Destination guide · Central Europe

Moving to the Czech Republic from the U.S.

Name: Czech Republic
Address: Czech Republic

Which long-term visa or permit fits a remote worker, an employee, a business owner or someone living on savings or a pension, the 2026 money tests in koruna, the U.S. tax treaty and Social Security agreement, and what tax, health insurance, rent, property and paperwork involve, with every figure taken from, or calculated from, an official source and dated.

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Rules and figures checked: September 2026Official sources: 128

CurrencyCzech koruna (CZK)USD 1 = CZK 21.359 (Czech National Bank, Sep 25, 2026)¹

EU / SchengenYes / YesEU member since 2004; Schengen area member since 2007²

Retirement visaNone by that nameBy our reading, retirees look to the long-term visa for other purposes^3,4

Digital nomad salary floorCZK 73,823 a monthGross, May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027, about $3,456; IT and marketing only^5,6

U.S. tax treatyYes, signed 1993Social Security totalization agreement in force since January 1, 2009^7,8

Citizenship5 years of permanent residencePermanent residence itself comes after 5 years; dual citizenship allowed^9,4,10

What changed recently

What Has Changed in the Czech Republic Since 2024

Americans gained free access to the Czech labor market in 2024, the salary floor for the EU Blue Card and the Digital Nomad Program rose in May 2026, and a new foreigners law is on its way through Parliament but is not law yet. The changes, newest first.

October 1, 2026 (coming): the amounts of the living and subsistence minimum move from a government regulation into the Act on the Living and Subsistence Minimum itself^11,12. The subsistence minimum, the figure behind the long-term visa money test, stays at CZK 3,130 a month; the living minimum rises from CZK 4,860 to CZK 5,500 for a person living alone and from CZK 4,470 to CZK 5,000 for the first person in a household, while the amount for each further adult falls from CZK 4,040 to CZK 3,750^13,14,15.
September 11, 2026: the Chamber of Deputies passed a new Act on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners (print 144), with digital procedures such as an electronic “foreigner’s account”. The Senate may act until October 24, 2026. As of September 27, 2026 it is not law: it has passed only the lower house. It is to take effect on January 1, 2029 (one part on October 1, 2028, one on January 1, 2030); until then Act 326/1999 applies^16,17.
July 1, 2026: the minimum pension contribution base for the self-employed fell from 40% to 35% of the average wage, so the minimum monthly advance for self-employment as a main activity fell from CZK 5,720 to CZK 5,005¹⁸. Band I of the flat-rate tax fell from CZK 9,984 to CZK 9,162 a month, backdated to January 1, 2026^19,20.
May 20, 2026: the EU regulation on data sharing for short-term rentals, (EU) 2024/1028, applies²¹. As of September 27, 2026, the Czech bill that would create a national “eTurista” register is still in inter-ministerial consultation and has not been passed²².
May 1, 2026: the salary floor for the EU Blue Card and the Digital Nomad Program rose to 1.5 times the new average gross annual wage of CZK 590,580: CZK 73,823 a month in the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s figure, valid to April 30, 2027^23,5.
April 2026: new EU rules for bringing pets into the EU apply from April 22, and the exemption for unvaccinated puppies and kittens ended^24,25; the EU’s Entry/Exit System replaced passport stamps at Schengen borders on April 10²⁶.
January 1, 2026: households stopped paying the renewable-energy levy on electricity, and the regulated part of the price fell 15.1%²⁷; a minimum wage of CZK 22,400 a month²⁸; new Prague single fares, with passes unchanged²⁹; the CZK 40 million cap on the tax exemption for securities held three years was abolished³⁰; the property tax inflation coefficient stays at 1.0³¹.
January 1, 2025: annual caps on prescription co-payments are tracked centrally in the e-prescription system³².
July 1, 2024: free access to the labor market for U.S. citizens: no work permit is needed, only a residence title. The Ministry of Labor says no employee card is needed either³³, while the Embassy in Washington still points U.S. citizens to a “non-dual” employee card³⁴; see working for a Czech employer.
January 1, 2024: real estate tax rates rose by about 80%³⁵.
September 2023: the health insurance required for residence rose to a limit of at least EUR 400,000, and any authorized insurer may now sell it^36,37.

On this page

Who the Czech Republic suits
Visas, permits and money tests
Step by step, in the right order
Cost of living and rents
Health insurance
Taxes, the treaty and Social Security
Renting and buying
Where to live
Registration, numbers, banks, driving, pets
EES and ETIAS
A 12-month timeline
Questions
Sources

Is the Czech Republic for you?

Who the Czech Republic Suits, and Who It Frustrates

The Czech Republic suits Americans with a Czech job offer, remote IT and marketing professionals, and home buyers. It frustrates retirees looking for a dedicated retirement visa and investors looking for a golden visa.

In its favor

Free labor-market access for U.S. citizens since July 1, 2024: no Labor Office work permit is needed³³; see below on which residence title the Embassy expects³⁴.
U.S. citizens may file long-stay visa and residence applications at any Czech embassy³⁸, and no Czech office in the United States is subject to the application quotas³⁹.
A U.S. income tax treaty under which U.S. Social Security paid to a Czech resident, or to a U.S. citizen, is taxable only in the United States⁷, and a totalization agreement in force since January 1, 2009⁸.
No transfer tax when you buy real estate⁴⁰, a low annual property tax charged per square meter⁴¹, and no restriction on foreign buyers since 2011⁴².
Dual citizenship is allowed: you do not have to give up your U.S. citizenship to naturalize¹⁰.
Rents vary widely by city: the official rent map gives CZK 419 per m² a month for a 2-room reference apartment in central Prague and CZK 203 in central Ostrava⁴³.

Against it

No visa designed for retirees. We found no official page naming a retirement or passive-income visa; the general long-term visa for other purposes takes 90 to 120 days at the Embassy in Washington³.
Private insurance until you are in the public system: comprehensive cover with a limit of at least EUR 400,000 and no co-payment³⁶. Without permanent residence, non-EU foreigners are in the public system mainly as employees of a Czech-based employer; Americans who work or run a business here may also join it under the U.S.–Czech agreement^44,45.
The Digital Nomad Program is only for highly qualified IT and marketing professionals, and an employee must work for a foreign employer with at least 50 employees worldwide⁶.
No golden visa. The only investment route needs at least CZK 75,000,000 invested and 20 new jobs⁴⁶.
Czech-language tests: A2 for permanent residence, unless you are 60 or older or under 15, among other exemptions^47,48; B1 plus a civics test for citizenship, unless you are over 65 or under 15^49,9.
Home prices are rising fast: the average transaction price of apartments in Prague reached CZK 131,520 per m² in 2025⁵⁰, and asking prices nationally were 10.7% higher in the second quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, by our arithmetic from the official index⁵¹.

Visas and permits

Which Visa or Permit Fits You, and What It Takes in 2026

As an American you can visit the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180⁵². To live in the Czech Republic you need a long-stay title under the Residence of Foreign Nationals Act (326/1999). The basic building blocks are these⁴:

A long-term visa (over 90 days) can be granted for any purpose that needs a stay of more than three months, except employment, and for no more than one year⁴.
To stay longer than a year for the same purpose, you apply inside the country for a long-term residence permit⁴. For purposes the Act does not list separately, it runs for up to two years and can be extended repeatedly⁴.
Holders of a long-term residence permit, and of permanent residence granted on the special grounds of section 66, must complete an adaptation-integration course within one year; permanent residence after five years is not covered. People aged 61 or over, children under 15, students and investment-permit holders are exempt, and holders of a long-term visa are not covered^4,5.

Every route also needs health insurance: comprehensive travel medical insurance with a limit of at least EUR 400,000 per insured event and no co-payment, unless you are in Czech public health insurance³⁶. The health section explains why one ministry page still says EUR 60,000.

Main routes for U.S. citizens, 2026. Checked September 27, 2026.
Route	Made for	Money or salary test	What you get	Law
Long-term visa for other purposes	Stays of more than three months for a purpose not covered elsewhere; by our reading, the route for people living on savings or a pension^3,4	Funds of 15 times the subsistence minimum plus twice it for each further whole month, as the Interior Ministry’s portal applies the rule: CZK 115,810 for 12 months⁵³	A visa for up to one year, then an in-country residence permit for up to two years at a time⁴	Act 326/1999, ss. 30 and 42
Digital Nomad Program	Highly qualified IT or marketing professionals working for a foreign employer with 50 or more employees, or as freelancers with a Czech trade license⁶	Gross salary of at least CZK 73,823 a month from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027⁵	A long-term visa for up to one year; the Ministry of the Interior decides within 45 days^5,54	Government Resolution 475 of June 28, 2023⁶
Employee card	Employees of a Czech employer; the Embassy points U.S. citizens to a “non-dual” card³⁴	A job; no Labor Office permit needed for U.S. citizens³³	The contract term, up to two years, renewable⁵⁵	Act 326/1999, s. 44(6)
EU Blue Card	Highly qualified employees with a contract of at least six months⁴	At least 1.5 times the average gross annual wage: CZK 885,870 a year, by our arithmetic^4,23	The contract term plus three months, up to three years, renewable^4,56	Act 326/1999, ss. 42i and 42j
Business (trade license)	Holders of a trade license, other self-employed people and members of a company’s statutory body⁵⁷	Funds of 50 times the subsistence minimum: CZK 156,500⁵³	A visa for up to one year, then a permit for up to two years at a time^4,58	Act 326/1999, s. 13
Investment	Investors making a “significant investment”⁴	At least CZK 75,000,000 invested and at least 20 new jobs⁴⁶	A permit for the investment period, up to two years⁴	Gov. Reg. 223/2017
Family reunification	A spouse, minor children, or a lone parent aged 65 or over of a resident⁵⁹	Usually the sponsor has lived here for over 15 months and both spouses are 20 or older; employee-card holders qualify after 6 months, and Blue Card and investment-permit holders at once⁵⁹	Decided within up to 270 days at an embassy (90 for Blue Card families)⁵⁹	IPC

Links go to the consolidated laws on e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws, and to the Ministry of the Interior’s portal for foreigners (IPC). In dollars at the Czech National Bank rate of September 25, 2026 (USD 1 = CZK 21.359), CZK 115,810 is about $5,422, CZK 156,500 about $7,327, CZK 73,823 about $3,456, CZK 885,870 about $41,475 and CZK 75,000,000 about $3,511,400¹.

