Gear up for 2025: What you need to know about driving in Czechia this year

This year, you'll pay more for highway stamps, and expect to see changes in digitization systems and insurance in Czechia.

Expats.cz Staff

Written by Expats.cz Staff Published on 02.01.2025 10:38:00 (updated on 02.01.2025) Reading time: 2 minutes

Motorists on Czech roads can expect several changes for 2025, including price increases for driving on highways, digitization drives, new roads, and changes in insurance. Here’s all you need to know.

Pay more to drive

The biggest financial pain-point for drivers in 2025 comes with the increased prices of highway vignettes (stamps), which drivers need if they want to use select motorways and roads in Czechia.

Find below a basic table of how prices will change.

  • Annual vignette: CZK 2,440 (+CZK 140)
  • 30-day vignette: CZK 460 (+CZK 30)
  • 10-day vignette: CZK 290 (+CZK 20)
  • One-day vignette: CZK 210 (+CZK 10)

Some exemptions apply, and in some cases you won’t need to pay anything for a stamp. For example, electric cars and plug-in hybrids still enjoy free highway use, and discounts remain available for biofuels like liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas.

You can buy all types of passes on official state website edalnice.cz, which handily is also available in English. You may store it electronically. The passes are also available to buy at selected Česká pošta and EuroOil branches. Self-service kiosks are also dotted around the country—see them here.

A map of the highways (in red) that require a highway pass. (Source: edalnice.cz)
A map of the highways (in red) that require a highway pass. (Source: edalnice.cz)

Insurance price rises

Compulsory liability insurance prices in the Czech Republic are expected to rise by about 10 percent in 2025, according to price-comparison site SURI.cz. The increase is attributed to inflation, higher labor and spare part costs, more frequent claims, and rising health compensation payouts.

While not immediate or uniform, the price hike will affect many drivers. For instance, a driver of a 12-year-old Octavia may see their annual premium rise from CZK 4,862 in December 2024 to CZK 5,350 by late 2025.

Good news for electric vehicle drivers

Although free parking for electric cars and plug-in hybrids in Prague’s blue and purple zones was slated to end in early 2025, this change has been postponed. Subsidies for alternative propulsion trucks (4.25 tons and up) have also come into force this year, along with ongoing support for private charging stations under the New Green for Savings program.

Driving digitization

The Ministry of Transport is expanding its Transport Portal to include even more features for legal entities and individuals. New additions this year include information on contracted compulsory insurance and details about previous car owners. It will also integrate highway vignette details.

Legal changes

Legislative progress is advancing on two key fronts. First, the Road Transport Inspectorate, focusing on vehicle technical conditions and mobile emission measurements, will enhance emission policing. 

Second, legal frameworks for autonomous vehicles are being developed, targeting full implementation by January 2026. Additionally, demand-based transport systems, offering flexible bus services that adapt to real-time passenger needs, will begin testing in 2025. 

New highways

Drivers can expect construction to begin on several highways and rest areas, spanning a total of 51.9 kilometers. Key projects include rest areas on the D11 at Jaroměř, Brusnice, and Předměřice, as well as the D35 expansion between Úlibice–Hořice and Genoa–Opatovec. 

Additionally, 61.8 kilometers of new highway sections are set to open in 2025, including significant portions of the D35 in East Bohemia, addressing a critical need for improved infrastructure in the region.

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