.
Family members from outside the EU
Today a non-EU family member, for example a spouse or a child under 21, who stays longer than 3 months must apply for a residence card (pobytová karta) within 3 months of entry: 200 Kč, fine up to 5,000 Kč (§ 87b, § 156 (5) c)). Under the new act the deadline is 90 days (§ 277), the card is valid for up to 5 years (§ 352) and the fine is up to 10,000 Kč (§ 650 (1) f)). Holders of a card on January 1, 2029, get a prepared foreigner account; the general activation deadline is June 30, 2029 (§ 701 (2) a)).
UK citizens
British citizens who lived lawfully in Czechia on December 31, 2020, keep the EU-citizen rules under the Withdrawal Agreement (current act § 1 (4), new act § 297). Their registration is a biometric card (průkaz o povolení k pobytu) valid for 5 years (§ 87t), and the new act keeps it (§ 342, § 351). The current act calls this card the registration certificate in card form (§ 87t (1)), and the new act exempts certificates issued before 2030 (§ 692 (2)); the ministry had not published guidance for British citizens on this by November 10, 2026. Britons who arrived later are non-EU nationals.
Permanent residence after 5 years
After 5 years of continuous stay you can ask for permanent residence (§ 87g). Absences of up to 6 months a year, or one absence of up to 12 months for serious reasons such as illness, study or a work posting, do not break continuity. The new act keeps both rules (§ 266, § 270); its document list for permanent stay contains no language certificate (§ 273). Permanent residence permits issued before 2030 exempt you from registration (§ 692 (2)); activate your foreigner account by December 31, 2031 (§ 701 (2) c)).
What to do now
- Staying over 30 days? Check that your address was reported to the police.
- Consider getting the certificate now: issued before 2030, it frees you from the new duty (§ 692 (2)).
- Keep proof of housing and, if you do not work here, of health insurance.
- Get a qualified Czech electronic ID before 2029; you need it to activate the foreigner account (§ 702).
- From 2028, check the Interior Ministry's website for forms and fees.
EU citizen registration in Czechia: FAQ
Do I have to register with the Interior Ministry now?
No. Until the end of 2028 registration is voluntary; the only duty is the police address report if you stay longer than 30 days.
I have lived in Prague for years without a certificate. What changes?
Nothing until 2030. If you still live here on January 1, 2030, register by December 31, 2031, or get the certificate before 2030.
I already have a registration certificate. Do I need to do anything?
No new registration: it counts under the new act (§ 692 (1)). Activate your foreigner account by December 31, 2030.
How much will registration cost from 2030?
Not known yet. The new act only says that a fee, if set, is paid online by card.
Is the new act already in the Collection of Laws?
Not as of November 10, 2026; the number will appear on e-sbirka.cz.
This is not legal advice; for your own case, ask the Interior Ministry or see our list of free legal help for foreigners.
Sources: Chamber of Deputies: print 144, approved text of the new act, Act 326/1999 Sb., Act 634/2004 Sb. on fees, Interior Ministry: temporary residence, Interior Ministry: the new act, e-Sbírka. Checked on November 10, 2026.
See also: Moved to Czechia: first steps, Foreign police and OAMP in Prague, Health insurance for foreigners, Permanent residency in Czechia.
Photo: Buildings of the Czech Ministry of the Interior on Letná in Prague. Gampe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comments (0)
Please be polite. Spam and insults will be removed.