Proof-of-funds check

Do Your Funds Meet the Long-Term Visa Test?

For a long-term visa, except for business, you must show funds of 15 times the subsistence minimum, plus twice the subsistence minimum for each whole month of your expected stay⁴; the Interior Ministry’s portal applies this to each whole month after the first⁵³. For a business visa, 50 times; applicants under 18 need half⁴. The subsistence minimum is CZK 3,130 a month¹⁴, and it stays at CZK 3,130 from October 1, 2026, when the Act itself sets it^13,12. Choose the purpose, the whole months of your stay and your age group, then enter the funds you can show, in koruna or dollars; we compare to the exact cent. Dollars use the Czech National Bank rate of September 25, 2026 (USD 1 = CZK 21.359)¹.

A check of the funds rule only, for one applicant; it reproduces the portal’s own examples of CZK 78,250 for six months and, on its residence-permit tab, CZK 115,810 for a year⁵³. The subsistence minimum is CZK 3,130 both before and after October 1, 2026^14,13; if it changes later, enter the new amount above. Meeting the figure does not mean a visa will be granted.

Applying from the United States

The Czech Republic has four regular consular offices in the United States: the Embassy in Washington and the Consulates General in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago; which one covers you depends on your state of residence⁶⁰. U.S. citizens are on the list of nationals who may file long-stay visa and residence applications at any Czech embassy; other nationals are limited to the office in their country of citizenship or of two years’ residence³⁸. Quotas on applications for business visas and employee cards apply only at the embassies listed in Government Regulation 220/2019, and no Czech office in the United States is on those lists³⁹.

At the Embassy in Washington, long-term visa applicants book an appointment by email and apply in person, and you must be in the United States when the visa is issued into your passport by the office where you applied; you collect it there in person or have it returned by certified prepaid mail to a U.S. address³. The Embassy sets its dollar fees monthly; for September 2026 they are $120 for a regular long-term visa, $240 for a business long-term visa, $120 for a residence permit and $240 for an employee card or Blue Card⁶¹. Inside the Czech Republic, the Ministry of the Interior charges CZK 1,000 for a long-term visa filed or extended there, CZK 2,500 to apply for or extend a long-term residence permit, including Blue and employee cards, and CZK 2,500 for permanent residence⁶².

Official time limits for a decision. These are stated limits, not measured waiting times. Checked September 27, 2026.
Procedure	Time limit
Long-term visa	90 days; 120 in complex cases; 60 for study or research⁶³. The Embassy in Washington gives 90 to 120 days for the visa for other purposes³.
Business long-term visa	90 days; 120 in complex cases⁵⁷
Digital Nomad Program	About 5 working days for the Ministry of Industry and Trade to decide inclusion; then 45 days for the visa or permit⁵
EU Blue Card (first)	90 days⁵⁶
Employee card	60 days; 90 in complex cases⁵⁵
Family reunification	Up to 270 days through an embassy (90 for Blue Card families); 60 days in the country⁵⁹
Permanent residence	60 days⁶⁴
Citizenship	180 days⁹

The Ministry of the Interior’s long-term visa page is an archive version, last updated August 6, 2024, which we read on September 27, 2026⁶³.

No retirement visa: the long-term visa for “other purposes”

We found no Czech visa called a retirement or passive-income visa, and no official page that names one. The Embassy in Washington describes its “Visa for Other Purposes” as information “for applicants for all other types of long stay (for over 90 days of stay) visas”³. By our reading, that is the route for someone who will not work, run a business or join family: a long-term visa for up to a year, then an in-country long-term residence permit for the same purpose⁴. Confirm your purpose with the embassy before you apply.

Money: the funds rule above; no income threshold is set in law specifically for retirees. The Embassy accepts a payment card with a bank statement, a letter from your bank, or a sponsor’s letter³.
Purpose: you must prove it, for example with the invitation form “Pozvání” completed by a person or company in the Czech Republic and approved by the Immigration Police, or with an affidavit or document from a Czech person or entity³.
Accommodation: proof in Czech, with the owner’s signature notarized³.
Criminal record: the Embassy’s Criminal History Affidavit, which you sign at the Embassy; if you have lived in another country for six months or longer in the past three years, also a criminal record from that country. The apostilled and translated FBI record is required of applicants who are not U.S. citizens³.
Time: the Embassy states 90 to 120 days from the day it receives a complete application³. Its page was last updated on September 20, 2024; ask the Embassy about current practice.

Plan for the long term before you choose. If you hold a long-term residence permit for another purpose, you can switch to a business permit in the country only after more than five years of continuous residence, with exceptions such as job-seeker and start-up permits and family members after three years⁵⁸. If you may want to run a business, consider the business route from the start.

Remote work: the Digital Nomad Program

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) has run the Digital Nomad Program since July 1, 2023, under a government resolution of June 28, 2023⁶. U.S. citizens are among the nationals who may take part⁵⁴.

Who: only highly qualified IT or marketing professionals. As an employee, your foreign employer must have at least 50 employees worldwide; as a freelancer, you need a Czech trade license in IT or marketing. Education: a STEM degree or three years of IT experience for IT, or a degree of three or more years in marketing or a related field⁶.
Salary: at least 1.5 times the average gross annual wage announced by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. For May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027 the MPO puts that at CZK 73,823 gross a month, about $3,456⁵.
Which visa: an employee of a foreign employer gets a long-term visa for “other” purposes; a freelancer, a long-term visa for business. Either is issued for at most one year, and family members can be included if they apply at the same time⁵.
How: you apply for inclusion by email only, to [email protected]. The MPO decides in about five working days, there is no fee for inclusion (visa fees still apply), and there is no legal right to inclusion and no appeal. You must not have held a Czech long-term visa or permit in the preceding year⁵. Once included, you apply at the embassy, and the Ministry of the Interior decides within 45 days⁵⁴.
After the first year: an employee applies to extend inclusion in the program and then for a long-term residence permit for “other” purposes; a freelancer’s extension is not handled through the program⁵.

Salary check

Digital Nomad Program or Blue Card: Does Your Salary Meet the Floor?

Choose the route and enter your gross monthly salary in koruna or dollars. The Digital Nomad Program uses the MPO’s CZK 73,823 a month⁵; the Blue Card, 1.5 times CZK 590,580, or CZK 885,870 a year by our arithmetic^4,23. Both apply from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. Dollars use the Czech National Bank rate of September 25, 2026¹.

A salary check only. The program also requires an IT or marketing profession, a qualifying employer or trade license and education or experience, and inclusion is at the MPO’s discretion, with no appeal^6,5. The Blue Card also needs a contract of at least six months and a high qualification⁴. The monthly Blue Card equivalent is CZK 73,822.50 by our arithmetic; the MPO publishes CZK 73,823⁵. Meeting a figure does not mean a visa or permit will be granted.

Working for a Czech employer

Two official answers to the same question. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MPSV) says that since July 1, 2024, U.S. citizens need no work authorization, meaning a work permit, employee card, intra-company transfer card or Blue Card, but only a residence permit³³. The Czech Embassy in Washington says that for employment of more than three months, U.S. citizens “must apply for a non-dual employee card at any embassy of the Czech Republic”, or a Blue Card if highly qualified³⁴. Both are official. Read together, they describe the employee card here as a residence title for a job, not as a separate work permit. What neither source settles, as of September 27, 2026, is whether someone holding a permit for another purpose, such as “other” purposes or family, may take a Czech job without changing the purpose of stay. Ask the Ministry of the Interior before you sign a contract.

Employee card: valid for the length of the contract, up to two years, and renewable. Processing takes 60 days, or 90 in complex cases. The consular fee is CZK 5,000; in the country, CZK 2,500^55,4.
EU Blue Card: a contract of at least six months paying at least 1.5 times the average gross annual wage announced by the MPSV⁴, which is CZK 590,580 from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027²³. You need a university or higher vocational degree from studies of at least three years, or equivalent professional experience set by decree⁴. The card lasts for the contract plus three months, up to three years, and is renewable; processing takes 90 days; the consular fee is CZK 5,000^4,56.
Blue Card family and permanent residence: family reunification is decided within 90 days, and after five years in the EU as a Blue Card holder, including two in the Czech Republic, you can apply for permanent residence^4,59.

Your own business: the trade license route

A long-term visa for business is for trade license holders, other self-employed people and members of a company’s statutory body. You need proof of registration, for example in the Trade Licensing Register⁵⁷. The funds test is higher: CZK 156,500, 50 times the subsistence minimum⁵³. The consular fee is CZK 5,000, which the Embassy in Washington charges as $240 in September 2026, and processing takes 90 days, or 120 in complex cases^57,61. The business residence permit that follows lasts up to two years at a time, and its money test becomes an income test: net income at least equal to the living minimum plus a normative housing cost^58,53. For the tax side, including the flat-rate tax, see taxes.

No golden visa

The Czech Republic has no residence by property purchase or passive investment. The only investment route is a long-term residence permit for investment, which requires at least CZK 75,000,000 (about $3,511,400) invested and at least 20 new jobs; up to 60% can be in other assets, and a shareholder applicant needs at least 30%^46,4. The jobs must be held for at least two years by EU citizens or their family members, and the permit lasts for the investment period, up to two years⁴. We found no route in the Act based on buying real estate or government bonds.

Study and family

A study permit lasts up to one year, or two in cases set by law; the consular fee is CZK 2,500 and processing takes 60 days⁶⁵. Time on it counts half toward permanent residence⁴.

Family reunification follows the rules in the table above; the fee is CZK 2,500, and the permit runs for two years if the sponsor has permanent residence⁵⁹.

