🇨🇿Czechia

How your entry route is decided

Two things decide it: your nationality and your travel document.

• EU / EEA and Swiss citizens - freedom of movement, on a valid national identity card or passport. No time limit for tourism, but a registration duty applies to stays over 30 days.
• Visa-exempt third-country nationals - visa-free Schengen entry, maximum 90 days in any 180-day period, on a biometric passport issued within the last 10 years and valid at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from the Schengen area.
• EES checks - the Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026 at every air, land and sea crossing across all 29 Schengen states, replacing passport stamping. Your facial image and fingerprints are captured at the first border check, and the system detects overstays automatically.
• Visa-required third-country nationals - a short-stay Schengen visa (type C), with proof of the purpose of travel, a return ticket, proof of accommodation, funds, and travel health insurance covering at least EUR 30,000.
• Russian Federation, a specific restriction - since 3 July 2024 Czechia does not recognise non-biometric Russian passports, and entry or a visa issued on one is refused.

Entry formalities that apply to everyone

• No arrival form. Czechia requires no paper or digital arrival form and no health declaration; entry registration for non-European citizens happens automatically through the EES at the border.
• Cash - declare in writing to Czech Customs any import or export of cash, securities or precious metals worth EUR 10,000 or more, or the equivalent in CZK or another currency.
• Tobacco (air travel) - 200 cigarettes, OR 100 cigarillos, OR 50 cigars, OR 250 grams of smoking tobacco.
• Alcohol - 1 litre of spirits above 22% ABV, OR 2 litres of intermediate products or sparkling wine, plus up to 4 litres of still wine and up to 16 litres of beer.
• Other goods - duty and VAT exemption up to EUR 430 per person, or EUR 200 for travellers under 15.
• Registration of stay - under Section 93(1) of Act No. 326/1999 Coll., every third-country national must report their place of stay to the Foreign Police within 3 working days of entry. In commercial accommodation - hotel, hostel, guesthouse, official short-term rental - the provider does it for you; staying privately with friends or family, you go in person with your passport and a registration form.

What actually matters in practice

• Non-biometric Russian passports are refused without exception - the document has been legally invalid for entry to Czechia since 3 July 2024.
• Carry your insurance document. The Foreign Police ask for proof of travel health insurance during spot checks in the city and at the airport, and being unable to produce it can mean an on-the-spot fine.
• Count Schengen days properly. The 90/180 rule is rolling: any day spent in any Schengen state within the previous 180 days counts. Travellers on r/Prague also report that border control at Václav Havel Airport is strict about proof of accommodation and a return ticket for arrivals from higher-risk countries.

• Between EU countries there is no duty-free limit. Goods bought tax-paid in another member state travel with you; customs may only ask what a very large quantity is for, against indicative figures of 800 cigarettes and 10 litres of spirits.
• Arriving from outside the EU the allowance is one set of numbers: 200 cigarettes, 1 litre of spirits over 22 % (or 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine), 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer.
• Other goods are capped by value - EUR 430 arriving by air or sea, EUR 300 by land - and the allowance cannot be pooled between travellers for a single item.
• Cash of EUR 10,000 or more must be declared, counting notes, coins, cheques and prepaid cards together. The money is seized for not declaring it, not for carrying it.
• All four neighbours are in the EU, so a road trip through Germany, Austria, Slovakia or Poland crosses no customs border at all.

Health, insurance and where to be treated

• No vaccinations are required to enter Czechia.
• Tap water is fully drinkable and of high quality throughout the country.
• EU citizens use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for necessary medical care at public facilities.
• Third-country nationals are legally required to hold travel health insurance.

Hospitals equipped for foreigners, in Prague:

• Na Homolce Hospital - Roentgenova 37/2, Prague 5. Has a Foreigners' Department and a good level of English.
• Motol University Hospital - V Úvalu 84, Prague 5. The largest hospital complex, with specialised paediatric and adult emergency departments.
• General University Hospital (VFN) - U Nemocnice 499/2, Prague 2, in the city centre.

