Foreign Police registration within 3 working days, the long-term visa and the restriction for Russian and Belarusian passports, health insurance, a bank account and the deadlines, with what sources agree on and what we could not confirm.
In brief
As of 6 November 2026, the first 30 days in the Czech Republic start with one short deadline: a citizen of a non-EU country has to report the place of stay to the Foreign Police within 3 working days of arrival, unless the accommodation provider has already done it. A long-term visa (a stay over 90 days) is applied for at a Czech embassy abroad, and press reports say the Czech ban on issuing visas and residence permits to citizens of Russia and Belarus has been extended without an end date, with a few exceptions. Non-EU citizens on a long-term visa or permit who do not work for a Czech company are reported to need private health insurance. We did not open an official page, so confirm every rule with the office. This is not legal advice.
Your status decides the order: short stay, long-term visa or residence permit
The checklist is different for each status, so decide which one you are in before you do anything else. - A short stay of up to 90 days without a visa or on a short-stay visa: you are a visitor. Report the place of stay unless a hotel did it, keep travel health insurance, and do not plan a bank account or a long lease. - A long-term visa or a residence permit: you are a resident in the making. The Foreign Police registration, health insurance and the bank account all depend on the card or visa in your passport. - A family member of a person who already holds a Czech permit: the rules are different again, and the exceptions to the Russia and Belarus restriction below mention this group.
Ask the Foreign Police office for your area which of these applies to you. In Prague and Brno, search results mention expat centres run by the city that give information to foreigners (the Prague Expat Centre and the Brno Expat Centre); we found no details of what they check or charge.
Russian and Belarusian passports: the restriction to check first
News and aggregator pages say that the Czech government has extended its ban on issuing visas and residence permits to citizens of Russia and Belarus without an end date, and that it also covers people with dual citizenship. The exceptions named are holders of existing permits, a stay in the interest of the Czech Republic certified by the foreign minister, family members of a foreigner with a Czech permit, and some Belarusian university students on scholarships. - We found no 2026 notice of the Czech foreign ministry, so the current text has to be checked at mzv.gov.cz before you plan a move on a Russian or Belarusian passport. - Embassies handle long-term applications in different ways. The embassy in Baku asks for registration before a long-term application, according to the search results. - We did not research the rules for Kazakh or Ukrainian passports. - Another page says that from 1 January 2026 the authorities can refuse or withdraw a long-term visa or permit after repeated minor administrative offences. This comes from one aggregator, so treat it as a reason to keep every deadline, not as a settled rule.
If this restriction applies to you, the rest of the checklist is useful only for people who already have a status. Do not arrive and look for a workaround on the spot.
Days 1 to 3: the registration that cannot wait
The Czech government portal and the police pages say a third-country national has to report the place of stay to the Foreign Police within 3 working days of arrival. The report is made in person at the department of residence matters of the Foreign Police for the region where you stay. - Bring your travel document, the registration slip you fill in at the office and proof of travel health insurance, as listed on the portal. - If you stay in a hotel or another accommodation provider, the provider reports your stay and the duty is met. Business providers use the Ubyport system. - One portal says there is no duty for stays of up to 30 days, and the foreign ministry gives 30 days for EU citizens. The sources differ, so ask the office and do not rely on the longer period. - One law firm says a fine of CZK 3,000 can be imposed for a missed report. We could not confirm this at a second source.
For the same three days, keep your passport, the visa or permit, the lease or the hotel confirmation and the insurance policy in one folder. Every office will ask for them.
Week 1: address, a phone and a first plan for the documents
Rent is the document that opens most doors, because a bank and the insurer both ask where you live. - Sign the lease in your name if you can, and ask the landlord whether the owner will confirm your address in writing. - Buy a local SIM. We found no sourced rules for SIM registration in the Czech Republic, so ask the shop what they need. - Write down the date on which your visa or permit expires and the date by which you have to extend it. The Foreign Police and the Ministry of the Interior handle extensions and do not remind you. - Get a list of documents from the bank you want before you go, and check whether the staff speak English or Russian.
We found no sourced information about utilities contracts, a tax number or a school registration for newcomers, so we do not describe them.