After the first permit: permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residence after five years of continuous residence. Absences may not exceed six consecutive months, or 310 days in total⁴. You need Czech at level A2; people aged 60 or over and children under 15 are among those exempt^47,48. The permit does not expire; the card is issued for ten years⁶⁴. When the five-year, public-order and income conditions are met, the decision also grants EU long-term resident status⁴.
The income test for permanent residence: a regular income at least equal to the living minimum plus the highest normative rent and energy allowance, or actual housing costs⁴. Both parts change on October 1, 2026. The living minimum rises from CZK 4,860 to CZK 5,500 a month for a person living alone, and from CZK 4,470 to CZK 5,000 for the first of several people in a household, with CZK 3,750 for each further adult^14,13. A new notice sets normative rents from October 1, 2026: CZK 13,380 a month for one person and CZK 16,190 for two in Prague, the highest figures in its general table; households whose members are all vulnerable people have a separate, higher table⁶⁶. The energy allowance is set by the Act on the State Social Assistance Benefit: CZK 2,300 a month for one person and CZK 2,800 for two⁶⁷. By our arithmetic, that makes CZK 21,180 a month for a person living alone from October 1, 2026 (about $992), and CZK 27,740 (about $1,299) for a couple. Until September 30, 2026, the portal’s housing amount for one person, CZK 15,131 (the rent plus the energy allowance as of October 1, 2025), and CZK 4,860 made CZK 19,991, by our arithmetic^53,14. Ask the Ministry which figures it uses when you apply.
Citizenship needs, at the date of application, five years of permanent residence, or permanent residence that, together with the lawful residence immediately before it, reaches ten years. You must actually be present for at least half of that period⁹. Since permanent residence itself comes after five years, the usual path is about ten years in all, by our arithmetic.
Language and civics: Czech at B1, written and oral, and a civics test at basic-school level; applicants over 65 and under 15 are exempt^49,9. You must also document your income, its sources and the tax paid for the last three years⁹.
Dual citizenship has been allowed since January 1, 2014: you do not have to prove loss of your previous citizenship¹⁰. The application fee for an adult is CZK 2,000, and the Ministry decides within 180 days^68,9. We found no 2026 change to these conditions in the consolidated Act as of September 27, 2026⁹.

A new law is coming, but not yet. As of September 27, 2026, the new Act on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners has passed only the Chamber of Deputies and is before the Senate; it is to take effect on January 1, 2029. This page follows the current Act, 326/1999^16,17.

General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. Embassies and the Ministry of the Interior decide each case, and program inclusion is discretionary; check the official source for your route and, if your case is not simple, speak to a Czech immigration lawyer.

Step by step

The Order of Operations, Step by Step

The sequence below is for a first long-term visa applied for from the United States, which you apply for at an embassy and collect there before you move^3,54. Adjust it for your route.

Choose the route by what you will live on: a Czech job points to the employee card or Blue Card, remote IT or marketing work to the Digital Nomad Program, your own business to the business visa, family in the Czech Republic to family reunification, and savings or a pension, by our reading, to the visa for other purposes^33,6,57,3.
Check the money test with the calculators above, and confirm the subsistence minimum, CZK 3,130 a month before and after October 1, 2026^53,13.
Buy qualifying insurance: comprehensive cover with a limit of at least EUR 400,000 and no co-payment; a policy bought abroad needs a certified Czech translation^36,69.
Book the embassy appointment by email and gather the documents: purpose, notarized proof of accommodation in Czech, proof of funds, and a police record from any other country where you have lived for six months or more in the last three years; you sign the Embassy’s criminal-history affidavit when you apply³.
Apply in person and allow the full time limit. For the visa for other purposes, plan on 120 days, the top of the Embassy’s 90 to 120 days; do not book a move that assumes a faster answer³.
Collect the visa in the United States, in person at the office where you applied or by certified prepaid mail³.
Report your arrival to the Foreign Police within three days, unless your hotel or other accommodation provider does it for you⁷⁰.
Get your birth number and tax number. A rodné číslo is assigned automatically to foreigners granted residence of more than 90 days; your tax number (DIČ) is built on it^71,72.
Open a bank account; a legally resident consumer has the right to a basic payment account⁷³.
Sort out health coverage: employees of a Czech-based employer join public insurance; VZP says a person insured in the United States who is employed or runs a business in the Czech Republic joins it too, under the U.S.–Czech agreement; otherwise keep your private policy. Confirm your status with VZP^44,45,74.
Book the adaptation-integration course within a year of your residence permit, unless you are 61 or over or otherwise exempt⁴.
Watch the driving deadline: once you are granted permanent residence or temporary residence of more than one year, you have three months to apply to exchange your U.S. license⁷⁵.
Plan the in-country permit well before your visa runs out: the Ministry of the Interior’s portal gives a time limit of 60 days for a long-term residence permit filed in the country, and the fee is CZK 2,500^58,65,62.

Cost of living

What Things Cost, From Official Figures

Prices are in Czech koruna. Dollar figures on this page use the Czech National Bank’s rate of September 25, 2026: USD 1 = CZK 21.359 (and EUR 1 = CZK 24.350)¹. Your costs are in koruna, so their dollar value moves with that rate.

Start with inflation. Consumer prices were 1.9% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier and 0.3% higher than in July; the 12-month average rate was 2.0%, and on the EU’s harmonized measure prices rose 1.5%⁷⁶. Within housing costs, rents rose 6.1%, water 3.9%, sewage 3.8% and heat and hot water 1.5%, while electricity was 11.2% cheaper and natural gas 4.8% cheaper⁷⁶. The rent figure covers both new and existing leases⁷⁶.

Rents: the Ministry of Finance rent price map

There is no official statistic of rents actually paid, town by town. The nearest official source is the Ministry of Finance’s statutory rent price map. It describes the market for new leases, works from asking prices, and models the rent of a reference apartment: unfurnished, more than five years old, with no balcony or parking, and excluding utilities⁷⁷. The latest edition, of August 15, 2026, rests on data from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2026, with 2026 weighted most⁴³. Size classes include a studio or one-room apartment (1+kk, 1+1), a two-room apartment and a three-room apartment; in Prague the median rented sizes are 35, 53 and 71 m²⁴³.

Monthly asking rent per m² for the reference apartment on a new lease, excluding utilities, by cadastral area. Ministry of Finance rent price map of August 15, 2026. Checked September 27, 2026.
Area	Studio or 1-room	2-room	2-room, new build	3-room
Prague: Nové Město (center)	CZK 496	CZK 419	CZK 537	CZK 370
Prague: Vinohrady	CZK 469	CZK 395	CZK 541	CZK 364
Prague: Karlín	CZK 504	CZK 412	CZK 557	CZK 392
Prague: Žižkov	CZK 442	CZK 370	CZK 486	CZK 346
Prague: Smíchov	CZK 435	CZK 369	CZK 442	CZK 334
Prague: Dejvice	CZK 429	CZK 364	CZK 463	CZK 342
Brno: Město Brno (center)	CZK 402	CZK 324	CZK 380	CZK 302
Brno: Veveří	CZK 374	CZK 305	CZK 377	CZK 269
Ostrava: Moravská Ostrava	CZK 245	CZK 203	CZK 323	CZK 194
Plzeň	CZK 284	CZK 238	CZK 290	CZK 219
Olomouc: Olomouc-město	CZK 296	CZK 251	CZK 293	CZK 226
České Budějovice 3	CZK 289	CZK 232	CZK 283	CZK 208
Hradec Králové	CZK 320	CZK 258	CZK 356	CZK 219
Liberec	CZK 272	CZK 231	CZK 299	CZK 219
Karlovy Vary	CZK 257	CZK 220	CZK 290	CZK 210
Český Krumlov	CZK 279	CZK 215	CZK 252	CZK 220

Source: Ministry of Finance rent price map, column “rent of the reference apartment per m² in CZK for 1 month”⁴³. By our arithmetic, a 53 m² two-room apartment in Nové Město comes to 419 × 53 = CZK 22,207 a month, about $1,040, before utilities. For an older 2-room reference apartment, the map’s surcharges are CZK 44 per m² for an elevator, 32 for furnishing and 48 for a garage⁴³. Modeled asking rents are not rents paid, and furnished apartments rented to newcomers may cost more or less.

Rent estimate

What the Rent Map Gives for Your Size

Choose an area, a size class and the floor area you want. The estimate multiplies the map’s monthly asking rent per square meter for the reference apartment by your area⁴³, and converts at the Czech National Bank rate of September 25, 2026¹.

A modeled asking rent for an unfurnished reference apartment on a new lease, excluding utilities, not an offer. Furnishing, an elevator or a garage add to it; actual rents may differ.

Pay and the minimum wage

The average gross wage was CZK 51,966 a month in the second quarter of 2026, about $2,433: 6.4% more than a year earlier, and 4.3% more after inflation⁷⁸. The Czech Statistical Office has temporarily stopped publishing median wages, because a data source ended⁷⁸. By region, Prague stood at CZK 66,459, 27.9% above the national average; Central Bohemia was at CZK 55,218, South Moravia, which includes Brno, at CZK 50,588, and the Karlovy Vary region lowest at CZK 44,476⁷⁹. The minimum wage is CZK 22,400 a month from January 1, 2026, about $1,049²⁸.

Electricity

From January 1, 2026, households no longer pay the renewable-energy levy in the regulated part of the electricity price; it had been CZK 495 per MWh before VAT. For low-voltage customers, households and small businesses, the average regulated part fell 15.1%, from CZK 2,772 to CZK 2,352 per MWh, whatever contract they have with their supplier²⁷.

Public transit

Prague raised single fares on January 1, 2026: a 30-minute ticket costs CZK 39 on paper or CZK 36 in the app, 90 minutes CZK 50 or 46, and 24 hours CZK 150 or 140. Passes did not change^80,29.

Transit passes in the three largest cities. Checked September 27, 2026.
City and pass	A month	A year	Seniors
Prague (PID), named pass	CZK 550	CZK 3,650	Free from age 65
Brno (IDS JMK, zones 100 and 101), named pass	CZK 550	CZK 4,750	CZK 2,375 a year at 65 to 70; free from 70
Ostrava (DPO), Ostrava-only zone	—	CZK 4,400 online; CZK 4,450 at the counter	Free 365-day pass over 65

Sources: DPP⁸⁰; IDS JMK price list, labeled valid from July 1, 2024, with the same Brno prices in the tariff valid from August 31, 2026⁸¹; DPO⁸². In dollars, CZK 3,650 is about $171, CZK 4,750 about $222 and CZK 4,400 about $206. We did not check fares in the other towns on this page.

