Mortgages for Foreigners in Czechia 2026: Which Banks Lend

Let's start with what people most often mix up. A foreigner's right to buy property in Czechia is not restricted in any way — that rule has applied since July 2011 and depends neither on citizenship nor on residence status. A citizen of any country can own a flat or a house here.

The obstacle appears where borrowed money comes in. A mortgage is no longer a question of ownership rights, it is the decision of one particular bank. And this is where requirements diverge sharply.

What the bank looks at besides your income

For a foreigner, three extra questions are added to the usual checks.

Type of residence. The difference between temporary (přechodný pobyt), long-term (dlouhodobý pobyt) and permanent residence (trvalý pobyt) is fundamental for banks. Some of them refuse third-country nationals without trvalý pobyt straight away.

Citizenship. EU citizens are almost everywhere assessed under rules close to those applied to Czechs. For everyone else the terms are tougher, and some banks sort countries into risk groups.

Where the income comes from. A salary from a Czech employer raises no questions. Not every bank accepts income from abroad, and those that do usually do not count all of it.

How bank requirements differ

Below is what the banks state in their own terms and conditions. The wording varies, and that is not a formality: it is exactly what decides whether your application is accepted at all.

Permanent residence required for third-country nationals

Komerční banka draws the line openly: an EU citizen only needs temporary residence, a third-country national needs trvalý pobyt. On top of that, the bank requires a Czech rodné číslo (personal identification number) and does not accept income earned abroad.

This bank also splits countries into two groups. Applicants from the second group need at least 10 percent of their own funds, and the purpose of the loan is limited. If such an applicant is self-employed, the bank compares the turnover on the account with the tax return: if the turnover falls short of the declared figure by more than 20 percent, the application is refused.

Fio banka puts it even more bluntly: for third-country nationals, trvalý pobyt only, plus at least one year of living in Czechia.

Any residence permit is enough

MONETA does not require permanent residence: a valid residence permit and a contact address in Czechia are enough. The bank states explicitly that holding trvalý pobyt does not guarantee approval, and not holding it does not mean a refusal.

Raiffeisenbank refers in its terms simply to a “valid residence permit”, without specifying the type.

UniCredit goes further than the rest: the bank has a separate document package for a foreigner without Czech residence, but with permanent residence in another EEA country. The application form explicitly provides for a “no residence” option.

ČSOB confirms that it works with foreigners but does not publish its terms — you will have to ask at a branch.

What about income from abroad

Here the difference between banks is striking:

• Komerční banka does not accept foreign income from foreigners at all.
• Česká spořitelna accepts it, but counts no more than 80 percent of it and requires at least three months of incoming payments.
• Raiffeisenbank accepts a foreign salary but requires six months of payments into an account at a Czech bank — an exception is made for people married to a Czech citizen.
• Air Bank accepts income in euros only from employers in Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Czechia.

How much of your own money you will need

The regulatory ceiling is the same for everyone and does not depend on citizenship: a bank may finance up to 80 percent of the property price, and applicants under 36 — up to 90 percent.

But that is the regulator's ceiling, not a promise from the bank. In practice a foreigner without permanent residence is more often offered less — you need to put together more of your own money than a citizen in the same situation.

Temporary protection: why there is no mortgage

The question that matters more than any other to the Ukrainian audience.

It is not about how banks feel about you, and not about citizenship. It comes down to a technical detail: holders of temporary protection (dočasná ochrana) are not assigned a Czech rodné číslo — that is written directly into the law. And a number of banks simply will not process an application without it: the number is needed to identify the client.

The same barrier remains with the new zvláštní dlouhodobý pobyt — that status does not grant a rodné číslo either.

What is known about the timing: temporary protection has been extended until 31 March 2028. A new round of the special long-term residence runs in 2026, with registration from October until 31 December. An income threshold has been set for it, but that figure is worth checking in the primary source: different publications quote it differently.

The practical conclusion: for someone on temporary protection, the route to a mortgage runs through a change of status to one that comes with a rodné číslo. Buying with your own funds remains available — the restriction applies only to the loan.

How to improve your chances

• Apply to several banks. The requirements diverge so much that a refusal from one says nothing about the others.
• Move your income to a Czech account in advance. Six months of incoming payments is the standard requirement wherever the income is foreign.
• Check your rodné číslo. If you do not have one, that is where to start — not with choosing a flat.
• Budget for a bigger down payment. Counting on the regulatory 80 percent without trvalý pobyt is risky.
• The self-employed are a separate conversation. Their income is assessed under its own rules, and the gap between banks is even wider.

Rates as of August 2026

The average rate offered on the market is 5.42 percent (Swiss Life Hypoindex, August 2026) — the fifth monthly rise in a row and the highest since August 2024. On contracts actually signed the average is lower, 4.90 percent (CBA Hypomonitor, July 2026); the gap is essentially what a client wins by negotiating.

Affordability, meanwhile, is tested at a rate two percentage points higher. What you need to earn for a property at a given price is set out with a table in a separate article.

This material is for information only and does not replace professional advice. Bank conditions change: the rules described here reflect the terms published as of August 2026.

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