Pharmacies (lékárna) usually open 08:00–18:00/19:00. Two run 24/7 in Prague:

• Lékárna Palackého - Palackého 720/5, Prague 1.
• Lékárna FN Motol - V Úvalu 84, Prague 5.

A continental year

Prague has the classic shape of a continental climate: a real winter, a warm summer, and two short shoulder seasons that pass quickly.

The two months worth aiming for

May and September both average 19-20 °C by day with nights around 9-11 °C - warm enough to sit outside in the evening with a jacket, cool enough to spend a day walking without wilting. September is also drier than any summer month.

July and August are the warmest at 25 °C and the wettest at around 80 mm, which sounds contradictory and is not: the rain comes from afternoon thunderstorms that build in the heat and pass within an hour. They are also the months when the centre is at its fullest.

Winter is worth it if you go for winter. Christmas markets and a dusting of snow on Malá Strana are the point; the daylight is short and the damp cold sits in the streets, so the trip is built around indoor stops rather than long walks.

Accommodation

Recommended neighbourhoods for your first nights in Prague:

• Prague 1 (Old Town, Lesser Town, New Town) - for visitors who want to walk to the main sights. CZK 3,500–10,000+ per night for luxury hotels. Cobbled streets are hard work with a wheeled suitcase, and it is noisier at night.
• Prague 2 (Vinohrady, Vyšehrad) - for digital nomads, couples, café-goers and anyone wanting somewhere calmer. CZK 2,000–4,500 per night. Excellent metro A and C connections and plenty of good restaurants.
• Prague 3 (Žižkov) - for younger travellers, backpackers and budget trips. CZK 1,200–3,000 per night. Lively nightlife, good tram links to the centre on 9, 15 and 26.
• Prague 5 (Smíchov / Anděl) and Prague 6 (Dejvice) - for families, business travellers and quick airport access. CZK 1,800–3,500 per night. Smíchov is a major interchange for metro B and trams; Dejvice has the direct trolleybus 59 to the airport and metro A into the centre.

Accommodation practices and the legal side:

• Documents - present a valid passport or ID card at check-in; the provider records your details in the guest register.
• Local accommodation fee - cities levy a tourist charge, in Prague CZK 50 per person per night for guests over 18, often billed separately at reception on arrival.
• Deposit - higher-category hotels pre-authorise a credit or debit card at check-in to cover the minibar.

What to buy as soon as you land

No registration, no paperwork. Czech law does not require prepaid SIM cards to be registered against an identity document, so you can buy one anonymously with cash or card and activate it immediately by inserting it or scanning an eSIM QR code. Coverage is a mature 4G/LTE and 5G network.

• If your phone takes an eSIM, buy the profile online before you fly or over the airport Wi-Fi - the T-Mobile 15 GB package at CZK 299, for instance, or a Saily profile if you would rather not deal with a Czech operator at all.
• If not, physical SIMs are on sale as soon as you clear customs at the airport.

Comparison table

Prices and package specifications were checked on 15 February 2026. The conversions below use 1 EUR = 25 CZK and 1 USD = 23 CZK; by late August the koruna had firmed to about 24 to the euro and 21 to the dollar, so read the euro and dollar columns as approximate and the koruna column as the real price.

Where exactly to buy

• Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG), Terminal 1 (non-Schengen) - Relay newsagents in the arrivals hall stock physical Vodafone and T-Mobile prepaid SIMs.
• Terminal 2 (Schengen) - a Relay store and a Billa supermarket in the arrivals hall and the connecting corridor.
• Check the printed price. Independent airport kiosks may charge above the recommended retail price - the Vodafone Tourist SIM should read CZK 349 on the packaging.
• Prague city centre - official operator stores: Vodafone at Václavské náměstí 47 and Národní 28, Prague 1, and Palladium (náměstí Republiky); T-Mobile at Národní 36, Prague 1, Palladium, and Vítězné náměstí 10, Prague 6 (Dejvice); O2 at Národní 17, Prague 1, and Palladium.
• Online (eSIM) - operator websites such as the T-Mobile e-shop sell profiles. Pay with an ordinary international VISA/Mastercard and the QR code arrives by email within minutes.