Build your own full budget, line by line and in both currencies, in the Relocation Planner workbook.

Health insurance

Public Insurance, Private Cover, and the Medicare Question

Who can join Czech public health insurance depends on your status, and until you can, the insurance required for your visa or permit is private.

Who is in the public system

Permanent residents are insured by law, foreigners included⁴⁴.
Without permanent residence, non-EU foreigners are in the public system mainly as employees of an employer based in the Czech Republic. Other routes include a research residence permit, minors holding a long-term residence permit, and some other groups⁴⁴.
Everyone else must take out commercial health insurance⁷⁴, for example a retiree without permanent residence. Americans who are employed or run a business here may be in the public system under the U.S.–Czech agreement; see below.
Minors who hold a long-term residence permit are in the public system, from the day they take over their first residence card, whatever the purpose of stay^36,44; a parent pays their premium each month, based on the minimum wage: CZK 3,024 a month in 2026⁸³. Until then, for example on a long-term visa, a child needs private travel medical insurance; for a child’s visa application the portal asks for cover for the first 90 days of the stay^57,36.

The insurance your visa or permit requires

For a stay of more than 90 days you need comprehensive travel medical insurance with a limit of at least EUR 400,000 per insured event and no cost sharing, unless you are in public health insurance. Since September 20, 2023, any insurer authorized in the Czech Republic may sell it³⁶. “Comprehensive” must include preventive care and care related to pregnancy and childbirth, and a policy bought abroad needs a certified Czech translation⁶⁹. If you apply at an embassy, the Interior Ministry’s portal also accepts travel insurance for necessary and urgent care for the first 90 days together with a comprehensive policy from an insurer authorized in the Czech Republic; the EUR 400,000 limit applies to both³⁶.

EUR 60,000 or EUR 400,000? As of September 27, 2026, the Ministry of Health’s page on travel health insurance still gives EUR 60,000⁸⁴. The Ministry of the Interior’s portal gives EUR 400,000³⁶, and so does the law: Act 278/2023, in force from the day after its publication in 2023, raised the limit and raised older contracts to EUR 400,000 three months after it took effect³⁷. The Health Ministry page has not caught up with the law, so budget for EUR 400,000.

Does the U.S. agreement put you in the Czech system?

For work, yes. A supplementary agreement, signed on September 23, 2013 and in force since May 1, 2016, extended the U.S.–Czech Social Security agreement’s rules on which country’s law covers you to the Czech Public Health Insurance Act⁴⁵. VZP, the largest public insurer, accordingly says that a person insured in the United States who is employed or runs a business in the Czech Republic joins the Czech health insurance system, and must then deregister at home⁴⁴. Summaries elsewhere are narrower: the Czech Social Security Administration describes the agreement as covering pension benefits and the rules on which law applies⁸⁵, and the SSA’s pamphlet does not mention health insurance⁸⁶. The same coverage rules keep some people under U.S. law, for example a self-employed person who moves a U.S. business here for five years or fewer⁸⁶; if that may be you, ask VZP before you rely on public or private cover.

What the public system costs

If you are in the public system with no taxable income, for example as a permanent resident, you pay the premium yourself: CZK 3,024 a month in 2026, 13.5% of the minimum wage, about $142; it was CZK 2,808 in 2025^87,83.
The self-employed pay a minimum health insurance advance of CZK 3,306 a month in 2026⁸³.
A fee, not a co-payment: using the out-of-hours emergency service (pohotovost) costs a regulatory fee of CZK 90, which is not charged if you are admitted to hospital⁸⁸.
Co-payments on prescriptions are capped each year: CZK 5,000 for adults, CZK 1,000 for children under 18 and people over 65, and CZK 500 for people over 70. Since January 1, 2025 the caps are tracked centrally in the e-prescription system³².

Family doctors

In July 2025 the Ministry of Health reported that about 95% of insured people are registered with a general practitioner and about 554,000, or 5%, are not: 449,000 adults and 105,000 children. The largest unregistered groups are foreigners with temporary protection and EU citizens⁸⁹. We found no official statistics on waiting times. In an emergency call 112, or 155 for an ambulance⁹⁰.

Medicare does not follow you

Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States, and Medicare drug plans do not cover prescriptions bought abroad⁹¹. Most Medigap plans include foreign travel emergency coverage, but it pays 80% after a $250 deductible, up to $50,000 in a lifetime, and only for emergencies that start in the first 60 days of a trip⁹². That is travel coverage, not residence coverage.

Whether to keep paying the Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026) is a real decision: if you drop Part B and re-enroll later, the premium rises by 10% for each full 12-month period you could have been enrolled but were not, usually for life⁹³. Decide with your whole plan in view.

Taxes for Americans

Two Tax Systems, With a Treaty Between Them

Moving to the Czech Republic adds a second tax system; it does not remove the first while you remain a U.S. citizen. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live⁹⁴. The two countries have an income tax treaty, signed in Prague on September 16, 1993, and a Social Security totalization agreement in force since January 1, 2009^7,8. The treaty’s saving clause (article 1(3)) lets each country tax its own residents, and the United States its citizens, as if the treaty did not exist, apart from listed exceptions⁷. What follows is the map; the route is a job for a cross-border tax adviser.

When you become tax resident

You are a Czech tax resident if you have your home in the Czech Republic or usually stay there, which means being present for at least 183 days in a calendar year, in one stretch or several; every day you are present, even for part of the day, counts. Residents are taxed on their worldwide income⁹⁵. The Digital Nomad Program changes nothing here: the Ministry of Industry and Trade applies the same 183-day rule to digital nomads⁵.

Income tax for 2026

The Czech Republic has one national income tax, at two rates: 15% on the part of the tax base up to 36 times the average wage, and 23% above it⁹⁵. We found no regional or local income tax in the Act⁹⁵. The average wage for this purpose comes from Government Regulation 365/2025: CZK 46,278 multiplied by 1.0581, which is CZK 48,967 a month by our arithmetic, so the 23% rate starts at CZK 1,762,812 a year, about $82,533^96,95. For 2025 the threshold was CZK 1,676,052⁹⁷. Every taxpayer gets a basic tax credit of CZK 30,840 a year, about $1,444⁹⁵.

Income tax estimate

Estimate Czech Income Tax for 2026

Enter your annual tax base in koruna. The estimate applies 15% up to CZK 1,762,812 and 23% above it, to the haler (a hundredth of a koruna), then takes off the basic credit of CZK 30,840, stopping at zero^95,96. Dollars use the Czech National Bank rate of September 25, 2026 (USD 1 = CZK 21.359)¹.

A simplification, by our arithmetic from the Act and the 2026 average wage. It is for a resident and treats what you enter as the tax base. It leaves out the rounding steps of a real return, every credit other than the basic one, the pension exemption, the flat-rate tax, social and health insurance, U.S. Social Security (which the treaty leaves to the United States), credits for U.S. tax, and U.S. tax itself. Your adviser works out the base.

Examples: 2026 income tax for a resident on the annual tax base, with the basic credit, by our arithmetic.
Tax base a year	Tax before the credit	Tax after the CZK 30,840 credit	Share of the base
CZK 300,000 (about $14,046)	CZK 45,000	CZK 14,160	4.7%
CZK 600,000 (about $28,091)	CZK 90,000	CZK 59,160	9.9%
CZK 1,000,000 (about $46,819)	CZK 150,000	CZK 119,160	11.9%
CZK 1,762,812 (about $82,533)	CZK 264,421.80	CZK 233,581.80	13.3%
CZK 2,500,000 (about $117,047)	CZK 433,975.04	CZK 403,135.04	16.1%
CZK 5,000,000 (about $234,093)	CZK 1,008,975.04	CZK 978,135.04	19.6%

Returns and reporting

For the 2025 tax year, returns were due on April 1, 2026 on paper, May 4, 2026 electronically, and July 1, 2026 when filed through a tax adviser⁹⁷. Check the dates for the 2026 tax year with the Financial Administration. If you receive exempt income above CZK 5,000,000, such as an exempt property sale or an inheritance, you must report it to the tax office by the return deadline⁹⁵.

No regime for newcomers or retirees

We found no special regime for new residents, retirees or remote workers in the Income Tax Act: no remittance basis, no flat tax for newcomers and no expatriate allowance⁹⁵. The one optional regime is the flat-rate tax for the self-employed, below.

The flat-rate tax for the self-employed

Under the flat-rate tax (paušální daň), a self-employed person pays one monthly amount that covers income tax, pension insurance and health insurance, and files no annual return or insurance statements⁹⁸. The monthly amounts for 2026 are^20,19:

Flat-rate tax, monthly amounts for 2026. Band I was lowered from CZK 9,984, backdated to January 1, 2026. Checked September 27, 2026.
Band	A month	Prior-year self-employment income
Band I	CZK 9,162 (about $429)	Up to CZK 1,000,000 from any activity; up to CZK 1,500,000 if at least 75% qualifies for 80% or 60% flat expenses; up to CZK 2,000,000 if at least 75% qualifies for 80%
Band II	CZK 16,745 (about $784)	Up to CZK 1,500,000 from any activity; up to CZK 2,000,000 if at least 75% qualifies for 80% or 60% flat expenses
Band III	CZK 27,139 (about $1,271)	Up to CZK 2,000,000 from any activity

Sources: Financial Administration^20,19. For 2026, the deadline to notify the tax office that you are entering the regime was January 12, 2026, moved because of the weekend; a new business can enter when it starts. Payments are due by the 20th of each month. You must not be a VAT payer, have employment income (other than income taxed by withholding), be a partner in a general or limited partnership, or be in insolvency proceedings; your annual income must be no more than CZK 2 million, and your prior-year income within the band limit⁹⁸.

