Moving to Prague from the UK in 2026 is a road trip of around 1,000 km from Calais, but since Brexit it is also an international move with a residence permit, early registration and customs clearance for your belongings. Here are seven practical tips from our removals and customs team to help your move to Prague run smoothly.
1. Get the right visa or residence permit before you move
UK citizens moving to Czechia now need a visa or residence permit to live there, whether they come to work, study, join family, do business or research. Check which one fits your situation in the Czech government’s guidance on entry and residence before you book a removal date. Your moving date should follow your permit, not the other way round.
2. Register your residence on time
Czechia has short deadlines. According to the Czech Ministry of the Interior, third-country nationals on a long-term visa must report their place of residence to the Foreign Police within 3 working days of arrival, unless their hotel or other accommodation has already done it. If you were granted a visa to collect a residence permit (D/VR), you register at a Ministry of the Interior office within 30 calendar days, where your biometric data is also taken for the residence card. Check which rule applies to your visa and plan the first week around it.
3. Use transfer of residence relief to avoid duty
Under EU rules applied by Czech Customs, your personal belongings can enter Czechia free of import duty when you move your normal residence from a non-EU country such as the UK:
- you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months;
- you have owned and used the goods at your previous home for at least 6 months;
- you will use them for the same purpose in Czechia;
- you declare them for release within 12 months of setting up residence, in one load or several.
Alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles and equipment for your trade are not covered. For 12 months after clearance you must not lend, pledge, hire out or sell the goods without telling customs first. Your belongings can also be cleared shortly before you take up residence if you commit to moving within six months, but customs will ask for a guarantee.
4. Prepare the customs paperwork
Have a dated, signed and valued inventory of everything in the load, your passport, your Czech visa or residence permit, your lease or employment contract in Czechia, and proof that you lived in the UK for the last 12 months (tenancy agreement, council tax bill or employer letter). Our customs inventory guide shows what to list, and our team prepares the export and import declarations for you.
5. Plan the route, the border and the tolls
Most loads to Prague cross Dover–Calais or the Channel Tunnel and drive through Belgium and Germany. Since the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) started, non-EU travellers have their fingerprints and photo taken on the first crossing, and at Dover and Folkestone this happens before you board. Read our guide to the EES border check at Dover. If you drive your own car or a van up to 3.5 tonnes on Czech motorways, buy an electronic vignette at edalnice.cz before you use them; vehicles over 3.5 tonnes pay the distance-based toll instead.
6. Check parking and access in your street
Much of central Prague has paid and residents’ parking zones, narrow cobbled streets and tram lines. Ask your district office (městská část) how to reserve space for the removal vehicle well before moving day. Many older Prague buildings have high ceilings but small lifts or none, so measure your largest furniture and the stairwell, and tell your removal company which floor you live on.
7. Choose the right load size
A one-bedroom flat often fits a shared part load, while a family home usually needs a dedicated van or a van and trailer. Part loads are cheaper but follow a set route and timetable. A dedicated van gives you a fixed collection and delivery date. If you are unsure, read part load or full van to Europe or ask us for a quote with both options.
Moving to Prague with MoveDay Removals
MoveDay Removals moves homes between the UK and Czechia, door to door, and prepares the customs paperwork for your belongings in the same booking. Tell us your address, your Prague district and your moving date, and we will send you a free quote. See our international removals and customs for removals pages, read the European removals after Brexit checklist, or request a free quote.
Official sources: GOV.UK – Living in Czechia, Ministry of the Interior – registration after arrival, Czech Customs – moving of natural persons, Ministry of Transport – electronic vignettes.
Website: https://movedayremovals.com
Phone: 07378 626882
Email: office@movedayremovals.co.uk