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What nobody tells you before moving to Czechia – from someone who's done it three times

The visa sprint, the Dresden consulate, the rental market that moves without you, a comprehensive checklist for your early days in Czechia.

Mike Dunphy

Written by Mike Dunphy Published on 10.06.2026 17:08:00 (updated on 30.06.2026) Reading time: 10 minutes

Expat Life
Created with pictures from Shutterstock
Created with pictures from Shutterstock
  • Getting your visa: Master the paperwork sprint
  • Anticipate unpleasant surprises
  • Health insurance: Know the critical differences
  • Private vs. public insurance
  • Mobile phones: Get a Czech number – now
  • Early-days mobile solutions
  • Banking: Why you shouldn't open a Czech bank account (yet)
  • A smart financial start
  • Daily life: 15 apps every expat needs
  • Rookie mistakes: Dos and dont's
  • Housing: Rent first. Buy later. Move fast.
  • Real estate scams: The new reality in 2026
  • How to avoid scams
  • Utilities: What to know at this stage
  • Relocation agents: Costly but worth it
  • Handy early days timeline
  • Before you arrive
  • Week one: Deadlines apply
  • Within 90 days: Your Schengen clock is running
  • Once visa is approved
  • Six months in

I recently moved to Prague for the third time – my first arrival was in 2001 and the second in 2017. Each time I return, I find numerous changes that often surprise me.

Cost of living, especially rent, in Prague has almost doubled since 2017, when I had a studio apartment in Vinohrady for CZK 15,000 (EUR 600). The rental process moves fast; get your ducks in a row (and by ducks, I mean documents and money) before you start the search.

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Prague is still magnificent. It's also, in those first weeks, relentlessly bureaucratic. The visa application is stricter in 2026, with more hoops to jump through. The biggest surprise was likely the exile from the Schengen region during the 90-day processing period.

With visas to chase, insurance to decode, and a flat to find in one of Europe's tightest rental markets, it’s easy to get tripped up in those initial weeks. Before you can settle into your new life, there is a lengthy checklist to complete. Consider this your cheat sheet.

#expat life #For members #Living in Czechia
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