Capital gains

Your home: the gain on selling it is exempt after two years of living in it; other real estate after ten years of ownership⁹⁵.
Securities and business shares: exempt after three years of ownership, or when your total sale proceeds in a year are no more than CZK 100,000⁹⁵. From January 1, 2026 the CZK 40 million cap on the three-year exemption was abolished; it still applies to crypto-assets³⁰.

Pensions, Social Security and retirement accounts

The saving clause, and what it does not touch. Article 1(3) of the treaty, the saving clause, lets each country tax its own residents, and the United States its citizens, as if the treaty did not exist. Article 1(4)(a) lists exceptions that protect everyone, including article 19(1)(b) on social security and public pensions and article 19(4). Article 19(1)(a), on private pensions, is not among them⁷.

U.S. Social Security and other public pensions paid by the United States to a Czech resident, or to a U.S. citizen, are taxable only in the United States (article 19(1)(b))⁷.
Private pensions for past employment are taxable only in the country of residence, which would be the Czech Republic (article 19(1)(a)). Because that article is not an exception to the saving clause, the United States can still tax its citizens on the same payment⁷.
U.S. government pensions for governmental service, paid to a U.S. citizen, are taxable only in the United States (article 20). But under article 1(4)(b), article 20 is protected against the saving clause only for people who are neither citizens nor lawful permanent residents of the country concerned, so once you hold Czech permanent residence, ask your adviser whether the Czech Republic may tax it⁷.
Annuities are taxable only in the country of residence (article 19(2)), subject to the saving clause for U.S. citizens⁷.
Relief from double tax (article 24): the United States gives a credit for Czech tax; the Czech Republic gives a credit for U.S. tax, but not for tax the United States charges solely because of citizenship. Article 24(3) then treats that income as Czech-source, so that the United States credits the Czech tax⁷.
Investment income: the treaty limits tax on dividends at source to 15% in general (5% for a company holding at least 10%), and makes interest taxable only in the country of residence (articles 10(2) and 11(1))⁷.

On the Czech side, regular pensions from mandatory insurance, including “foreign mandatory insurance of the same kind”, are exempt up to 36 times the minimum wage in force on January 1: 36 × CZK 22,400, or CZK 806,400 for 2026 (about $37,755), by our arithmetic^95,28. Because the treaty leaves U.S. Social Security to the United States, this cap concerns other pensions only.

A question for your tax adviser, not a rule we can state. We found no official Czech guidance on how a 401(k) or IRA payout is classified or taxed, and the treaty’s pension article speaks of “pensions and other similar remuneration … in consideration of past employment”^7,99. Settle the treatment of your accounts, and whether to take anything out before you move, with an adviser who knows both systems.

Inheritance, gift and property taxes

Inheritance is exempt from income tax, and there is no separate inheritance tax⁹⁵.
Gifts are taxed as income at 15% or 23%, unless they come from close relatives (lineal relatives, siblings, uncles and aunts, nephews and nieces, a spouse, in-laws) or a member of your household for at least a year, or are occasional gifts of up to CZK 50,000 a year from the same donor⁹⁵.
Buying property: no transfer or acquisition tax, and a low annual real estate tax charged per square meter; see buying^40,41.

Social and health insurance contributions, and the totalization agreement

Employees pay 7.1% of pay in social insurance, 6.5% for pensions and 0.6% for sickness, and employers 24.8%¹⁰⁰. The self-employed pay 29.2% for pensions and the employment contribution, on a base of 55% of profit; sickness insurance is optional. From July 1, 2026 the minimum monthly advance for self-employment as a main activity is CZK 5,005^100,18. The public health insurance premium is 13.5% of the assessment base¹⁰¹.

The U.S.–Czech Social Security agreement was signed on September 7, 2007 and has been in force since January 1, 2009; a supplementary agreement took effect on May 1, 2016^8,86. For the Czech Republic, it covers old-age, disability and survivors benefits and contributions for them, and sickness and unemployment insurance⁸⁶. Self-employed people who move their business to the other country for five years or fewer stay in the system of the country they left; otherwise the self-employed are covered where they work⁸⁶. Since May 1, 2016, the agreement’s rules on which country’s law covers you also apply to Czech public health insurance⁴⁵; see the health section.

What you still file in the United States

U.S. filings for citizens living abroad, tax year 2026. Sources: IRS and FinCEN, checked September 25, 2026.
What	The rule
Form 1040	Due April 15; citizens living abroad get an automatic extension to June 15 (interest still runs from April 15)⁹⁴.
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion	Up to $132,900 of earned income for 2026. It does not cover pensions, Social Security or investment income^102,103.
Foreign Tax Credit	Claim Czech tax paid on Form 1116; no credit on income you excluded¹⁰⁴.
FBAR	Required when your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time in the year¹⁰⁵.
Form 8938 (FATCA)	For taxpayers living abroad: over $200,000 at year end or $300,000 at any time (single); $400,000 and $600,000 (joint)¹⁰⁶.

For U.S. tax preparation and planning, our sister brand eTaxNexus works with Americans abroad.

Questions to take to your tax adviser

On which date will I become Czech tax resident, and does my former U.S. state still treat me as resident?
How will the Czech Republic classify and tax my 401(k), IRA and Roth IRA withdrawals, and should I take anything out before I move?
Does any pension I receive count as “foreign mandatory insurance” for the CZK 806,400 exemption?
In what order do the Czech and U.S. credits apply to my private pension and investment income under article 24?
If I work for myself, is the flat-rate tax better for me than a return, and which band would I be in?
Which Social Security system covers my work, and do I need a certificate of coverage?

Renting and buying

Lease Rules, Buying Without a Transfer Tax, and Short-Term Rentals

Renting under the Civil Code

Residential leases are governed by the Civil Code (89/2012); we read the text in force from January 1, 2026. Its 2025 amendments did not change the tenancy rules below¹⁰⁷. These protections apply to leases of a home; a lease for a vacation or another obviously short-term purpose is outside them¹⁰⁷.

Deposit: the deposit and any contractual penalties together may not exceed three months’ rent, and you are owed interest on the deposit, at least at the statutory rate¹⁰⁷.
Term: the Code sets no minimum term. If you stay on for three months after a fixed term ends and the landlord does not ask you in writing to leave, the lease renews for the same term, up to two years¹⁰⁷.
Notice: on an open-ended lease, notice is three months, running from the first day of the month after it is delivered, and must be in writing. A landlord’s notice must tell you of your right to object in court, or it is void¹⁰⁷.
The landlord’s grounds: a landlord may end a lease only for reasons in the law, such as a gross breach, or, on an open-ended lease, needing the apartment for themselves or a relative. Very serious breaches, such as three months of unpaid rent, allow termination without notice¹⁰⁷.
Rent increases: the lease may provide for yearly indexation. If it says nothing about increases, the landlord may propose one up to the local comparable rent, but by no more than 20% in three years and no more than once in 12 months¹⁰⁷.

Buying: open to Americans, with no transfer tax

Americans can buy Czech real estate without restriction: the section of the Foreign Exchange Act that limited purchases by foreigners was repealed in 2011⁴².

No transfer tax. The real estate acquisition tax was abolished by Act 386/2020, backdated to purchases entered in the land registry from December 2019^40,108.
Land registry fee: CZK 2,000 per application to enter your ownership¹⁰⁹.
Annual real estate tax is charged per square meter, not on value: CZK 3.50 per m² for residential buildings and apartments. It is multiplied by a size coefficient from 1.0 in places with up to 1,000 people to 3.5 in cities over 50,000 and 4.5 in Prague; a municipality may raise it one step and may set a local coefficient of 0.5 to 5.0⁴¹. The inflation coefficient for 2026 is 1.0, so there is no inflation increase this year³¹.
What that means: rates rose by about 80% from January 1, 2024³⁵. The Financial Administration’s example: for 2024, a 70 m² apartment in Prague’s Žižkov was expected to go from CZK 1,720 to about CZK 3,010 a year, and an apartment of the same size in Plzeň to CZK 1,355 and in Brno to CZK 1,047, before any local coefficient¹¹⁰.
Filing and paying: you file a return by January 31 only in the year after you acquire or change a property. The tax is due by May 31, or in two halves by May 31 and November 30 if it is more than CZK 5,000⁴¹.
Selling later: a gain on your home is exempt after two years of living in it; see taxes⁹⁵.

What property costs

The Czech Statistical Office publishes average transaction prices from land-registry data. In 2025, apartments in Prague sold for an average of CZK 131,520 per m², about $6,158, and nationally for CZK 72,410⁵⁰. By our arithmetic, that is 13.5% more than in 2024 in Prague and 14.0% more nationally. Asking prices kept rising: the index for apartments stood at 290.2 nationally and 303.3 in Prague in the second quarter of 2026 (2010 = 100), up 1.4% on the quarter nationally⁵¹; against 262.1 and 278.2 a year earlier, that is 10.7% and 9.0% in a year, by our arithmetic⁵¹.

Average purchase price per m² of apartments by district, 2023 to 2025, with the number of transfers over the three years, and of family houses in 2025. Checked September 27, 2026.
District	Apartments 2023	Apartments 2024	Apartments 2025	Apartment transfers 2023–25	Houses 2025
Czech Republic	CZK 58,641	CZK 63,521	CZK 72,410 (about $3,390)	54,076	CZK 56,066
Praha	CZK 103,693	CZK 115,889	CZK 131,520 (about $6,158)	10,906	CZK 119,239
Brno-město	CZK 77,827	CZK 88,333	CZK 99,713 (about $4,668)	3,301	CZK 88,459
Hradec Králové	CZK 59,403	CZK 67,871	CZK 77,507 (about $3,629)	451	CZK 68,544
Plzeň-město	CZK 56,617	CZK 63,756	CZK 73,399 (about $3,436)	1,477	CZK 73,018
České Budějovice	CZK 53,879	CZK 59,499	CZK 69,348 (about $3,247)	1,166	CZK 57,903
Olomouc	CZK 55,113	CZK 58,826	CZK 67,418 (about $3,156)	1,310	CZK 50,544
Liberec	CZK 52,028	CZK 56,581	CZK 64,893 (about $3,038)	1,081	CZK 61,814
Ostrava-město	CZK 42,813	CZK 49,373	CZK 60,498 (about $2,832)	1,807	CZK 59,204
Český Krumlov	CZK 41,396	CZK 42,566	CZK 51,133 (about $2,394)	383	CZK 52,267
Karlovy Vary	CZK 37,544	CZK 41,227	CZK 46,516 (about $2,178)	1,426	CZK 46,179

Source: Czech Statistical Office, real estate prices 2023–2025⁵⁰. The figures are for whole districts, which can include places outside the town, and some samples are small: Hradec Králové had 451 apartment sales in three years and Český Krumlov 383. By our arithmetic, a 70 m² apartment at Prague’s 2025 average comes to CZK 9,206,400, about $431,031.

