Congratulations, you have come to a very special page! Not only it sums up all the most important rules about living in the Czech Republic as an EU citizen but it also offers a 21% discount to all immigration related services of Move To Prague! If you need any help, just fill in the form below, use “EU21” code anywhere within the text and you automatically get 21% discount to any services you’ll use 🙂
The above does not apply to our 15 min consultation since that is already free, to accommodation search and to health insurance since we can not influence the price there.
Let’s jump right into the main topics now though!
 General rules for EU citizens living in the Czech Republic
In general, EU citizens living in the territory of the Czech Republic have the same rights and obligations as Czech citizens. You can work here freely, run your own business freely, study freely or just live here because you like it here (having no job or business) freely.
You can be part of the public health care system, of the social security system, tax system etc. You can also vote in some elections or be voted for under some conditions.
So, in general, it is very easy to move to the Czech Republic and start living here as an EU citizen. There are still some obligations and rules you need to keep in mind though. Let’s now check the most common ones one by one.
Foreign Police Registration for EU citizens
Every EU citizen who moves to or even visits the Czech Republic, is obliged to report their stay to the Foreign Police within 30 days! Even if you only come for one day, you should officially do it.
If you come here as a tourist though and stay in some accommodation facility (hotel, hostel, good AirBnb etc.), they have to report your stay to the Foreign Police on your behalf. That is why you fill in the small white paper at most receptions when you are checking in.
If you are moving here and/or you stay in a private accommodation (i.e. you rent a flat), you should report your stay to the Foreign Police within 30 days yourself since private landlords are not obliged to report your stay.
We describe this process in another article so you can refer to it for more information. Alternatively call us at +420 776 495 655 for a free consultation on this topic or get in touch via the below form. And remember – if at any point you hire our services and use the “EU21” code, you will get a 21% discount 🙂
Registration Certificate (former Temporary Residence Certificate)
As mentioned above, EU citizens do not really need anything else than the Foreign Police registration to live in the Czech Republic. If you plan on staying long-term (say about a year or longer), having something more official might come in handy.
The thing is that you can live here freely without any permit but then there is no official record of you living in the Czech Republic. So, if you need to prove that you live here to someone (i.e. some authority here or in the country of your origin, bank, tax office etc.) and you have no prove of living here, it can cause you some problems.
So, there is and easy fix for this – get a registration certificate (formerly called Temporary Residence Certificate). It is a document issued by the Ministry of the Interior proving that you officially reside in the Czech Republic which you can use for whatever purposes needed.
We have a detailed article about the Registration Certificate in the blog section of our website so you can refer to it for further information. Alternatively call us at +420 776 495 655 for a free consultation on this topic or get in touch via the below form. And remember – if at any point you hire our services and use the “EU21” code, you will get a 21% discount 🙂
Permanent Residence Permit for EU citizens
Let’s say you have already registered with the Foreign Police, got the Registration Certificate and you have been living here for some time. What comes next?
If you have been living in the Czech Republic for five years (two years in some cases) and you plan on staying even longer, you can get a Permanent Residence Permit. Not only it grants you some additional rights in the Czech Republic, it is also a mandatory step towards Czech citizenship.
The permanent residence permit must be applied for through the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and you need to prove that you have where to live, provide some photos of you and mainly prove that you have been living in the Czech Republic for long enough. The easiest way to do that is through having the Registration Certificate from your first days in the Czech Republic.
We have a detailed article about the Permanent Residence Permit in the blog section of our website so you can refer to it for further information. Alternatively call us at +420 776 495 655 for a free consultation on this topic or get in touch via the below form. And remember – if at any point you hire our services and use the “EU21” code, you will get a 21% discount 🙂
Obtaining Czech citizenship as an EU citizen
There are many ways to obtain Czech citizenship (i.e. through ancestors), but we mainly work with people who want to obtain Czech citizenship after long enough time spent in the Czech Republic.
You can generally apply for Czech citizenship if you have had the Permanent Residence Permit for at least five years, or if you have the Permanent Residence Permit (even if issued today) and you have been living in the Czech Republic for at least ten consecutive years.
We hope this article has been helpful! If you are still missing some information, please let us know (either call us at +420 776 495 655 or fill in one of the forms above) and we will either be happy to add the information to this article or explain everything to you directly 🙂
Have a lovely day!
Jan & Daria on behalf of the whole Move To Prague team