Short verdict

• Up to 7 days: the Vodafone Tourist SIM Card / eSIM, CZK 349 for unlimited data.
• 1 to 4 weeks: the T-Mobile Twist 15 GB eSIM at CZK 299 - the best price-to-data ratio, and activatable entirely digitally without visiting a store.

Sockets in Czechia are Type C and E at 230 V, 50 Hz, with a protruding earth pin in the socket rather than clips on its rim.

• A Europlug fits every socket in the country, which covers phone, laptop and camera chargers.
• The hybrid CEE 7/7 plug fits too. A pure Schuko plug, with no hole for the socket's earth pin, does not - the same catch as in France, Belgium, Poland and Slovakia.
• British, American and Australian plugs need an adapter.
• 230 V is standard European. American 120 V-only appliances need a converter.
• Prague hotels aimed at foreign guests often fit universal sockets, but a hostel or an apartment will have plain Czech outlets.

Local rules and cultural differences

• Travelling without a ticket - entering the metro's paid area or boarding without a valid, validated ticket carries a fine of CZK 1,500, dropping to CZK 1,000 if paid on the spot or within 15 days.
• Drinking alcohol in public - a municipal ordinance bans it in central Prague and at selected public spaces, within 100 metres of metro stations, transport stops, schools and playgrounds. The municipal police issue on-the-spot fines of up to CZK 2,000.
• Night-time quiet hours run strictly from 22:00 to 06:00. Noise on the street or in a flat or Airbnb in that window can bring the police and a fine.
• Drones - regulated by EASA and the Czech Civil Aviation Authority (ÚCL). The whole of wider central Prague is protected airspace, and flying without a special permit is prohibited.
• Escalator etiquette - stand on the right and leave the left clear for people walking past. It is unwritten but firmly established.

Everyday practicalities

• Power sockets - 230 V, 50 Hz, type E plugs: two pins with an earth socket, compatible with types C and F / Schuko.
• Time zone - CET (UTC+1) in winter, CEST (UTC+2) from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.
• Shop opening hours - supermarkets (Billa, Albert, Lidl) typically 07:00–21:00/22:00, ordinary shops 09:00–19:00.
• Public holiday closures - shops with a sales floor over 200 m² are required by law to close on 1 January, Easter Monday, 8 May, 28 September, 28 October, and 25 and 26 December.
• Public toilets - usually CZK 10–20, and most metro turnstiles accept contactless cards.
• Wi-Fi - standard in restaurants and cafés, at Prague Airport, and on selected public transport vehicles marked with a Wi-Fi icon.

Money and paying for things

The legal tender is the Czech koruna (CZK / Kč). The euro is not official currency; some shops and restaurants in central Prague do accept it, but at a very poor rate. Indicative rate on 15 February 2026: 1 EUR ≈ CZK 25.00, 1 USD ≈ CZK 23.00.

Withdrawing cash: the machine matters more than the bank.

• Always decline DCC. An ATM or terminal will offer to settle in your home currency at its own fixed rate - choose "Charge in CZK" / "Without conversion" and let your own bank set it. That saves 5% to 15%.
• Use bank-owned machines built into branch premises - Komerční banka (KB), Česká spořitelna, ČSOB, Raiffeisenbank, Air Bank. Travellers on r/Prague report roughly CZK 100–150 per withdrawal on a non-European card.
• Avoid the yellow-and-blue Euronet machines on the street and inside private shops. Misleading interface, defaults to high withdrawal amounts such as CZK 10,000, and aggressive fees on top of a poor DCC rate.

Cash and exchange offices:

• Never change money with individuals on the street - you risk being handed invalid or worthless foreign notes, old Belarusian roubles among them.
• Confirm the final amount before you commit at any centre exchange office. Reputable ones charge no commission (Alfa Exchange, Exchange.cz on Kaprova street).
• You can undo it. The Czech currency exchange act gives you the right to reverse an exchange within 3 hours of the transaction, up to EUR 1,000.