Short-term rentals

As of September 27, 2026 there is no national license and no national registration number for short-term rentals. Vacation rentals are outside tenancy law¹⁰⁷, and the Tourism Act (159/1999) has not been amended since 2021¹¹¹. A bill creating a national eTurista register, an amendment to that Act, is still in inter-ministerial consultation and has not been passed; some commercial websites say registration is already mandatory, which the official legislative record does not bear out²². The EU regulation on data sharing for short-term rentals, (EU) 2024/1028, has applied since May 20, 2026²¹. If you plan to rent an apartment to tourists, ask a Czech adviser about the current rules, the tax and any trade license before you buy.

Our position on property. We take no developer or property commissions. We may receive a referral fee from some professional partners. It never changes what you pay, and we tell you when it applies.

Where to live

Ten Towns, Compared on Official Numbers

The Czech Republic had 10,915,839 residents on January 1, 2026¹¹². We compare ten towns below on population¹¹², apartment prices by district⁵⁰, the rent map⁴³ and climate normals for 1991–2020 from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute¹¹³. Our groupings are starting points for a scouting trip, not verdicts.

Capital and U.S. Embassy

Prague, with 1,407,084 people, is by far the largest city here¹¹², and the U.S. Embassy is there¹¹⁴. It is also the most expensive: apartments averaged CZK 131,520 per m² in 2025⁵⁰, and a 2-room reference apartment in the center is mapped at CZK 419 per m² a month⁴³. Average pay in Prague was CZK 66,459 a month in the second quarter of 2026, 27.9% above the national average⁷⁹. An annual transit pass costs CZK 3,650, and riders aged 65 or over travel free⁸⁰.

Consider: Prague

The Second City

Brno has 404,296 people¹¹². Apartments in the Brno-město district averaged CZK 99,713 per m² in 2025⁵⁰, and a 2-room reference apartment in the center is mapped at CZK 324 per m²⁴³. An annual pass for the city zones costs CZK 4,750, and riders aged 70 or over travel free there⁸¹. The Tuřany station has a July mean of 20.7°C (69°F)¹¹³.

Consider: Brno

Lower Rents and Prices

Ostrava, with 280,853 people, has the lowest mapped rent in our table: CZK 203 per m² for a 2-room reference apartment in Moravská Ostrava^112,43. Apartments in the Ostrava-město district averaged CZK 60,498 per m², and in the Karlovy Vary district CZK 46,516, the lowest here⁵⁰. Ostrava offers people over 65 a free 365-day pass⁸².

Consider: Ostrava · Karlovy Vary

Regional Cities and a Small Town

Plzeň (187,863), Liberec (108,214), Olomouc (105,297), České Budějovice (97,128) and Hradec Králové (93,534) sit between Ostrava and Brno on mapped rents, at CZK 231 to 258 per m² for a 2-room reference apartment^112,43. Liberec’s station is the wettest here, at 845 mm a year¹¹³. Český Krumlov, with 12,658 people, is the smallest, and its station, at 554 m, has the coolest July^112,113.

Consider: Olomouc · Plzeň · Hradec Králové

Population on January 1, 2026 (whole municipality); 2025 average purchase price per m² of apartments in the district; monthly asking rent per m² for a 2-room reference apartment on the rent map of August 15, 2026, in the area named. Checked September 27, 2026.
Town	Population, Jan 1, 2026	Apartments per m², 2025	2-room rent per m² a month
Prague	1,407,084	CZK 131,520 (Praha district)	CZK 419 (Prague: Nové Město (center))
Brno	404,296	CZK 99,713 (Brno-město district)	CZK 324 (Brno: Město Brno (center))
Ostrava	280,853	CZK 60,498 (Ostrava-město district)	CZK 203 (Ostrava: Moravská Ostrava)
Plzeň	187,863	CZK 73,399 (Plzeň-město district)	CZK 238 (Plzeň)
Liberec	108,214	CZK 64,893 (Liberec district)	CZK 231 (Liberec)
Olomouc	105,297	CZK 67,418 (Olomouc district)	CZK 251 (Olomouc: Olomouc-město)
České Budějovice	97,128	CZK 69,348 (České Budějovice district)	CZK 232 (České Budějovice 3)
Hradec Králové	93,534	CZK 77,507 (Hradec Králové district)	CZK 258 (Hradec Králové)
Karlovy Vary	48,788	CZK 46,516 (Karlovy Vary district)	CZK 220 (Karlovy Vary)
Český Krumlov	12,658	CZK 51,133 (Český Krumlov district)	CZK 215 (Český Krumlov)

Sources: Czech Statistical Office population data¹¹²; real estate prices 2023–2025⁵⁰; Ministry of Finance rent price map⁴³. Prices are for the whole district, and the Karlovy Vary district in particular covers more than the town.

Climate normals 1991–2020 at Czech Hydrometeorological Institute stations: mean temperatures, the mean daily low in January and high in July, and precipitation. Checked September 27, 2026.
Town (station, elevation)	January mean	July mean	January daily low	July daily high	Year mean	Precipitation a year
Prague, center (Klementinum, 191 m)	1.8°C (35°F)	21.6°C (71°F)	−0.4°C (31°F)	26.5°C (80°F)	11.5°C (53°F)	454 mm (18 in)
Prague, airport (Ruzyně, 364 m)	−0.7°C (31°F)	18.9°C (66°F)	−3.5°C (26°F)	24.5°C (76°F)	9.0°C (48°F)	502 mm (20 in)
Brno (Tuřany, 241 m)	−0.8°C (31°F)	20.7°C (69°F)	−3.5°C (26°F)	26.5°C (80°F)	10.1°C (50°F)	512 mm (20 in)
Ostrava (Poruba, 239 m)	−0.5°C (31°F)	19.9°C (68°F)	−3.6°C (26°F)	26.1°C (79°F)	9.6°C (49°F)	699 mm (28 in)
Plzeň (Plzeň, 331 m)	−0.9°C (30°F)	18.3°C (65°F)	−4.1°C (25°F)	26.3°C (79°F)	8.3°C (47°F)	525 mm (21 in)
Olomouc (Olomouc, 210 m)	−1.2°C (30°F)	20.3°C (69°F)	−4.3°C (24°F)	26.4°C (80°F)	9.8°C (50°F)	553 mm (22 in)
České Budějovice (České Budějovice, 395 m)	−0.3°C (31°F)	19.2°C (67°F)	−3.6°C (26°F)	26.0°C (79°F)	9.3°C (49°F)	659 mm (26 in)
Hradec Králové (Hradec Králové, 278 m)	−0.6°C (31°F)	19.7°C (67°F)	−3.5°C (26°F)	25.6°C (78°F)	9.5°C (49°F)	583 mm (23 in)
Liberec (Liberec, 398 m)	−1.2°C (30°F)	18.0°C (64°F)	−3.9°C (25°F)	23.6°C (74°F)	8.3°C (47°F)	845 mm (33 in)
Karlovy Vary (Karlovy Vary, 377 m)	−0.6°C (31°F)	19.0°C (66°F)	−3.0°C (27°F)	24.4°C (76°F)	8.9°C (48°F)	570 mm (22 in)
Český Krumlov (Český Krumlov, 554 m)	−1.4°C (29°F)	17.7°C (64°F)	−4.6°C (24°F)	24.3°C (76°F)	8.0°C (46°F)	664 mm (26 in)

Source: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, climate normals 1991–2020¹¹³. The station used for each town is the choice of our researcher. Prague’s city-center station averages 2.5°C warmer than the airport, by our arithmetic. Fahrenheit and inch conversions are our arithmetic. Compare the Czech Republic with other destinations.

Practical matters

Paperwork: Registration, Numbers, Banks, Driving and Pets

Reporting your address

As a non-EU national you must report your arrival to the Foreign Police within three days of entering the country, unless a hotel or other accommodation provider does it for you; people collecting a long-term visa or permit can report at the Ministry of the Interior office instead. A later change of address must be reported to the Ministry of the Interior within 30 working days⁷⁰.

Your birth number and tax number

Foreigners granted residence of more than 90 days receive a birth number (rodné číslo) automatically, without a fee, from the Ministry of the Interior’s office for their address⁷¹. The English version of the government portal lists fewer permit types as automatic; the Czech service page, which we follow, covers any residence over 90 days⁷¹. Someone with no residence, or residence under 90 days, can apply for one, for study or work for example, for a fee of CZK 1,000, according to an archive page of the Ministry of the Interior, read on September 27, 2026¹¹⁵.

Your tax identification number (DIČ) is “CZ” followed by your birth number, or by a number the tax office assigns when you have none; since January 1, 2021 you may ask for the tax office’s number instead of your birth number⁷².

A bank account

Any consumer legally resident in an EU member state, including a foreigner with temporary or permanent residence in the Czech Republic, has the right to a basic payment account, with a debit card and internet banking. The bank must send a draft contract within 10 working days and may refuse only in the cases the law lists, such as holding an equivalent Czech account already, or under anti-money-laundering rules; the fee may be no more than the “usual price”, and banks may not discriminate by nationality⁷³.

Driving on a U.S. license

For a short stay, the Czech Embassy in Washington says that licenses issued by U.S. states without an International Driving Permit are not accepted¹¹⁶. The permit must be on the 1949 Geneva model, and it is valid for one year from the date it was issued⁷⁵.

Once you live here, the Road Traffic Act gives people granted permanent residence, or temporary residence of more than one year, three months from that grant to apply to exchange their foreign license for a Czech one; if they do not, the foreign license stops being valid for driving⁷⁵.

