How to Register a Car in Czechia 2026: Steps, Documents and Fees
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Registering a car from Germany or another EU country in Czechia takes three steps: a registration check (evidenční kontrola) at an STK station, Czech car insurance, and a visit to the vehicle registry (registr vozidel) at any municipal office with extended powers (ORP). Registering a passenger car costs 800 Kč, or 640 Kč if you file the application online, and the plates and registration certificate are included. Older cars below Euro 3 also pay an emission fee of 3,000–10,000 Kč. New cars (up to 6 months old or up to 6,000 km) are subject to 21% Czech VAT. A car from outside the EU must clear customs first, which usually means 10% duty and 21% VAT. To register a car in your name you need permanent or long-term residence. Holders of temporary protection cannot do this yet.
Around Prague checked the Vehicle Registration Act (No. 56/2001 Coll.), the Administrative Fees Act (No. 634/2004 Coll.), the VAT Act and the pages of gov.cz, the Ministry of Transport, Czech Customs and Prague City Hall on 11 November 2026.
Which situation are you in?
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| You bought a car from a Czech owner | This is not a first registration but a change of owner (přepis), and you have 10 working days for it. See our guide to car re-registration (přepis). |
| A new car from a Czech dealer | The dealer usually registers it. Until then you can drive on the dealer's green plates, which are valid for 10 days. |
| A used car from Germany or another EU country | STK, insurance and registration at an ORP (steps below). If the car is new, pay VAT first. |
| A car from outside the EU (Ukraine, Switzerland, the US, the UK) | Customs, technical approval, STK and registration. See the section below. |
| A Ukrainian-plated car in the evidence ukrajinských vozidel register | Separate rules apply for now. A bill would allow Czech registration from 2027; see our guide to cars with Ukrainian plates. |
| You have temporary protection and bought a car in Czechia or the EU | You cannot be registered as the car's operator yet; the ORP will issue export plates only. A bill would change this, but it has not been passed. |
Who can register a car
Under § 6(3) of Act No. 56/2001 Coll., the car's operator (provozovatel, the person registered as using the car) must have one of these in Czechia:
- permanent residence (trvalý pobyt);
- long-term residence (dlouhodobý pobyt), including the special long-term residence for Ukrainians;
- for EU citizens, temporary residence (přechodný pobyt) of at least 6 months a year;
- asylum.
You prove your Czech address with your residence document or, if it does not show an address, with a lease. The law does not list a long-term visa on its own. If that is all you have, ask the ORP before applying.
Temporary protection is not on the list. In a letter to all ORPs in December 2022, the Ministry of Transport confirmed that a temporary protection holder may buy a car but cannot be registered as its operator, so they only get export plates. The government bill (parliamentary print 213) would allow temporary protection holders to be registered as operators. As of 11 November 2026 it had not had its third reading.
Step by step: a car from Germany or another EU country
- Bringing the car over. You can drive it to Czechia on transit or export plates from the country of sale, with insurance for those plates. In Germany these come from the Zulassungsstelle. Check the conditions with the seller or that country's authority.
- Czech car insurance (povinné ručení). The car cannot be registered without it, and the policy must be recorded with the Czech Insurers' Bureau (Česká kancelář pojistitelů). Insurers issue a policy by VIN before you have plates, and an electronic green card is accepted. See our guide to car insurance (povinné ručení).
- Registration check (evidenční kontrola) at an STK station. A used car always needs it: the station checks the VIN and data against the documents. The report must be no older than 30 days.
- A technical inspection only if one is due. It is needed if the Czech inspection interval has run out since first registration or the last inspection, or if there is no proof of the last inspection. A car less than 4 years from first registration usually needs none. Intervals are in our STK inspection guide.
- VAT if the car is new. For tax purposes a car is new if it is no more than 6 months from first use or has no more than 6,000 km. A private buyer files a VAT return within 10 days of the purchase and pays 21%. You will need proof of payment to register the car.
- Registration at an ORP. Apply at the vehicle registry of any ORP. You can fill in the application online in advance on Portál dopravy, which cuts the fee by 20%, but you still have to come in person with the original documents. You receive Czech plates and the registration certificate (osvědčení o registraci).
Documents for registration
- ID and residence document (or proof of address);
- the foreign registration certificate (in Germany, Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I and Teil II / Fahrzeugbrief);
- a COC or other proof of technical fitness; with a COC no separate approval is needed;
- the registration check report and, if required, the inspection report;
- proof of insurance;
- proof of VAT payment if the car is new;
- a power of attorney with a certified signature if someone applies for you.
