The agenda of driving licenses falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, the Department of Transport and Administrative Agendas of the locally competent authority of the municipality with extended powers deals with the processing.
Drivers must carry (besides their personal ID documents) also their driver’s license, the green card, registration card.
Speed limits are generally 50km/h within city limits, 90km/h outside the city, and 130km/h on the highway.
In the Czech Republic is ZERO tolerance of alcohol consumption at any level when operating a motor vehicle, with steep penalties applied for violations.
If you have a driving license from outside the EU, you need to determine if it complies with the Convention on Road Traffic (size, production material, information structure, type of font used…). If it complies with the Convention, you can only drive with this card in the Czech Republic if you have a short-term or long-term visa. In the case of long-term residence, permanent residence or temporary residence for more than 1 year, an exchange for a Czech driver’s license is required.
If it does not comply with the Convention, it is not legal to drive on the basis of this card in the Czech Republic and it is necessary to have either:
- an international driving licence
- or proof of having successfully complete a driving school course in the Czech Republic including passing the exam, at which time a Czech driving license will be issued
- Licenses from Japan and South Korea are an exception in this regard: these can be exchanged for a Czech driving license even though they do not comply with the Convention.
How do you exchange a driving licence?
A written application for the issue of a driver’s license is submitted on the prescribed form in person or on behalf of the relevant workplace of the municipal office of the municipality with extended powers.
The application must be accompanied by:
- a valid identity document (foreign residence permit, passport)
- a driving license issued by a foreign country or a driving license from a member state of one of the European Communities
- one standard photo measuring 3.5 × 4.5 cm showing the applicant in a frontal view with the height of the facial part of the head from the eyes to the chin at least 13 mm, in civilian clothing without dark glasses and without head ware
- or other documents according to the specific case (information provided by the staff of the register of drivers).
The driver’s license will be issued within 20 days of submitting the application (at a fee of CZK 50). If you need your license sooner, it can be obtained within five working days at a fee of CZK 500. The licence is usually valid for 10 years.