Will you have to take a test? The official sources disagree. The section of the Act on exchanging licenses issued under the international conventions lists no test; only a further provision, for licenses that do not meet the conventions, requires a theory and practical test and a medical certificate⁷⁵. The U.S. Embassy in Prague says: “A precondition for the issuance of a DL is the successful completion of a test of driver competency”¹¹⁷. Whether a U.S. state license on its own counts as a convention license is not clear from these sources. Expect that your local licensing office may require a test, and confirm with it before your three months run out. The Embassy also describes the people affected as long-term residents for more than a year, while the Act speaks of permanent residence or temporary residence of more than one year^117,75.

Pets

New EU rules for pets apply from April 22, 2026^24,25. The United States is on the list in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, so a dog, cat or ferret coming from the United States needs no rabies antibody (titer) test^24,118. For each animal:

A microchip (ISO 11784/11785), then a rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older; after the first vaccination, wait 21 days²⁴.
An EU health certificate issued or endorsed no more than 10 days before entry, and a declaration signed by the owner. An old-style certificate is accepted until March 31, 2027 only if it was issued before October 1, 2026²⁴.
No tapeworm treatment is required for the Czech Republic²⁴.
Since April 22, 2026, exemptions for unvaccinated puppies and kittens under 16 weeks are no longer granted²⁴.
The move counts as non-commercial only if it is linked to the owner’s own travel; a person you authorize may travel with the pet only within five days of you; at most five pets²⁴.
Enter through a listed point of entry, where customs checks the animals: the airports of Prague (Ruzyně), Brno (Tuřany), Ostrava (Mošnov), Karlovy Vary and Pardubice, or Kunovice, a non-public international airport¹¹⁹.

We found no official figure for fees at the point of entry; ask customs and your airline before you book.

Shipping your household

Your personal belongings enter free of customs duty and VAT when you move your normal residence into the EU, if you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, have owned and used the goods for at least six months, declare them within 12 months of taking up residence, and do not sell, lend or pledge them for 12 months. Alcohol, tobacco and commercial vehicles are excluded^120,121. There is no special form: you apply in free form with a detailed inventory, proof of 12 months abroad (a lease, bank statements, an employment contract or insurance) and proof of your new Czech residence, such as a lease. Goods may arrive up to six months before you move if you give a declaration and a security deposit, a customs broker can act for you, and a car needs its registration papers¹²².

Schools

School is compulsory for nine years, starting in the September after a child turns six, and one year of pre-school is compulsory from the September after a child turns five; both apply to non-EU children with residence of more than 90 days¹²³. Basic school is open on the same terms as to EU citizens to anyone living in the country; secondary school requires legal residence, and kindergarten requires residence of more than 90 days. Parents register a child for first grade between January 15 and February 15 of the year school starts, and the compulsory pre-school year is free in public kindergartens¹²³.

Your U.S. services, and emergencies

The U.S. Embassy in Prague handles passports by online appointment, with online fee payment since September 9, 2024¹²⁴, and offers notarial services¹¹⁴.
For emergencies involving U.S. citizens, the Embassy’s line is +420-257-022-000, 24 hours a day¹¹⁴.
In an emergency, call 112, the EU number, or 155 for an ambulance, 150 for the fire service, 158 for the police and 156 for the municipal police⁹⁰.

Entry rules

Before the Visa: Visiting Under EES and ETIAS

The Czech Republic has been an EU member since 2004 and in the Schengen area since 2007². As an American you can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area⁵². Since April 10, 2026 (after a gradual start on October 12, 2025), the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) has recorded your entries and exits with fingerprints and a facial image instead of passport stamps, which lets border systems detect overstays automatically²⁶. Once you hold a Czech residence permit or long-stay visa, you are not registered in the EES; you show the permit with your passport¹²⁵.

As of September 27, 2026, ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors, is not yet running and no start date has been announced; the EU says it will give several months’ notice¹²⁶. When it starts it will cost EUR 20 (free under 18 and over 70) and last three years or until your passport expires^127,128. Residence permit and long-stay visa holders will not need it¹²⁸.

Timeline

A Realistic Twelve Months

Built backwards from the rules above, for the long-term visa for other purposes, where the Embassy in Washington states 90 to 120 days; the plan assumes the full 120. Other routes have their own limits, shown in the table above. Your own dates depend on your route and on how quickly your documents come together.

Months 12–9

Decide and test

Choose the route and run the funds check. If you work in IT or marketing for a large foreign employer, check the Digital Nomad Program’s salary floor of CZK 73,823 a month. Book a session with a cross-border tax adviser about your 401(k), IRA and pensions. Plan a scouting trip within your 90 visa-free days.

Months 9–7

Build the file

If you have lived outside the United States for six months or more in the last three years, order a police record from that country. Arrange the proof of purpose and the Czech-language proof of accommodation with a notarized signature. Buy comprehensive insurance with a EUR 400,000 limit. Start pet preparations: microchip first, then the rabies vaccination, which counts only from 21 days after it is given.

Months 7–5

Apply

Book the appointment by email and apply in person at the office that covers your state. From the day the Embassy has a complete file, allow up to 120 days. Keep your passport plans flexible: you must be in the United States to collect the visa.

Months 4–1

Wait and prepare

Line up a first address and a lease. Get moving quotes: household goods enter free of duty only if you have owned and used them for at least six months and lived outside the EU for at least twelve. Arrange your pet’s EU health certificate for the last ten days before entry.

Arrival

Report and register

Report your arrival to the Foreign Police within three days unless your accommodation provider does it. Watch for your birth number, then set up your tax number and bank account. Any later change of address goes to the Ministry of the Interior within 30 working days.

By month 12

Course, license, permit

Complete the integration course if it applies to you. Apply for your long-term residence permit in good time before the visa ends, allowing the Ministry its 60 days. Exchange your U.S. license within three months of being granted permanent residence or temporary residence of more than one year. Put the Czech tax return, the U.S. return (June 15 for Americans abroad) and FBAR on the calendar.

Questions

What Americans Ask Us About the Czech Republic

Does the Czech Republic have a retirement visa?

Not by that name: we found no official page naming a retirement or passive-income visa. By our reading, retirees use the long-term visa for other purposes, which the Embassy in Washington describes as covering “all other types of long stay” visas, followed by an in-country long-term residence permit^3,4. No income threshold specific to retirees is set; the funds rule applies³.

How much money do I need for a long-term visa?

Fifteen times the subsistence minimum, plus twice it for each whole month of the stay⁴; as the Interior Ministry’s portal applies the rule (each month after the first), that is CZK 115,810, about $5,422, for 12 months⁵³. A business visa needs CZK 156,500, and applicants under 18 half^4,53. These use a subsistence minimum of CZK 3,130, which the Act on the Living and Subsistence Minimum keeps at the same amount from October 1, 2026^14,13.

Can I work in the Czech Republic as an American?

Yes. Since July 1, 2024, U.S. citizens need no work permit, employee card or Blue Card to be employed, only a residence permit, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs³³. The Embassy in Washington tells U.S. citizens employed for more than three months to apply for a non-dual employee card, or a Blue Card if highly qualified³⁴. Whether you may take a job on a permit for another purpose without changing it is not settled by either source; ask the Ministry of the Interior.

How much do I need to earn for the Digital Nomad Program?

At least CZK 73,823 gross a month, about $3,456, from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027⁵. The program is only for highly qualified IT and marketing professionals, and an employee’s foreign employer must have at least 50 employees worldwide⁶.

What health insurance do I need for a visa?

Comprehensive travel medical insurance with a limit of at least EUR 400,000 per insured event and no co-payment, unless you are in Czech public health insurance³⁶. Since September 20, 2023, any authorized insurer may sell it³⁶. A Ministry of Health page still gives EUR 60,000, but Act 278/2023 set EUR 400,000^84,37.

Will the Czech Republic tax my U.S. Social Security?

No. Under article 19(1)(b) of the U.S.–Czech treaty, U.S. Social Security paid to a Czech resident or to a U.S. citizen is taxable only in the United States, and the saving clause does not override that article⁷.

Can Americans buy property, and is there a transfer tax?

Yes, with no restrictions since 2011, when the rule limiting purchases by foreigners was repealed⁴². There is no transfer or acquisition tax: it was abolished in 2020, backdated to land-registry entries from December 2019⁴⁰. The land registry charges CZK 2,000 per application¹⁰⁹.

Can I drive on my U.S. license?

For short stays, only together with an International Driving Permit on the 1949 Geneva model, which is valid for one year^116,75. Once you are granted permanent residence or temporary residence of more than one year, you must apply to exchange your license within three months, or it stops being valid for driving⁷⁵. The provision for licenses issued under the international conventions lists no test, but the U.S. Embassy says a test is required; ask your licensing office^75,117.

How long until I can become a Czech citizen, and can I keep my U.S. passport?

You need five years of permanent residence at the date of application, which itself comes after five years of residence, so about ten years in all, by our arithmetic; you also need Czech at B1 and a civics test unless you are over 65^9,4,49. Dual citizenship has been allowed since 2014¹⁰.

Is the new foreigners law already in force?

No. As of September 27, 2026 it has passed only the Chamber of Deputies, on September 11, 2026, and is before the Senate. It is to take effect on January 1, 2029; until then Act 326/1999 applies^16,17.

Sources

Every Figure on This Page, and Where It Comes From

We use official sources only: Czech laws in e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws, and the Chamber of Deputies’ record; Czech ministries and the Interior Ministry’s portal for foreigners; the Czech Embassy in Washington and its consulates; the Financial Administration; the Czech Social Security Administration and VZP; the Czech Statistical Office, the Czech National Bank, the Energy Regulatory Office and the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute; the land registry, customs, the State Veterinary Administration and the city transit operators; the EU; and U.S. federal agencies and the U.S. Embassy in Prague. Czech-language titles are given in English. Each source was read on the date shown (five were added on September 28, 2026, and one on September 29, after independent fact-checks); archive pages are marked as such, with their own last-updated date where they give one. Where official texts disagree, we say what each one says and which we follow. If you spot something that has changed, email [email protected].

