Buying Property in Prague as a Foreigner: What to Do

What you can do now

1. 1

   You may buy as a foreigner

   Since 2011 Czech law no longer restricts foreigners — EU or non-EU — from buying real estate in the Czech Republic. Your nationality is not a reason to refuse the sale.

2. 2

   Check the land registry before you pay anything

   Look the property up in the public land registry (katastr nemovitostí, free online): who the owner is, and whether there is a mortgage, an easement, a bailiff's ban or a pending entry. Anything recorded there stays with the property.

3. 3

   Pay through escrow, never directly

   Deposit the price with a lawyer, notary or bank in escrow (úschova). It is released to the seller only after you are registered as the owner. This is the standard way to protect a buyer in Czechia.

4. 4

   Know when you become the owner

   Ownership passes when the land registry enters it, with effect from the day the application was filed. Until then the seller is still the owner, which is why the escrow matters.

5. 5

   Read the contract in a language you understand

   The contract filed with the land registry is in Czech. Ask for a bilingual version or a translation, and check the price, the handover date, defects and what happens if the registration fails.

Deadlines and money

The land registry fee is CZK 2,000 per application. The real estate acquisition tax was abolished retroactively from 31 March 2020, so buyers no longer pay it. A lawyer's contract and escrow are usually priced as a fixed fee or a percentage of the price — ask for the total before you commit. A mortgage for a foreigner depends on the bank and your residence status, so ask early.

Can you handle it yourself, or do you need a lawyer?

You can check the registry yourself. Get a lawyer before you sign a reservation or purchase contract, especially when buying off-plan from a developer, when the property has a mortgage or a bailiff's ban, when you buy from abroad by power of attorney, or when you do not read Czech.

Bring the land registry extract (list vlastnictví), the draft reservation or purchase contract, and your ID and residence documents.

Where to get help in Prague

• Residence and visas

  The Ministry of the Interior's OAMP office — book an appointment through the Information Portal for Foreigners or on +420 974 801 801.

  Ministerstvo vnitra — Odbor azylové a migrační politiky (OAMP)

• Free advice for foreigners

  The regional integration centre gives free advice in several languages and helps with offices.

  Integrační centrum Praha

• Wages and working conditions

  The regional labour inspectorate takes complaints against employers free of charge.

  Oblastní inspektorát práce pro hlavní město Prahu

• Court

  The district court for civil disputes such as deposits, wages or divorce.

  Obvodní soud podle městské části, kde bydlíte

Documents to Prepare

• •Land registry extract (list vlastnictví) of the property
• •Draft reservation and purchase contract
• •Your passport and Czech residence document, if you have one
• •Mortgage offer, if you finance the purchase

Frequently Asked Questions

Legal background

Foreigners may acquire real estate in the Czech Republic without restriction since the amendment to the Foreign Exchange Act (Act No. 206/2011 Coll.) repealed its former Section 17. Ownership of registered real estate passes on entry into the land registry, with effect from the filing of the application (Civil Code, Act No. 89/2012 Coll., and the Cadastral Act, Act No. 256/2013 Coll.). The administrative fee for an application for entry is CZK 2,000 (Act No. 634/2004 Coll.). The real estate acquisition tax was abolished with effect from 31 March 2020.

Verified Sources

• Fees in the land registry (CZK 2,000 per application) — ČÚZK
• Foreigners and buying real estate: what are the limits? — finance.cz
• Abolition of the real estate acquisition tax approved, retroactive effect — Advokátní deník
• How to use escrow safely (2025) — Česká advokátní komora

Last reviewed: 2026-10-15

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