Health insurance: private cover for most non-EU newcomers
Consultancies, insurers and expat centres agree on the broad rule. Non-EU citizens on a long-term visa or a residence permit who do not work for a company based in the Czech Republic must have private comprehensive health insurance, and a visa application itself requires cover for the whole stay. Public insurance is described as open to employees, to permanent residents and, since 1 January 2024, to foreigners under 18 who hold a long-term permit. - Buy the policy before you travel if the embassy requires it for the visa, and keep the paper in the folder. - Check that the policy covers the full length of the permit and that the insurer is accepted for the type of stay. - A child under 18 with a long-term permit joins the public system, and the parents pay the premium, according to one source. A child with an earlier private policy moves when it ends. - We found no source that describes how and when you move from private to public insurance after permanent residence or employment. Ask the insurer and the public insurer before you cancel anything.
Weeks 2 to 4: the bank account and the card
Search results about banks come from expat blogs and bank-marketing pages, and they disagree on details, so this part is the least certain. - A non-EU applicant usually shows a passport and a second ID, and for a non-EU person the main ID is said to be the residence card. Proof of a stay of at least 90 days, a lease or a work contract may be requested. - Many banks want a visit in person to the branch. Opening an account from abroad is described as generally not possible at the major banks. - A birth number (rodné číslo) is mentioned by some banks. Sources disagree on how a foreigner gets one: from the residence card, from a birth certificate or after arrival. Ask the bank what they will accept instead. - One expat blog says all Czech banks have to offer a basic payment account to people over 18 who legally reside in the European Union. We could not confirm whether a visa is enough.
Our other articles cover the source-of-funds checks that banks run for Russian and Belarusian passports. Read bank checks for Russian citizens in the EU and our guide to the resident bank account before you go.
Deadlines and fines: a short list
- 3 working days after arrival: report the place of stay to the Foreign Police, unless the accommodation provider did it.
- The expiry date of the visa or permit: put it in your calendar and start the extension in good time.
- Insurance: the policy has to cover the entire stay. A gap is a reason for a refusal.
- A fine of CZK 3,000 for a missed report is mentioned by one law firm only.
Everything else, including tax registration and the duty to register a car, we did not research.
What we could not confirm
We did not find an official page for the Czech foreign ministry notice on Russian and Belarusian passports in 2026, nor the exact fee and the document list for a long-term visa. We also did not find the rules for the tax number, the SIM card, utilities, school registration, a driving licence and the costs. We did not find how to switch from private to public health insurance. The sections above say so each time, and you should ask the Foreign Police, the Ministry of the Interior or your bank before you act. See also our general first 30 days abroad checklist, the guide to health insurance after a move and the notes on driving licences.
Common mistakes
- Arriving and starting the paperwork without checking the Russia and Belarus restriction at the embassy.
- Missing the 3 working days because the hotel did not file the report and you assumed it did.
- Signing a long lease before you know whether your status will be extended.
- Buying a travel insurance policy that does not cover the full length of a long-term stay.
- Going to the bank without the residence card or a proof of address and being sent away.
- Planning to buy property as a way to get a status. A purchase does not give you a residence permit, see buying property in the Czech Republic as a foreigner and the note on tax residency when relocating.
One-page checklist
- Before you travel: the visa or permit, the insurance, the embassy rules for your passport.
- Day 1: passport, visa or permit and the address in one folder.
- Within 3 working days: the Foreign Police registration, or the accommodation provider confirms it.
- Week 1: the lease, a SIM, the list of documents from the bank.
- Weeks 2 to 4: the bank account, the insurance papers, the extension date in the calendar.
- Always: ask the office, not the forum.
FAQ
Do I have to register with the police in the Czech Republic? A third-country national has to report the place of stay to the Foreign Police within 3 working days of arrival, unless a hotel or another accommodation provider has already reported the stay. One portal mentions an exception for short stays of up to 30 days, and the sources differ, so ask the office.
Can a Russian or Belarusian citizen get a long-term visa or permit in 2026? News pages say the Czech ban on visas and residence permits for citizens of Russia and Belarus was extended without an end date, with exceptions for existing holders, family members of permit holders, stays in the interest of the Czech Republic and some scholarship students. We found no 2026 official notice, so check the foreign ministry before you plan.
Do I need private health insurance in the Czech Republic? Sources say non-EU citizens on a long-term visa or permit who do not work for a Czech company need private comprehensive insurance, and public insurance is open to employees, permanent residents and children under 18 with a long-term permit. Confirm with your insurer.
Can I open a bank account before I arrive? Most guides say the major banks want a visit in person, so remote opening from abroad is generally not possible. Take your passport, your residence card or visa, a proof of address and ask the bank about the birth number.
Does buying an apartment give me the right to live in the Czech Republic? No. A purchase does not give a residence permit by itself. Read our guide on buying property as a foreigner and a separate article on residence by property if you plan to buy.