Exchange rates of the foreign exchange market, fixing of September 25, 2026 (no. 186): USD 1 = CZK 21.359, EUR 1 = CZK 24.350. Czech National Bank (CNB). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
EU countries: membership, euro area and Schengen dates. European Union. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Visa for other purposes (long-term visa; page last updated September 20, 2024). Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 326/1999 Coll. on the Residence of Foreign Nationals, consolidated version in force from June 12, 2026. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Digital Nomad Program: frequently asked questions (April 2026, salary threshold from May 1, 2026). Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic (MPO). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Digital Nomad Program: program description (July 2025). Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic (MPO). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Convention between the United States and the Czech Republic for the avoidance of double taxation, signed at Prague on September 16, 1993. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Status of totalization agreements. Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 186/2013 Coll. on Citizenship of the Czech Republic, consolidated version in force from October 1, 2025. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Citizenship: dual citizenship since January 1, 2014. Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 152/2025 Coll. amending laws in connection with the Act on the State Social Assistance Benefit: article XLVIII points 1 to 3 (amounts of the living and subsistence minimum). e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Act No. 35/2026 Coll.: article V point 5 (article XLVIII points 1 to 3 of Act 152/2025 in force from October 1, 2026). e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Act No. 110/2006 Coll. on the Living and Subsistence Minimum, consolidated version in force from October 1, 2026: sections 2, 3 and 5. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Government Regulation No. 361/2025 Coll. on the living minimum and subsistence minimum amounts. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Government Regulation No. 57/2026 Coll. extending Regulation 361/2025 to September 30, 2026. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Government bill on the entry and residence of foreigners (Chamber print 144): legislative history. Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Text of the Act on the entry and residence of foreigners as passed by the Chamber of Deputies (effective dates). Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Information for the self-employed on the change in pension insurance contributions from July 1, 2026. Czech Social Security Administration (ČSSZ). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Change in the band I flat-rate payment from July 1, 2026 (public questions and answers). Financial Administration of the Czech Republic (Finanční správa). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
The flat-rate tax (paušální daň): bands and monthly amounts. Financial Administration of the Czech Republic (Finanční správa). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Draft amendment of Act 159/1999 (eTurista): stage 2, inter-ministerial consultation. Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, legislative portal (VeKLEP). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Notice No. 44/2026 Coll. of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs: average gross annual wage for May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Traveling with dogs, cats and ferrets to the Czech Republic from listed third countries. State Veterinary Administration (SVS). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131: non-commercial movement of pet animals. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Entry/Exit System (EES). European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
ERÚ issues an amending price decision adjusting regulated prices for 2026 (press release of December 29, 2025). Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
The minimum wage rises by CZK 1,600 to CZK 22,400 a month from January 2026. Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic (MPSV). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Summary of PID fare and transport changes from January 1, 2026. Prague Public Transit Company (DPP). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Tax news for 2026 (press release). Financial Administration of the Czech Republic (Finanční správa). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
The inflation coefficient for real estate tax stays at 1.0 for 2026. Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Protective limits on co-payments. VZP ČR, the General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
List of states whose citizens have free access to the labor market (seznam států). Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic (MPSV). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Free access to the labor market for U.S. citizens. Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Amendment of the Real Estate Tax Act: changes from 2024 (PDF). Financial Administration of the Czech Republic (Finanční správa). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Medical insurance (EUR 400,000 limit; any authorized insurer since September 20, 2023). Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 278/2023 Coll. (health insurance for foreigners; EUR 400,000 limit), copy in EUR-Lex. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Decree No. 429/2010 Coll.: states whose nationals may apply at any Czech embassy (annex, item 35: United States). e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Government Regulation No. 220/2019 Coll. on application quotas at embassies, version in force from July 1, 2026. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Abolition of the real estate acquisition tax. Financial Administration of the Czech Republic (Finanční správa). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 338/1992 Coll. on Real Estate Tax, consolidated version in force from October 1, 2025. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 206/2011 Coll. repealing section 17 of the Foreign Exchange Act (acquisition of real estate). e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Rent price map, edition of August 15, 2026 (spreadsheet, data July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2026). Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Health insurance of foreigners. VZP ČR, the General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Communication No. 21/2016 Coll. of International Treaties: Supplementary Agreement amending the U.S.–Czech Social Security Agreement, signed September 23, 2013, in force May 1, 2016 (article I: Public Health Insurance Act added for Part II). e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Government Regulation No. 223/2017 Coll. on the amount of a significant investment and the number of new jobs. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Government Regulation No. 31/2016 Coll.: Czech language level A2 for permanent residence. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Czech language exam certificate (permanent residence). Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Decree No. 433/2013 Coll.: Czech language (B1) and civics requirements for citizenship. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Real estate prices, 2023–2025 (release of July 15, 2026): average purchase prices by district. Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Apartment prices, 2nd quarter 2026 (release of July 7, 2026): asking-price index. Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Entry and exit requirements for non-EU nationals (90 days in any 180-day period). Your Europe, European Union. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Proof of funds for the stay (finances). Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Digital Nomad Program. Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic (MPO). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Employee card. Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Blue card. Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Long-term visa for the purpose of doing business. Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Long-term residence permit for the purpose of doing business. Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification. Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Czech consular offices in the United States. Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Consular and visa fees in U.S. dollars, valid for September 2026. Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Fees for third-country nationals (Ministry of the Interior). Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
A visa for a stay of over 90 days (long-term visa): processing times (archive version, last updated August 6, 2024). Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Permanent residence permit after 5 years of temporary residence in the Czech Republic. Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Long-term residence permit for the purpose of studies. Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Notice No. 169/2026 Coll. of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of September 22, 2026: normative rents for October 1 to December 31, 2026. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 28, 2026.
Act No. 151/2025 Coll. on the State Social Assistance Benefit, version in force from October 1, 2026: section 32(2), the energy allowance. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 29, 2026.
Act No. 634/2004 Coll. on Administrative Fees, version in force from September 1, 2026 (fee annex). e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Travel health insurance for foreigners: what “comprehensive care” must include. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Obligations of third-country nationals: general information. Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Information Portal for Foreigners (ipc.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Assigning a birth number to foreigners with residence of more than 90 days (service S8247). Public Administration Portal (portal.gov.cz). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Instruction 79651/20 on changing a tax identification number (DIČ) on request. General Financial Directorate. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 370/2017 Coll. on Payments, version in force from October 1, 2025: sections 210 to 219 (basic payment account). e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
What types of health insurance can foreigners living in the Czech Republic take out? VZP ČR, the General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 361/2000 Coll. on Road Traffic, version in force from January 1, 2026: sections 104, 116 and 118. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Consumer price indices (inflation), August 2026 (release of September 10, 2026). Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Rent price map: basic information (asking rents on new leases, reference apartment). Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Average wages, 2nd quarter 2026 (release of September 3, 2026). Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Average wage in Prague, 2nd quarter 2026. Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Fare price list (PID tariff). Prague Public Transit Company (DPP). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
IDS JMK price list (labeled valid from July 1, 2024; same Brno prices in the tariff valid from August 31, 2026). KORDIS JMK, the South Moravian integrated transport system. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Ticket prices. Ostrava Transit Company (DPO). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Health insurance payments in 2026. VZP ČR, the General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Travel health insurance (page still giving EUR 60,000). Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Social security agreement with the USA. Czech Social Security Administration (ČSSZ). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Agreement between the United States and the Czech Republic (pamphlet). Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
People without taxable income (OBZP): assessment base and premium. VZP ČR, the General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Basic types of regulatory fees. Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
The Ministry of Health presents current primary care data (press release of July 3, 2025). Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Emergency calls in the Czech Republic. Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Travel outside the U.S. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Medicare coverage outside the United States (Product 11037, April 2026). Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Avoid late enrollment penalties. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Act No. 586/1992 Coll. on Income Taxes, consolidated version in force from August 1, 2026. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Government Regulation No. 365/2025 Coll.: general assessment base for 2024 and conversion coefficient. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Filing your tax return for 2025: deadlines (press release, 2026). Financial Administration of the Czech Republic (Finanční správa). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Flat-rate tax in 2026: news and deadlines (press release). Financial Administration of the Czech Republic (Finanční správa). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Technical explanation of the U.S.–Czech income tax convention. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 589/1992 Coll. on Social Security Insurance Contributions, version in force from July 1, 2026. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 592/1992 Coll. on Public Health Insurance Premiums, version in force from May 27, 2026. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Foreign earned income exclusion: what is foreign earned income. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Foreign tax credit. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). FinCEN, U.S. Treasury. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Do I need to file Form 8938? Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Act No. 89/2012 Coll. (Civil Code), version in force from January 1, 2026: sections 2231 to 2291 on leases. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 386/2020 Coll. abolishing the real estate acquisition tax. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Administrative fee rates (land registry). Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre (ČÚZK). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Who will be affected by the real estate tax changes in January (press release, 2023). Financial Administration of the Czech Republic (Finanční správa). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 159/1999 Coll. on certain conditions of business in tourism: version history. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Population by sex, municipalities, January 1, 2026 (DataStat dataset OBY02A, published May 18, 2026). Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Climate normals 1991–2020 by station (open data). Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
U.S. citizen services (emergency line). U.S. Embassy in Prague. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Assigning a birth number (archive version of the page). Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Driving in the Czech Republic. Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Notice on driver’s licenses. U.S. Embassy in Prague. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636: Annex II list of countries (United States of America). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Points of entry for pet animals. State Veterinary Administration (SVS). Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Moving of natural persons (relief from duty for personal belongings). Customs Administration of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Council Regulation (EC) 1186/2009: relief from customs duty (personal property). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Frequently asked questions: moving personal belongings. Customs Administration of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Act No. 561/2004 Coll. (Education Act), version in force from September 1, 2026. e-Sbírka, the official Collection of Laws of the Czech Republic. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Passports (online appointments and fee payment). U.S. Embassy in Prague. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Entry/Exit System fully operational from 10 April 2026: who is exempt. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked September 27, 2026.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1411: ETIAS fee of €20. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.
Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 establishing ETIAS. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked September 25, 2026.

General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. Rules and costs change; check the official sources above and speak to a qualified professional before you act. Next scheduled review: October 2026.

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