Opening a bank account in the Czech Republic
Most Czech current accounts are free. What you need to open one depends on the bank: some take just a passport, others want your residence card or a Czech phone number. If you live legally anywhere in the EU, the law gives you a right to a basic account.
Sources: the Payments Act 370/2017 (§§210–219), the Labour Code (§142), the anti-money-laundering act, and the banks' own pages linked below.
Why you’ll want a Czech account
If you’re paid in Czech crowns, your employer pays your salary to an account you choose, but it must be a CZK account at a bank in the Czech Republic (Labour Code §142(3)). Paying into a foreign or app-only account is possible only if your employer agrees. Rent, utilities and insurance are also paid in crowns, and a Czech account makes direct debits simple.
What banks usually ask for
- Your passport, or an EU national ID card.
- Often a second document, such as your residence card, driving licence or a second ID.
- Sometimes your residence card or another proof of your ties to the Czech Republic, such as a work contract.
- Sometimes a Czech phone number.
- Questions about your tax residence and whether you’re a US person. Banks must ask these by law, as international rules on reporting accounts require.
You don’t normally need a birth number, although having one can make things smoother.
What a few banks say
From each bank’s own website, October 2026. Requirements change, so check before you go.
| Bank | What they ask foreigners for | In English? | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fio banka | EU citizens: ID card or passport. Others: passport, sometimes a second ID | Yes, English pages | Free |
| Česká spořitelna | At a branch: one valid ID. Online: two IDs and an account at another bank | Yes, English pages | Basic Account free |
| Raiffeisenbank | ID plus a residence permit or another document showing your ties to the Czech Republic, such as proof of employment | Yes, English pages | CHYTRÝ účet free |
| Air Bank | A Czech phone number. Non-EU citizens: your residence card plus a second document; a passport alone isn’t enough | Czech only: app and contracts | Free |
Your right to a basic account
If you live legally in the EU, a bank in the Czech Republic must offer you a basic payment account (základní platební účet) (§§210–217). This covers:
- EU citizens and their family members
- foreigners with temporary or permanent residence here
- asylum seekers, people with asylum or subsidiary protection, and people with temporary protection
- people living legally in another EU country
What you get: an account with a debit card, internet banking, transfers, standing orders, direct debits and cash withdrawals. The bank may not make you buy anything else, and the fee may not exceed the usual market price. Many banks offer it free.
How it works:
- The bank must offer you a contract within 10 working days.
- It may refuse only if you already have an account in the Czech Republic, if it closed your account in the last 12 months for a serious breach, or if anti-money-laundering rules require it. You may be asked to sign a declaration that this is your only account.
- A refusal must be in writing, with the reason and information on how to complain.
- Banks may not discriminate against you for your nationality or where you live (§219).
If a bank refuses you
- Complain to the bank in writing. It should answer within 30 days.
- Go to the Financial Arbitrator (finarbitr.gov.cz). It’s free, you don’t need a lawyer, and it settles disputes with banks.
- Tell the Czech National Bank, which supervises banks. It doesn’t solve individual cases, but it acts on complaints (how to complain, in Czech).
Things that catch people out
- Questions about your money. Banks must check where your money comes from and why you need the account, and must close or refuse an account if you won’t cooperate (AML act §9 and §15). Have your work contract or proof of income ready.
- Keep your documents up to date. Banks must keep your identification current (§8(9)). When your residence card is renewed, give the bank a copy. A basic account can be closed if you no longer live legally in the EU.
- Paying in euros from another EU account: companies that accept euro direct debits from domestic accounts must also accept them from your account in another EU country (Your Europe). Most Czech payments are in crowns, though, so this rarely helps.
Closing your account when you leave
- Air Bank: close it yourself in the app, for free (how).
- Česká spořitelna: possible by post from abroad, with a request in Czech and an officially verified signature. The balance is sent to the account you name (how).
- Komerční banka: at a branch, or by arrangement through the hotline +420 955 551 505 (how).
Close it before you leave if you can; it’s much easier in person. More in leaving the Czech Republic.