Citizens and the state

Passports in 2026: How to Apply, How Much They Cost, and What to Do If You Lose One

29. June 2026

10 minutes of reading

In 2026, you can apply for a passport at any municipal office with expanded jurisdiction, regardless of your place of permanent residence. Standard processing takes up to 30 days and costs 600 Kč; for children under 15, the fee is 100 Kč. If you need your passport sooner, you can request expedited processing within five business days or within 24 hours on a business day, but be prepared to pay a significantly higher fee. In this article, we also explain passport validity, the process for children, and what to do if your passport is lost abroad.

Court of Justice of the European Union: Jurisdiction, Preliminary Rulings, and CJEU Case Law

11. June 2026

11 minutes of reading

Citizens and the state

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ensures the uniform interpretation and enforcement of EU law. For example, it rules on infringements of Member States’ obligations, reviews the validity of EU acts, and answers preliminary questions from national courts. As a rule, individuals cannot bring a case directly before the Court of Justice instead of a Czech court. In this article, we explain the current division of powers between the Court of Justice and the General Court, the course of proceedings, and the significance of CJEU case law.

Permanent Residence at the Office: When Does It Occur, and What Are Its Consequences?

8. June 2026

11 minutes of reading

Citizens and the state

Permanent residence at a government office means that your official address is not an apartment or a house, but the headquarters of the municipal or city office. This most often occurs after a lease ends, after the property owner revokes your permanent residence, or when you lose your housing. This is neither a disgrace nor a punishment, but rather an alternative registered address under the Population Registration Act. However, it has practical implications: you must actively check your mail at the municipal office; otherwise, a piece of mail may be legally deemed to have been “delivered” to you, even if you never read it.

What is permanent residence, and how can I change it?

5. June 2026

10 minutes of reading

Citizens and the state

Permanent residence is a citizen’s registered address, though they do not necessarily have to actually live there. It can be changed in person at the registration office upon presentation of an ID and a document authorizing the use of the apartment or house. You will pay 50 CZK for the change and must then apply for a new ID card. A landlord cannot prohibit a tenant from registering a permanent residence, but after the lease ends, the landlord may request that the registration be canceled, provided the legal conditions are met.

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Administrative Procedure Code: Decisions by Administrative Authorities May Not Be Final

28. May 2026

9 minutes of reading

Citizens and the state

The Administrative Procedure Code sets forth how you can challenge an unlawful decision by an administrative authority. If you have exhausted all appeals or other proper remedies, you can generally file an administrative lawsuit with the regional court within two months. Most often, this involves a lawsuit against a decision by an administrative authority, such as in matters of building permits, misdemeanors, taxes, or benefits. This article explains the current rules governing how the administrative justice system works and when a cassation appeal comes into play.

Citizenship, Nationality, and Ethnicity: What Is the Difference Between Them, and What Should You Write on the Form?

28. May 2026

9 minutes of reading

Citizens and the state

Citizenship and nationality generally mean the same thing on Czech forms: a person’s legal relationship to the state. If you are a citizen of the Czech Republic, you should usually write “Czech Republic,” “Czech,” or “CR” in the “citizenship” or “nationality” field. Nationality is something else—it expresses personal, cultural, or ethnic identity and is usually filled in voluntarily. In this article, you’ll find up-to-date explanations, practical examples, and warnings about mistakes that often cause authorities to return forms.

What to do if my ID card is lost or misused?

26. May 2026

10 minutes of reading

Citizens and the state

Report the loss of your ID card in 2026 as soon as possible to the municipal office of the municipality with extended jurisdiction, the Police of the Czech Republic or electronically if you have a data box or a qualified electronic signature. After the notification, the ID card will be registered as invalid and this will reduce the risk of its misuse. Then, within 15 days, apply for a new ID card and check whether someone has entered into a loan, contract or other obligation in your name. If abuse has already occurred, file a criminal complaint and contact banks, operators or other institutions.

