Rules and laws in Czechia (2026)
Last reviewed: 30 October 2026
Every topic we cover for Czechia. Each rule links to its official source.
Driving
Car speed limits
Cars may drive at 50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h outside them, 110 km/h on a road for motor vehicles and 130 km/h on a motorway, if the vehicle is up to 3,500 kg. Residential and pedestrian zones have a 20 km/h limit. Local traffic orders can lower or, in some cases, raise these limits.
Rules and sources →
Drink-driving limits
The police describe zero tolerance for alcohol for every driver in Czechia. Driving after drinking is punished by a fine of CZK 7,000 to 25,000 and a ban of 6 to 18 months, or as a crime if it endangers others. Whether random tests without suspicion are allowed was not established.
Rules and sources →
E-bikes and speed pedelecs
A pedal bicycle with a motor of up to 250 W that cuts out at 25 km/h is treated as a bicycle: no registration, and riders under 18 must wear a helmet. Cyclists must use cycle lanes and paths where they exist. A faster or stronger e-bike is a motorcycle or category Z vehicle and needs an appropriate driving licence.
Rules and sources →
E-scooters
Czech rules depend on the machine: an e-scooter with a design speed up to 25 km/h and up to 250 W is treated as a bicycle, with no licence, registration or approval. Riders under 18 must wear a helmet, one person may ride, and alcohol is banned. Faster or more powerful machines are motor vehicles with their own requirements.
Rules and sources →
Foreign driving licences
Valid EU/EEA licences may be used in the Czech Republic and need not be exchanged. Third-country licences that match the Geneva or Vienna conventions are valid; residents with permanent residence or temporary residence of more than one year must exchange them within 3 months.
Rules and sources →
Mopeds
Mopeds are covered by driving licence group AM, which can be granted from age 15, and riders must wear a helmet. The licence category covers vehicles with a design speed of up to 45 km/h. Whether a moped needs a registration plate and liability insurance was not confirmed.
Rules and sources →
Motorcycles: helmets and licences
Riders and passengers on motorcycles must wear an approved helmet, and motor vehicles must drive with lights on in daytime. A1 licences are available from 16, A2 from 18 and A from 24, or from 20 after two years on A2.
Rules and sources →
Road tolls and vignettes
Cars use an electronic vignette tied to the number plate on listed tolled motorway sections. In 2026 it costs CZK 230 for 1 day, 300 for 10 days, 480 for 30 days and 2,570 for a year at the standard rate. It can be bought online, at sales points or at kiosks.
Rules and sources →
Travel
Air passenger rights
EU Regulation 261/2004 applies. Compensation is EUR 250, 400 or 600 by distance, and a delay of 3 hours or more at the final destination gives the same right as a cancellation. Enforcement is handled by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Rules and sources →
Customs allowances for tobacco and alcohol
From another EU state, Czech customs lists 800 cigarettes, 10 litres of spirits, 90 litres of wine (60 sparkling) and 110 litres of beer per traveller before the goods are treated as excise-liable. From outside the EU the duty-free allowance is 200 cigarettes (air travel), 1 litre of spirits over 22%, 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer, for travellers aged 17 or over.
Rules and sources →
Health cover for temporary visitors
The card gives access to care from doctors contracted with a Czech health insurance fund. It does not cover private care, rescue and repatriation, or planned treatment. The Health Insurance Bureau is the contact named by the EU.
Rules and sources →
Identity documents
Czech citizens aged 15 and over with permanent residence must hold an ID card, and the police can require anyone to prove identity in defined cases. EU citizens can enter with an identity card or passport. British citizens need a passport that meets Schengen validity rules.
Rules and sources →
Meat and dairy imports
Within the EU, travellers can carry meat and dairy products freely. From non-EU countries, including England, Scotland and Wales, they are not allowed in luggage, except from a few listed countries, small amounts of infant milk and special foods (under 2 kg), and fish up to 20 kg.
Rules and sources →
Rail passenger rights
EU Regulation 2021/782 applies to domestic and international rail journeys in the Czech Republic. A delay of 60 minutes or more gives a right to a refund, and compensation is 25% of the ticket price for a delay of 60 to 119 minutes and 50% for 120 minutes or more. The enforcement body is the Drážní úřad.
Rules and sources →
Short stays (90/180-day rule)
Visa-exempt visitors may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Travel documents must be valid for three months after departure and issued within 10 years. Non-EU nationals are recorded in the Entry/Exit System, which replaces passport stamps from 10 April 2026.
Rules and sources →
Tax-free shopping for visitors
Travellers resident outside the EU can get the VAT refunded on goods bought for more than CZK 2,000 on one document and taken out of the EU in personal luggage within three months after the month of purchase. Customs confirms the exit and the seller pays the refund.
Rules and sources →
Travelling with pets
Dogs, cats and ferrets entering the Czech Republic from another EU country need a microchip, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination at least 21 days earlier. Entry from outside the EU needs an animal health certificate and, in most cases, a rabies antibody test. No more than five animals may travel in one movement, with an exception for events.
Rules and sources →
Living
Home education
In Czechia compulsory schooling lasts nine school years. Individual (home) education needs the written authorisation of the head of the school where the child was admitted, who grants it on serious reasons and adequate conditions, and the child is examined at that school each half-year.
Rules and sources →
Maximum working time
The stated weekly working time is 40 hours as a rule. A shift may last up to 12 hours, with 11 hours of daily rest and 35 hours of weekly rest for adults.
Rules and sources →
Registering residence for longer stays
Foreigners in the Czech Republic must report their place of stay to the police, EU citizens within 30 days of entry if staying over 30 days and others within 3 working days. An EU citizen staying over 3 months can apply for a registration certificate valid for 10 years.
Rules and sources →
State pension age
The Czech statutory pension age depends on year of birth: it reaches 65 years 8 months for people born in 1973, then rises by one month per birth year to 67 for those born after 1988. Women's ages for earlier cohorts also depend on the number of children. An early pension is possible up to 3 years before the pension age with 40 years of insurance.
Rules and sources →
Statutory minimum wage
The statutory minimum wage is CZK 22,400 per month for a 40-hour week from 1 January 2026. The government has approved CZK 24,900 per month from 1 January 2027.
Rules and sources →
Restrictions
Cannabis
Since 1 January 2026 people over 21 in Czechia may possess up to 100 g of cannabis at home and 25 g outside it, and grow up to 3 plants for personal use. Selling is a crime, and medical cannabis is available on prescription. Rules on use in public were not established.
Rules and sources →
Drinking age and alcohol sales
The minimum age to be sold or served any alcohol in the Czech Republic is 18. Alcohol may not be sold from vending machines, and municipalities can ban drinking in public by ordinance.
Rules and sources →
Drones
The Czech Civil Aviation Authority applies the EU drone rules. Operators of drones of 250 g or more, or with a data-capturing sensor, register for free, and pilots (minimum age 16) pass an online test for subcategories A1 and A3. The maximum height in the open category is 120 m, and liability insurance is compulsory in subcategory A2.
Rules and sources →
Fireworks
Czech law lets category F1 fireworks be supplied to people aged 15 or over and F2 to people aged 18 or over, and bans setting off fireworks near care homes, zoos and animal sites. Municipalities may ban fireworks by ordinance. The national Act sets no sale or use dates.
Rules and sources →
Tobacco and nicotine age limits
The minimum age to be sold, served or given tobacco, e-cigarettes or tobacco-free nicotine pouches in the Czech Republic is 18. Smoking is banned in publicly accessible indoor spaces and on public transport.
Rules and sources →
General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.