International Removals to the Czech Republic from Europe

Free circulation, in practice

Your household goods are collected at the European address, driven, and delivered to the Czech one. Nothing is declared on entry because nothing is entering: it is already inside the single market and stays there.

That removes the import declaration, the duty relief claim, the EORI number, the twelve month window, the six month ownership test and the proof of address for clearance. All of those exist only for goods arriving from outside the EU, under Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009.

Moving companies still produce one as a matter of course, so ask for an inventory anyway. You want one for insurance and for your own records, and any competent removal service produces one as a matter of course.

What still needs handling

• A vehicle. It moves freely but must be registered in the Czech Republic, with whatever inspection applies. See car transport for what registration involves.
• Pets. Travel documents, microchip, vaccination records. Some vaccinations have waiting periods, so start early.
• Firearms, including deactivated and antique pieces. Every country has its own regime and no mover will take them undocumented.
• Controlled items, such as anything containing ivory or protected species material.

Your passport decides this, not your last address

This is the part no international moving company can help you with, and the part that causes more trouble than the transport ever does.

If you hold an EU passport

Registration is comparatively straightforward. You are exercising free movement rights and the process reflects that. You will still need to register your stay and you will still be asked for a Czech address.

If you hold a British or other non-EU passport

You are a third country national regardless of having lived in Spain, France or Germany for years. You need the appropriate permit, arranged before you arrive rather than after, and third country nationals are required to report to the Foreign Police within a short window of arrival.

Check the current requirements with the Czech Ministry of the Interior. Rules change, they differ by permit type, and nothing on this page replaces the authority's own guidance.

Practical consequence: arrange the accommodation first. You will generally need a Czech address for the residence application, which is why so many people book temporary accommodation before they book a lorry.

Distance and access, same as any move

Losing the customs work removes a line from the quote rather than most of the bill. Removal companies still price on volume in cubic metres, the vehicle, the mileage and the handling at both ends.

From the neighbouring countries this is a short job: Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland all share a border and a delivery from any of them can be a single day of driving. From Spain, Portugal or Ireland it is a long haul and a part load saves proportionally more.

Access at the Czech end is where the real variation sits, particularly in central Prague. Our Czech Republic removals page routes to the destination detail, and Prague covers the district access questions in full.

Questions people ask about moving into the Czech Republic from the EU

Do my belongings need a customs entry coming from another EU country?

No. Personal goods move in free circulation between member states. There is no import declaration, no duty relief claim and no EORI requirement. Your things are collected, driven and delivered. That is a genuine simplification and it is the main practical difference from a British move.

I am British but living in Spain. Is my move intra-EU or not?

Both, and this is where people go wrong. Your belongings are moving between two member states, so they are in free circulation and no customs entry arises. You personally are a third country national, so your right to live in the Czech Republic follows the rules for non-EU citizens. The goods and the person are separate questions.

What do I need to do about residence?

It depends on your nationality, not on where you moved from. EU citizens have a straightforward registration. Third country nationals need the appropriate permit and, on arrival, must report to the Foreign Police within a short window. Check the current requirement with the Czech Ministry of the Interior before you travel, not after.

Does a Czech address help my residence application?

It is usually needed for it, which is why people end up arranging accommodation before they arrange the move. It is a different requirement from the customs proof of address that applies on a British move, and it is asked for by a different authority.

Can I bring a car from another EU country?

The vehicle moves freely as goods, but it still has to be registered in the Czech Republic and pass whatever inspection applies. Free circulation covers the movement, not the registration. Budget separately for that, and for the electronic motorway vignette.

Is a move from Switzerland covered by this page?

No. Switzerland is not in the EU, so a Swiss to Czech move needs a customs entry in the same way a British one does. Treat it as a third country move and read our customs and duty relief page instead.

Does International Removals Companies carry out the move?

No. We are not a removal company and we do not own lorries. We are a free enquiry service. Your details go to one vetted mover that covers the journey, and that firm contacts you directly. We do not run a price comparison and we do not pass your details to a list of companies.