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Tsjechië: wat je moet weten voor vertrek

Het belangrijkste

  • Czechia refuses entry to Russian citizens holding Schengen tourist visas, including visas issued by other states.
  • Currency is the Czech koruna (CZK), not the euro; avoid Euronet ATMs and offers to charge in your home currency.
  • Zero tolerance for alcohol when driving (0.0 g/l); motorways need an e-vignette from edalnice.cz.
  • Prague bans organised night pub crawls and drinking alcohol in many central public spaces.

Inreis en visa

Czechia is in the Schengen area. Non-EU visitors are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) on first entry: fingerprints and a facial photo, no passport stamps. Visa-free visitors may stay 90 days in any 180 across all Schengen states. ETIAS is not operating yet: its launch is now expected in 2027, so ignore sites selling "ETIAS" approvals.

Geldigheid paspoort: Non-EU passports: valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area and issued within the last 10 years.

Aan de grens kan worden gevraagd naar

  • EES registration at the first Schengen border: fingerprints and face photo (children under 12 give no fingerprints). Allow extra time at passport control.
  • Border guards may ask for a return ticket, accommodation proof, travel insurance and funds for your stay.
  • Your 90/180 days are counted across all Schengen states together; use the EU short-stay calculator to check.

Douane

  • From outside the EU: 200 cigarettes, 1 L spirits or 2 L fortified wine, 4 L wine, 16 L beer; other goods up to EUR 430 by air/sea (EUR 300 by land).
  • Personal imports of meat, milk and dairy products from non-EU countries are banned (small exceptions for infant food and medical needs).
  • Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when entering or leaving the EU.
  • Prescription medicines: carry the prescription; narcotic or psychotropic medicines need a Schengen certificate (Article 75) or a doctor's letter.

Gecontroleerd op 29 oktober 2026 · Bronnen: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu ↗, travel-europe.europa.eu ↗, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu ↗, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu ↗, finance.ec.europa.eu ↗, gov.pl ↗, mzv.gov.cz ↗

Geld

Bijna overal kun je met de kaart betalen. Kaarten worden bijna overal geaccepteerd.

Betaalnetwerken: Visa, Mastercard

Apple Pay — werkt · Google Pay — werkt

Waar je geld wisselt

  • Pay by card or phone in CZK: accepted almost everywhere.
  • Bank ATMs (Česká spořitelna, ČSOB, Komerční banka, Raiffeisenbank).
  • City exchange offices that show the "we buy" rate and final amount; you may cancel exchanges up to EUR 1,000 within 3 hours.

Waar je beter niet wisselt

  • Euronet and other independent ATMs (high fees, pushes currency conversion).
  • Exchange offices with "0% commission" signs showing only sell rates.
  • Street money changers (fake or invalid notes).
  • Paying in euros: shops give poor rates and change in CZK.

Geldautomaten: Use bank ATMs and always choose CZK. Euronet machines in central Prague charge high fees and offer bad conversion rates.

Fooi: Around 10% in restaurants for good service; check whether service is already on the bill.

  • When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in local currency: dynamic currency conversion adds roughly 3-10%.
  • Cards issued by Russian banks (Visa, Mastercard and Mir) do not work here because of sanctions; bring enough cash or a card from a non-Russian bank.
  • Some places accept euros, but at poor rates.

Gecontroleerd op 29 oktober 2026 · Bronnen: visitczechia.com ↗, gov.uk ↗, cnb.cz ↗, support.apple.com ↗

Regels en verboden

Verboden

  • Prague: drinking alcohol in many central public areas and organised night pub crawls (22:00-06:00) are banned.
  • Any alcohol while driving: zero limit, heavy fines and licence ban.
  • Using motorways without an e-vignette (edalnice.cz): fines up to CZK 20,000.
  • Riding trams or metro without a validated ticket: fines around CZK 1,500.
  • Drones near Prague Castle, airports and crowds are prohibited.
  • Possession of drugs beyond very small amounts is a crime.

Wetten die reizigers onbewust overtreden

  • Carry your passport; police may ask for it.
  • Headlights on at all times when driving.
  • Winter tyres required in wintry conditions (1 Nov-31 Mar).

Gecontroleerd op 29 oktober 2026 · Bronnen: gov.uk ↗, edalnice.cz ↗, prague.eu ↗, expats.cz ↗

Cultuur en kleding

Religie: One of Europe's least religious countries; Catholic heritage.

Kleding: Casual; cover shoulders in churches. Take shoes off when visiting homes.

Etiquette

  • Greet with "Dobrý den" on entering shops.
  • Toast with eye contact: "Na zdraví".
  • Beer is cheap and central to social life; do not mix beers in one glass.
  • Tram and metro etiquette: offer seats to the elderly.

Gecontroleerd op 29 oktober 2026 · Bronnen: visitczechia.com ↗

Klimaat

Continental: cold winters, warm summers, rain mostly in summer. Figures are Prague average highs/lows.

Per maand
  • januari: Jan: 2/-3°C, cold, possible snow
  • februari: Feb: 4/-2°C, cold
  • maart: Mar: 9/1°C, chilly
  • april: Apr: 14/4°C, mild
  • mei: May: 19/8°C, pleasant
  • juni: Jun: 22/12°C, warm
  • juli: Jul: 25/13°C, warm, busy
  • augustus: Aug: 24/13°C, warm
  • september: Sep: 19/9°C, mild, good
  • oktober: Oct: 13/5°C, cool
  • november: Nov: 7/1°C, grey, cold
  • december: Dec: 3/-2°C, cold; Christmas markets

Beste seizoen: May-June and September; December for Christmas markets.

Gecontroleerd op 29 oktober 2026 · Bronnen: chmi.cz ↗, visitczechia.com ↗

Wat mee te nemen

  • Type E plug adapter (230 V)
  • Warm layers outside summer
  • Comfortable shoes for cobblestones
  • Card or phone wallet

Niet meenemen / invoer verboden

  • Exchanging money on the street.
  • Meat and dairy from outside the EU.
  • Driving after even one drink.

Praktisch

Stopcontacten: Type E (Type C fits); 230 V, 50 Hz

Water: Tap water is safe to drink.

Verkeer: rechts rijden

Mobiel en eSIM: EU roaming: SIMs from any EU/EEA country work at home prices (fair-use limits). Ukrainian and Moldovan SIMs too since 1 Jan 2026. Swiss, UK, Serbian and other non-EU SIMs pay roaming; an eSIM data plan is cheaper.

Apps: PID Lítačka (Prague transport), IDOS, České dráhy / RegioJet, Bolt / Uber / Liftago, edalnice.cz

Internet: Good 4G/5G coverage; mobile data is relatively pricey on local plans.

Gezondheid: EU/EEA/Swiss and UK (GHIC) cardholders get state healthcare at local rates with their EHIC/GHIC. Others pay in full, so bring insurance. Pharmacies (green cross) handle minor issues.

Verzekering: Schengen visa applicants must hold travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 valid in all Schengen states. Everyone else: strongly advised.

Noodnummers: 112; 155 ambulance, 158 police, 150 fire

Gecontroleerd op 29 oktober 2026 · Bronnen: europa.eu ↗, europa.eu ↗, digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu ↗, gov.uk ↗

Inreisregels veranderen. Controleer vóór de reis de website van de ambassade of immigratiedienst van het land.