Buying Property in Prague as a Foreigner: Which Documents to Translate

Found a flat in Prague and wondering what paperwork is actually involved? Buying property as a foreigner is straightforward in the Czech Republic — there’s no nationality restriction — but every foreign-language document has to be translated into Czech before it reaches a bank, a notary, or the Land Registry. This guide covers which documents need translation, when you need a court interpreter, and a few facts foreign buyers often get wrong.

For a general overview of certified translation in the Czech Republic, see our full guide.

• Passports, bank statements, and income documents used for a mortgage or the notarial deed all need certified Czech translation.
• A court-certified interpreter is legally required at the notary if you don’t speak Czech.
• You can buy remotely using a notarized power of attorney, which itself needs an apostille and translation if signed abroad.
• Buying property does not grant Czech residency — that’s the most common misconception among foreign buyers.

The exact list depends on whether you’re paying cash or using a Czech mortgage, and whether you’re buying alone or jointly.

Every foreign-language document submitted to a Czech bank or filed with the Land Registry (katastr) must come with a certified Czech translation carrying the round stamp of a court-appointed translator. The purchase contract (kupní smlouva) itself is drafted in Czech and is the governing legal text — even if you’re given an English version for reference, only the Czech text is enforceable.

This is a legal requirement, not an optional extra — and it’s often the part that catches buyers off guard.

If you don’t speak Czech, a court-certified interpreter must be present at the notarial act when the purchase deed is signed. The notary is legally responsible for making sure every party understands what they’re signing, and for a non-Czech speaker, that means an interpreter with an official appointment from the Ministry of Justice, not just a bilingual friend or agent. The interpreter’s presence and stamp are noted directly in the notarial record.

We provide court interpreting services specifically for notarial deeds, so the interpreter attending is registered and recognized by Czech notaries as a matter of course.

You don’t have to be physically present in Prague for the entire process — many foreign buyers handle most of the transaction from abroad.

If you can’t attend in person, you can appoint a representative — typically a lawyer — through a notarized power of attorney. If the power of attorney is signed outside the Czech Republic, it must carry an apostille (or a higher-level legalization for non-Hague Convention countries) and be accompanied by a certified Czech translation before it can be used for signing the contract or filing at the cadastre. We handle both the apostille process and drafting powers of attorney tailored to property transactions.

A few misconceptions come up regularly among clients buying property in Prague.

Ownership does not grant residency. Buying a flat or house in the Czech Republic gives you no automatic right to live here — it’s a common assumption, especially among buyers hoping property ownership works like a golden visa elsewhere. You’ll still need a separate residence permit if you plan to live in the Czech Republic long-term.

Ownership transfers at registration, not at signing. The purchase becomes legally binding once the contract is signed and notarized, but you only become the registered owner once the Cadastral Office (katastr) processes the entry — which can take several weeks.

There’s no buyer-side transfer tax. The 4% real estate acquisition tax was abolished in 2020. Your main upfront cost is a modest cadastral registration fee, plus legal and translation fees — not a percentage-based purchase tax.

One more practical point: never transfer the full purchase price directly to the seller. Funds are normally held in escrow (notářská úschova) with a notary, lawyer, or bank until the cadastre registration is confirmed.

A typical residential purchase in Prague takes roughly 8 to 12 weeks from an accepted offer to registered ownership — longer if you’re using a mortgage as a non-resident.

It’s worth arranging certified translations early, ideally as soon as your bank or lawyer confirms which documents they’ll need — not the week you’re due to sign. Standard personal documents can usually be turned around within 24 hours in express mode. Our office is in central Prague, a short walk from Wenceslas Square and within easy reach of most notary offices in the city center, so we can also coordinate directly with your notary if needed.

We translate all the documents your bank, lawyer, or notary will require, and provide a court interpreter for the notarial deed if needed.