July 2024: Everything you need to know this month in Czechia

A change to the country’s employment law means that, from July 1, foreigners from nine countries outside the EU won’t need work permits or employment cards in the Czech Republic. People from Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the UK, the U.S., Israel, and Singapore will have free access to the Czech labor market.

If a registered financial advisor, accountant, or company is filing a tax return on your behalf (for the 2023 financial year), the deadline to complete this is July 1.

From July 1, the activation window for purchasing public transport tickets using the PID Lítačka application will be shortened from two minutes to one. However, the activation period for purchasing tickets via SMS remains unchanged.

Changes to the pension system coming into force from July 1 will affect those saving for retirement. The maximum state allowance will increase from CZK 230 to CZK 340, but the required monthly savings will also rise from 1,000 to CZK 1,700. Anyone saving less than CZK 500 monthly will lose state support via contributions. Those contributing CZK 700 more per month compared with before July can get the maximum allowance of CZK 4,080 per year.

A new government decree means that, from July 1, general practitioners will have more powers to prescribe various medicines, such as treatments for diabetes, blood thinners, or skin problems. Up until now, only specialists can prescribe some drugs.

From July 1, people in Czechia will be able to assign and use a power of attorney online, eliminating the need to go to offices or notaries with documents to process and verify a power of attorney. As part of its Digital Czech initiative, the state says that people can appoint their power of attorney via a new, electronic-based Representation Register (registr zastupování), which contains a list of registered powers of attorney.

From July 1, all employers will be required to register their employees working under a work-performance contract (DPP; dohoda o provedení práce) to the Czech Social Security Administration, regardless of their monthly income. This change applies to all employees who joined before July 1, 2024, and must be completed by Aug. 20. Previously, registration was only necessary for those with a monthly income of over CZK 10,000.

A comprehensive new Building Act comes into force on July 1. Among other things, it eliminates the state building authorities and allows for municipal and regional authorities to handle building permits. It also issues changes to spatial planning and includes the possibility of municipalities issuing their own building regulations.

July sees musical superstars perform in Prague. The Pet Shop Boys (July 1), Rod Stewart (July 3), The Smashing Pumpkins (July 4), and Ed Sheeran (July 27-28) are just some examples.

From July 1, there will only be seven points across the country – select branches of the Czech National Bank – where you’ll be able to exchange old Czech banknotes for new ones. You can recognize expired, invalid banknotes by the thin silvery stripe that does not change color when tilted. They are made before 1999.

Roadworks on key highways, including the Slatina roundabout and bridge repairs by Brno, may disrupt travel in Czechia. Starting July 1, the Husovický Tunnel will close for bridge flyover connections. A total of 117 locations will be under repair, affecting major routes, including 18 sections in Ostrava, and areas near Zlín, Pilsen, and Karlovy Vary. Check the dopravniinfo.cz site for the latest traffic updates.

Summer traffic in Prague will be impacted by road repairs, including Cínovecká, Peroutkova, Bubenská, and Bucharova Streets, and the South Connector. Major works begin July 1, affecting various routes until October. Notable projects include Průmyslová Street, Barrandov Bridge, and Na Šabatka bus stops. Delays of up to 30 minutes are expected due to excessive traffic.

From the start of July, Czech Railways offers the Ticket for Summer (Jízdenka na léto), which provides unlimited journeys and transfers on ČD trains. You can buy a seven- or 14-day ticket.

From July, all buses on the Prague and Central Bohemia network will be signposted. If someone wants to stop at a request stop – na znamení – they’ll need to push the “Stop” button on the bus.

The entirety of July – and beyond – will see renovation and maintenance work affect over 25 tram and bus lines in Prague, impacting mainly the center and other parts of the Czech capital, such as Wenceslas Square and Holešovice. Check our complete guide below to see which lines will be affected. Work began in late June.

From July 4, low-cost airline Ryanair will start a Prague-Bristol service, connecting the Czech capital with the south-west England city. It will operate twice per week.

This annual celebration falls on Friday, July 5. Regional celebrations are expected, and this public holiday does not entail any store closures. Many office workers will have the day off.

On July 6, Czechs remember theologian Jan Hus in what is another public holiday. This year, Jan Hus Day falls on a Saturday. Unfortunately, Czechia does not give holidays in lieu if they fall on a weekend – meaning no public holiday the following Monday.

The Liechtenstein Palace in Prague 1, which dates back to the middle of the 16th century and was used by Bohemian nobility, will be open to the public on July 5 and July 6. Free guided tours usually start every 15 minutes in groups of 20 people.

This eight-day nationwide festival – handily free – sees live jazz performances at notable parts of various major Czech cities. JazzFest comes to Prague on July 9 at the Royal Gardens.

The Colours of Ostrava rock music festival is the highlight of July’s music lineup in Czechia, which takes place from July 17 to July 20. Beats for Love (July 3 to 6), Obscene Extreme (July 3 to July 7), and Masters of Rock (July 11 to July 14) are also standout festivals.

Four large banks in Czechia – Komerční banka (KB), Moneta, Air Bank, and UniCredit – will at some point in July launch a new network of sharing their ATMs for cash deposits nationwide. This means that customers of any of the above-mentioned four banks can deposit cash at any ATM on the network.