Buying an apartment in Prague and the Czech Republic in 2026

There has been no purchase tax since 2020, but a square metre in Prague already costs about $7,000. A flat gives no residence, and for citizens of Russia and Belarus the deal is hard.

In detail

There has been no tax on buying a home in the Czech Republic since 2020, and a foreigner buys a flat on the same terms as a Czech. What is expensive here is the flat itself. Prices in Prague are rising by more than 10% a year, and the market shows no sign of catching its breath. The full market review is on the page investment property in the Czech Republic; here is the short answer.

How much a flat in the Czech Republic costs in 2026

According to the Czech Statistical Office, in 2024 flats in Prague sold for $5,400 per square metre on average, and in Brno for $4,100.

• Older flats nationwide rose 14% in the year to the second quarter of 2026, and 11.9% in Prague.
• In 2026 deals in Prague go through at about $7,000 per square metre on average.
• A 55 m² two-room flat in Prague costs about $390,000.

Outside Prague prices are rising even faster: the regions are catching up with the capital.

Who can buy a flat in the Czech Republic

A foreigner buys a flat without permits, just like a Czech citizen. What matters more is the type of flat:

• An owned flat is a full right, entered in the cadastre.
• A cooperative flat means you buy a share in a cooperative, not the walls. Banks rarely give a mortgage on such a flat.

For citizens of Russia and Belarus without EU residence, the deal is hard. Under EU sanctions, banks do not accept deposits above €100,000 from them, and payment for a flat goes through a notary or bank escrow. The Czech Republic does not issue them a visa for the deal either, so the contract is signed by a representative under a power of attorney.

Taxes and costs of buying a flat in the Czech Republic

• Purchase tax: none, abolished by Act No. 386/2020.
• Cadastre fee for entering ownership: about $95.
• Until ownership is entered, the money sits in notary or bank escrow.

The owner pays annual property tax: for flats, 3.5 crowns per square metre multiplied by local coefficients. Rental income is taxed at 15%, and 30% of it can be deducted as expenses without receipts. If you sell within 10 years and the flat was not your home, you pay 15% on the gain. More on the page taxes in the Czech Republic.

How to buy a flat in the Czech Republic: step by step

1. Check the cadastre: owner, type of ownership, mortgage, seizures.
2. Preliminary contract and deposit.
3. Purchase contract in Czech with certified signatures.
4. Payment into notary or bank escrow.
5. Application to the cadastre. Ownership is entered no earlier than 20 days after the previous owner is notified; the whole registration usually takes about a month.
6. The money goes to the seller once ownership is entered.

The twenty-day wait is not bureaucratic laziness but protection against fraud: the previous owner has time to object if the deal was done behind their back.

Does a flat give residence in the Czech Republic

No. A flat proves you have housing, but it is not a ground for residence. The grounds are different: work, business, study, family or a visa for remote work.

Since 2022 the Czech Republic has not issued visas or residence permits to citizens of Russia and Belarus. The exceptions are humanitarian cases and family members of EU citizens.

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