U.S. Embassy Prague 2026: Passports, Appointments, Holidays

The U.S. Embassy in Prague is at Tržiště 15 in Malá Strana. Routine services for U.S. citizens, such as passport renewals, notary seals ($50 each) and reports of a child's birth abroad, need an online appointment. An emergency passport needs none: walk in on a working day between 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., and it is usually ready the same day. An adult passport renewal costs $130; a first adult passport or a replacement for a lost one costs $165. The embassy is closed on U.S. and Czech holidays, including November 11, 17 and 26 and December 24 and 25, 2026. In a life-or-death emergency, call +420 257 022 000 at any hour. Around Prague checked the embassy's, the State Department's and other official U.S. and Czech government websites on November 11, 2026.

Crown amounts are converted at the Czech National Bank rate of November 10, 2026: 1 USD = CZK 21.702.

Address, phone and getting there

• Address: U.S. Embassy, Tržiště 15, 118 01 Praha 1 – Malá Strana (for mail: Tržiště 365/15).
• Phone: +420 257 022 000 (from the US: 011 420 257 022 000). Outside office hours, a consular duty officer answers it for life-or-death emergencies involving U.S. citizens.
• E-mail, American Citizen Services (ACS): [email protected].
• Tram: Malostranské náměstí, a short walk away (day lines 12, 15, 20, 22 and 23 in Prague transit data of November 10, 2026; check pid.cz for track work).

Security: leave your phone at the hotel

• Phones, tablets and USB keys are not allowed inside; small items can be left at security.
• Laptops, e-readers, backpacks and suitcases are not allowed either. The embassy's pages disagree on whether they can be left in the lobby, so come without them.
• Bring your U.S. passport or other proof of citizenship and paper copies.
• Arrive on time; for a birth registration, 15 minutes early.

Appointments and services at a glance

Routine services (non-emergency passports, citizenship, birth registration, benefits questions, notary services) need a free online appointment booked at least one day ahead. The embassy's pages list different hours for them, so go by the slots the booking system offers.

Pay in advance on pay.gov or at the embassy in dollars or crowns, cash or card (American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover); no contactless or virtual cards, no personal checks.

Renewing a passport while living in Czechia

Online renewal does not work from Prague: the State Department requires you to be in a U.S. state or territory. Residents of Czechia renew by courier if their last passport book was issued at age 16 or older, less than 15 years ago, for 10 years, in their current name or with proof of a name change.

• Sign Form DS-82, write your Social Security number on it and add one 2×2-inch (5×5 cm) color photo on a white background, taken within six months, without glasses.
• Add a copy of the data page, the old passport and the printed confirmation of the $130 payment on pay.gov.
• Book a pickup by the Messenger courier service for CZK 250 (about $12). The embassy no longer accepts renewals sent by Czech Post.

Expect about 4–5 weeks. Passport cards and children's passports need an in-person application.

Lost or stolen passport

Report a theft to the police (158 or 112), then walk in with Form DS-11 (filled in, not signed), Form DS-64, one 2×2-inch photo and the police report if you have it. The passport ($165, under 16 $135) is printed at the embassy, usually the same day. An emergency passport has limited validity; within 12 months you can exchange it for a full one with Form DS-5504 at no charge. A passport reported lost is canceled and cannot be used even if it turns up. For passport validity rules in Europe, see entry requirements for US citizens.

Children born in Czechia: CRBA, passport, Social Security number

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, Form FS-240) proves that your child is a U.S. citizen. Apply before the child turns 18, ideally soon after birth: online (eCRBA, via a MyTravelGov account), then e-mail the embassy for an interview. The child must attend, and usually both parents do.

• Bring the Czech birth certificate (Czech documents need no translation), proof that a parent was a U.S. citizen before the birth, the parents' IDs and your marriage certificate if you are married.
• The U.S. parent must prove time spent in the United States (school transcripts, W-2 forms, leases, military records).
• The CRBA usually arrives within 10 business days of approval, a passport in 8–12 business days.
• The first passport (DS-11, $135) can be requested at the same interview if both parents attend. An absent parent signs Form DS-3053 before a notary; the embassy notarizes it free.
• A Social Security number (Form SS-5) can be requested only once you have the CRBA and passport.

For the Czech paperwork, see having a baby in Czechia; for Czech citizenship, Czech citizenship by descent for Americans.

Notary services and apostilles

The embassy notarizes documents, usually for use in the US, for any nationality: $50 per seal, by appointment. Bring the complete document unsigned and a photo ID; staff cannot serve as witnesses.