Administrative Fees: The Most Common Types and Their Amounts

25. May 2026

12 minutes of reading

Citizens and the state

An administrative fee is an amount you pay to the state, a municipality, or another government agency for a specific service—for example, for issuing a passport, certifying a signature, registering a business, filing a petition for entry in the land registry, or certain procedures in a building permit process. The amount of the fee is always governed by the schedule of fees in the Administrative Fees Act and, in some proceedings, also by the applicant’s specific circumstances. If you fail to pay the fee even after receiving a reminder from the authority, the proceedings are generally suspended. In this article, you’ll find an overview of the most common administrative fees, an explanation of when they are due, and practical advice on when it makes sense to have your application reviewed by a lawyer.

A Testator Who Is Legally Incapacitated: How Does Legal Capacity Affect Inheritance?

23. May 2026

11 minutes of reading

Citizens and the state

A restriction on legal capacity does not automatically mean that a person cannot validly draft a will. For a testator whose legal capacity is restricted, it depends primarily on the scope of the court-imposed restriction, the testator’s state of health at the time the will is made, and the chosen form of the document. In some cases, a will drawn up by a person lacking legal capacity must take the form of a notarial deed; in other cases, it may be valid in a different form. In this article, we explain the current rules, the capacity to make a will, and ways to prevent future disputes among heirs.

How to disinherit an offspring?

23. May 2026

9 minutes of reading

Citizens and the state

Not every child has to inherit from a parent. The Civil Code allows the testator to disinherit a non-minor heir, but only for legal reasons and in the correct form. In practice, neither a general sense of injustice nor family estrangement is sufficient without other circumstances. In order for the disinheritance to be valid and later to stand, it must be clear who is involved, why it is being made and what legal ground is being invoked.

New legislation

The merger of the courts may be postponed. The ministry is considering a pilot start and reform only from 2028

22. May 2026

1 minute of reading

Citizens and the state

The reform of the district courts will probably not begin in the originally planned scope as early as 1 January 2027.Czech Justice Minister Jeroným Tejc admitted two options: a pilot phase in Prague, Brno and Plzeň, or a later comprehensive start of the entire change in 2028.

Lay Judges: Everything You Need to Know

21. May 2026

10 minutes of reading

Citizens and the state

A lay judge, sometimes referred to as a “judge of the people,” is a layperson who participates in the court’s decision-making in cases specified by law. This is not the same as a jury as seen in American movies. The lay judge sits directly on the bench alongside a professional judge, has the right to vote, and is independent in decision-making. However, since 2025, their role has been significantly narrowed. In new proceedings, lay judges no longer serve in district courts or in labor disputes. Their participation has been retained primarily for the most serious criminal cases, which are heard in the first instance by regional courts.

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Article topics:

Termination of employment

Working time

Type of work

Employment contract

Agreement to perform work

Court of Registration

Contractual penalty

Termination by agreement

Severance Pay

Working time account

Identification number

Notary

Immediate termination of employment

Homeowners Association (HOA)

Case

Incapacity for work

Agreement on termination of employment

Cooperative apartment

Customs administration

Passports in 2026: How to Apply, How Much They Cost, and What to Do If You Lose One

Court of Justice of the European Union: Jurisdiction, Preliminary Rulings, and CJEU Case Law

Permanent Residence at the Office: When Does It Occur, and What Are Its Consequences?

What is permanent residence, and how can I change it?

Get advice from online lawyers

Administrative Procedure Code: Decisions by Administrative Authorities May Not Be Final

Citizenship, Nationality, and Ethnicity: What Is the Difference Between Them, and What Should You Write on the Form?

What to do if my ID card is lost or misused?

Administrative Fees: The Most Common Types and Their Amounts

A Testator Who Is Legally Incapacitated: How Does Legal Capacity Affect Inheritance?

How to disinherit an offspring?

The merger of the courts may be postponed. The ministry is considering a pilot start and reform only from 2028

Lay Judges: Everything You Need to Know

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