EU citizens in Czechia for over 90 days will now need to register with authorities

EU citizens staying in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days will in the future be required to register with the Ministry of the Interior, according to a new regulation. This new law, approved by the government this week, aims to address concerns about unregistered EU citizens living in the country and to improve the digitization of the residence procedure.

EU citizens moving to Czechia and planning to stay for over 90 days will need to register with the Interior Ministry from January 2027. EU citizens currently residing long-term in Czechia will also need to take action: they will be required to register within two years of January 2026, when the new law on the entry and stay of foreigners comes into effect.

Currently, EU citizens are not obliged to declare their stay. "This [change] is not about making their lives more difficult, but on the contrary, it is a big call from cities and municipalities in the Czech Republic, which cannot plan the capacities of their schools, kindergartens, and other facilities," said Interior Minister Vít Rakušan.

The new law will address the issue of unregistered foreigners, which has caused problems for local governments. This also includes not receiving state funds for unregistered foreigners.

However, the law has faced criticism from a consortium of non-governmental organizations working with migrants. They argue that it disadvantages family members of Czech citizens who have not previously lived together in another EU member state. According to the consortium, these family members will have a worse position than family members of foreigners residing in the Czech Republic.

The law also includes plans to create a new information system for foreigners, managed directly by the Ministry of the Interior, which will cost around CZK 300 million. The ministry plans to use European subsidies for this, but additional funds will need to be allocated from the state budget for co-financing and operation of the system. Digitizing the residence procedure will also make services that require identity verification more accessible to foreigners.

The new law will also strengthen the so-called "guarantor institute," which consists of people who enable third-country nationals to fulfill the purpose of their stay. The guarantor will, from 2026, have access to the residence-application procedure and status of the foreigner and will also be responsible for the payment of his or her possible expulsion. According to the Interior Ministry, this sets out to reduce the number of illegal stays in Czechia.