The embassy cannot issue an apostille. U.S. documents get one from the state where they were issued. Czech documents are certified by Czech authorities: the Ministry of Justice for court documents (CZK 600 per stamp, about $28), the Notarial Chamber for notarized papers and the Foreign Ministry for other official records. See our apostille guide.

Social Security, Medicare and taxes

The embassy in Prague does not handle federal benefits. For Czechia, the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw serves Social Security (including new numbers), Veterans Affairs, Medicare and other agencies by phone, e-mail and mail, also in Czech: [email protected], or U.S. Embassy Warsaw, Federal Benefits Unit, ul. Piekna 12, 00-539 Warsaw, Poland.

Medicare usually does not pay for care outside the US; some Medigap policies cover emergency care abroad. See our guides to English-speaking doctors and 24-hour pharmacies.

Citizens abroad still file U.S. tax returns; the IRS gives them an automatic extension to June 15, but interest runs from April 15. For the Czech side, see Czech tax residency and the 183-day rule.

Voting from Czechia

Register and request ballots with the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) at fvap.gov, every January and whenever you move; your state then sends ballots at least 45 days before a federal election. The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot is the backup if yours does not arrive. After the general election of November 3, 2026, FVAP lists only possible December runoffs in Arkansas, Georgia and Louisiana and no federal elections in January 2027.

The embassy forwards ballots free by diplomatic post (up to three to four weeks). Put the sealed envelope, with U.S. or prepaid postage, in the box at the entrance, or mail it to the embassy inside a second envelope. Questions: the voting assistance officer, [email protected].

When the embassy is closed: November 2026 to January 2027

The dates come from the embassy's 2026 holiday calendar; Friday, November 27, is not on it. On closed days the 24-hour emergency number still works. More: Veterans Day in Czechia, November 17 in Prague, Thanksgiving in Prague 2026.

Emergencies: what the embassy can and cannot do

• Czech emergency numbers: 112 (all services), 155 ambulance, 158 police, 150 fire. The embassy also lists an English-speaking police station in central Prague: +420 974 851 750. See emergency numbers in Czechia.
• Alerts: enroll in STEP (step.state.gov) to receive the embassy's security messages.
• Arrest: ask the authorities to notify the embassy. Consuls can give you a list of English-speaking lawyers, contact your family with your permission and visit you; they cannot get you released, give legal advice or pay your fees.
• Death: report it to the embassy, which issues a Consular Report of Death Abroad for U.S. estate matters; the family pays funeral and shipping costs.
• Out of money: if a commercial transfer is impossible, family can send funds via the State Department ($30 fee).

On pickpockets and scams, see Is Prague safe? This guide is not legal advice; the embassy and the State Department decide on passports, CRBAs and other consular services.

U.S. Embassy in Prague: questions and answers (FAQ)

Can I renew my U.S. passport online from Prague?

No. Online renewal is only for applicants in a U.S. state or territory. Residents of Czechia send Form DS-82 to the embassy by courier and pay $130 online.

Do I need an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Prague?

Yes, for every routine service, booked online at least a day ahead. Emergency passports are walk-in, 8:30–11:00 a.m. and 1:00–3:00 p.m. on working days.

Can I bring my phone into the embassy?

No. Phones stay at security; laptops and bags are not allowed.

Is the U.S. Embassy in Prague open on Thanksgiving?

No. It is closed on November 26, 2026, and also on November 11 and 17 and December 24 and 25.

Can the U.S. Embassy apostille my documents?

No. U.S. documents get one from the issuing state, Czech documents from Czech authorities. The embassy notarizes for $50 per seal.

Sources: U.S. Embassy in Prague: contact, visitor information, citizen services and appointments, emergency passports, passports, renewal by courier, fees, birth abroad, notarial services, Social Security, voting, holiday calendar 2026, American citizen services, arrest and death of a U.S. citizen; U.S. Department of State: online renewal and passport fees; USA.gov: lost or stolen passports and absentee voting; Federal Voting Assistance Program; IRS: U.S. citizens abroad; Medicare: travel outside the U.S.; Czech Interior Ministry: emergency numbers; Czech government portal: apostille (in Czech); Prague Integrated Transport (PID). Checked on November 11, 2026; embassy hours and fees can change, so confirm on the embassy website before you go.

See also: Prague entry requirements for US citizens, Czech citizenship by descent for Americans, Czech tax residency: the 183-day rule, Thanksgiving in Prague 2026, Veterans Day in the Czech Republic, Czech public holidays 2026, English-speaking doctors in Prague, Sworn translators in Czechia, Christmas in Prague 2026: what's open December 24–26.

Photo: The Schönborn Palace on Tržiště in Malá Strana, home of the U.S. Embassy in Prague. VitVit, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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