Card acceptance and tipping:

• Cards work almost everywhere - market stalls, restaurants, public toilets, ticket machines. Carry CZK 500–1,000 in 100/200 notes only for rural areas and small stalls.
• Tipping - not legally required but expected in table-service restaurants. 10% is standard when you are happy with the service, usually by rounding up and telling the server the total before they tap your card.

Prague's public transport is among the most efficient in Europe: 3 metro lines (A green, B yellow, C red), a dense tram network and buses.

Tickets and payment

• Tickets are time-based and transfer freely across the metro, trams, buses and PID trolleybuses.
• Fares, and the app is cheaper on every one of them (from 1 January 2026):

• Validate paper immediately. A paper ticket must go in the yellow machine the moment you enter the metro's paid area or board a tram or bus. A digital ticket bought at an on-board terminal is valid at once and needs no validation.

Key apps

• PID Lítačka (iOS / Android) - the official transport app for Prague and the Central Bohemian region, for journey planning and tickets. Activate a ticket before you board: activation takes 2 minutes by design, as an anti-fare-evasion measure.
• IDOS (iOS / Android) - the comprehensive national timetable search, covering every train, bus and city transport service in Czechia.
• Uber and Bolt - the main ride-hailing platforms, in Prague, Brno, Ostrava and other regional cities.

• PID Lítačka (Prague Integrated Transport) - https://pid.litacka.cz - Journey planning and digital tickets in Prague.
• IDOS - https://idos.cz - National public transport timetable search.
• Uber - https://www.uber.com - The contracted ride-hailing partner of Prague Airport.
• Bolt - https://bolt.eu - Alternative ride-hailing service operating in Czechia.

An electronic vignette bought against the number plate, and a genuine zero alcohol limit.

• Nothing goes on the windscreen. The vignette is registered to the registration number online or at a petrol station, and enforcement is by camera.
• The alcohol limit is zero. Not 0.2, not one small beer - zero, and the police test at random. Fines start high and a positive test in a hire car is a problem with the rental company too.
• Dipped headlights are compulsory day and night, all year.
• Motorway speed is 130 km/h, and speed cameras in the municipalities off the D1 are the ones that catch people.
• Trams have priority and turning across tram tracks in Prague is where most visitor accidents happen.

Safety and the most common scams

Czechia consistently ranks among the safest countries in the world, with a very low rate of violent crime. The risk to visitors is petty property crime and tourist scams.

• The "card machine isn't working" scam - travellers on r/Prague report that in some tourist restaurants in the centre, staff claim the terminal is down and demand euros at a poor rate, 1 EUR = CZK 20–23 rather than the real 25. Ask for an itemised receipt in CZK, insist on paying in CZK, or pay by QR code.
• Overpriced street taxis - flagging one down without an app invites overcharging. Use only Uber or Bolt.
• Fake ticket inspectors - people without a badge demanding a cash fine from foreigners and issuing no receipt. A genuine inspector must show a metal service badge and an ID card, and you should always insist on an official receipt for any fine.
• Pickpocketing - common at Old Town Square by the astronomical clock, on Charles Bridge, on tram 22, and in the Můstek and Muzeum metro stations.

One area to be careful in: the park by Prague Main Station, Vrchlického sady, known locally as "Sherwood". At night there is a higher concentration of homeless people and drug users. Physical danger is low, but extra care is sensible.

Why an app rather than a phone call

The hard part of a Czech emergency call as a visitor is not the language - 112 is answered in English and German - it is saying where you are. A trailhead, a forest track or a village square is exactly the kind of place where a location is impossible to give and decisive to have.

Záchranka is the official app of the Czech emergency medical service and the Mountain Rescue Service, and it closes that gap:

If the data connection fails, the message goes as an encrypted SMS instead, so a single bar of signal is enough.

Set it up before you need it

The profile is worth filling in - name, chronic conditions, medication, blood group - because it travels with the alert and a dispatcher reads it before anyone arrives. The app also carries avalanche forecasts, an electronic tour book for mountain walks, and a locator for the nearest emergency department and open pharmacy.

In the mountains, 1210 is a different service from 155. Horská služba covers the marked terrain of Krkonoše, Jeseníky and the other ranges; sending an ambulance up a ridge instead is how an hour disappears.