The law does not require the purchase contract for registration, but bring it: the ORP may ask for it, and it is required for export plates. Documents in languages other than German or English may need a sworn translation. Ask the ORP in advance.
A car from outside the EU
- Customs. The car must be cleared with a customs declaration (JSD). This applies even to cars from Switzerland or Norway, where the ORP sometimes does not ask for the customs document. You usually pay 10% duty and 21% VAT on the price plus duty, about 33% of the customs value. If you move to Czechia permanently, you can import the car as personal property without duty and VAT. This usually requires at least 12 months of living outside the EU and at least 6 months of using the car there. Ask the customs office (celní úřad) before importing.
- Approval of technical fitness (schválení technické způsobilosti) at an ORP: 3,000 Kč, or 2,400 Kč online. You need an STK report and, where the law requires it, a test station report. Passenger cars must meet at least Euro 3.
- Registration check and inspection at an STK station.
- Insurance and registration, as for an EU car, for 800 Kč.
How much registration costs
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Registering a passenger car (plates and certificate included) | 800 Kč, 640 Kč with an online application |
| Registration check at an STK station | set by the station, usually a few hundred crowns |
| Technical inspection, if needed | about 1,000 Kč plus 500–1,000 Kč for the emissions test (gov.cz estimate) |
| Emission fee (emisní poplatek) | Euro 3 and newer 0 Kč, Euro 2 3,000 Kč, Euro 1 5,000 Kč, no standard 10,000 Kč |
| Approval of technical fitness (car without EU approval) | 3,000 Kč, 2,400 Kč online |
| VAT on a new car from the EU | 21% |
| Duty and VAT on a car from outside the EU | 10% and 21%, unless exempt |
A used EU car meeting Euro 3 or newer that does not yet need an inspection costs roughly 1,100–1,700 Kč plus insurance. With an inspection, expect about 2,500–3,700 Kč. The emission fee is paid once, at the car's first registration in Czechia.
Where to register a car in Prague
You can register a car at any ORP in Czechia, not only where you live. In Prague, imported cars (registration, approval and technical changes) are handled by four vehicle registry offices:
- Jarov: Osiková 2, Praha 3, tel. 236 004 879;
- Břevnov: Radimova 39, Praha 6, tel. 236 005 849;
- Vysočany: Na Výběžku 1023/7, Praha 9, tel. 236 003 816;
- Bohdalec: Nad Vršovskou horou 88, Praha 10, tel. 236 003 769 (closed on 19 November 2026 because of a water outage).
Hours: Monday and Wednesday 8:00–18:00, Tuesday and Thursday 8:00–15:00. Imported cars are not handled on Fridays. These offices have no online booking, and imported cars are not processed while you wait, so plan a second visit to collect the plates. For routine tasks such as přepis, other Prague offices can be booked through Portál Pražana.
Fines and deadlines
Act No. 56/2001 Coll. does not set a number of days for registering an imported car; portal.gov.cz says it must be done without delay (neprodleně). You may not drive an unregistered car in Czechia, and the operator can be fined up to 50,000 Kč. Czech export plates are valid for 3 months. If a complicated case needs checking, the ORP may take up to 30 days to decide.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much does it cost to register a car in Czechia?
The registration fee for a passenger car is 800 Kč, or 640 Kč with an online application, plates included. On top come the STK registration check, an inspection if due, the emission fee for cars below Euro 3, and VAT on new cars.
Can I register a car with temporary protection?
Not yet. Temporary protection is not one of the residence types that allow you to be a car's operator. Parliamentary print 213 would allow it, but it had not been passed as of 11 November 2026. For now a temporary protection holder only gets export plates.
Does a car from Germany need an STK inspection?
It always needs the registration check. A full inspection is needed only if one is due under Czech intervals or there is no proof of the last one. A car under 4 years old usually does not need it.
Do I pay VAT on a car bought in Germany?
Only if the car is new: no more than 6 months old or with up to 6,000 km. Then a private buyer pays 21% in Czechia and files a return within 10 days. No Czech VAT is due on a used car.
Can I register a car online?
You can file the application on Portál dopravy with a 20% discount (640 instead of 800 Kč), but you still have to bring the original documents to the ORP.
What is the difference between registration and přepis?
Registration is a car's first registration in Czechia, for example after import. Přepis is the change of owner of a car already registered in Czechia, and the law gives you 10 working days for it.
Sources: Act No. 56/2001 Coll., Act No. 634/2004 Coll. on fees, gov.cz: registering an imported car, gov.cz: importing a car from outside the EU, Prague: imported cars, Czech Customs.
Related: exchanging a driving licence in Czechia, buying a used car, highway vignette 2026–2027. Translators and lawyers from our directory can help with the paperwork.
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