Banking and paying in Czechia: the basic account, the rodné číslo and the bank that also lets you into the government
Every Czech bank must give you a basic account at a reasonable price, without requirements on turnover or place of residence. Yet in practice you get stuck without a rodné číslo, the personal number that banks ask for according to the government. Then choose a bank with Bank iD: with it you log in to the government for free. Your balance is guaranteed up to 100,000 euro.
A Czech account is a right for a Dutch citizen, not a favour. Whoever is legally resident in an EU country has the right to a basic payment account, and according to the Czech Ministry of Finance every bank in the EU must offer it at a reasonable price, without conditions such as a minimum turnover or a place of residence. The finding is next to it. The Czech Ministry of the Interior explicitly names banks among the institutions that ask for your rodné číslo, and without that personal number you can't close some contracts or get a mortgage. You don't get that number from the police, but via the voluntary registration certificate.
Do you have a right to a Czech account?
Yes. Your Europe, the EU portal, says it plainly: whoever is legally resident in an EU country may open a basic payment account, and a bank may not refuse you because you don't live in the country. It may refuse if you don't comply with the rules against money laundering and terrorist financing, or in some countries if you already have a similar account with another bank. That right only applies to the basic account, not to savings accounts.
A basic account covers everyday payments: deposits, withdrawals, transfers, direct debits and a card for shops and online. Before opening, the bank must give you an overview of the fees, and after that at least once a year an overview of what you paid. In some EU countries a bank may charge an annual fee for the basic account, which must remain reasonable; in Czechia the Ministry of Finance speaks of a "reasonable price".
What do you bring?
| What | Why | Where you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Passport or identity card | identification under the money-laundering rules | — |
| Rodné číslo | banks, insurers and doctors ask for it; no mortgage without it | via the registration certificate, assigned within 30 days |
| Bank iD (afterwards) | logging in to the government and the health insurer | at your bank, free, also for foreigners |
How you get the rodné číslo, and why you don't have to ask for it, is in rodné číslo and the reporting duty in Czechia.
Choose your bank on Bank iD, not only on the fees. Czechia lets you log in to the government with the same details as your internet banking. With that Bank iD you log in to government portals and your health insurer, file your tax return and make an advanced electronic signature, at no cost. According to the provider, foreigners can get it too. But not every bank takes part: check the list before you open an account, so you don't have to switch later.
What does your Dutch account still do?
A lot. Within the EU your bank may not charge more for a payment in euro than for the same payment at home, and a Czech bank may not charge more for a euro payment within the EU than for a domestic payment in crowns. Whoever pays in crowns with a Dutch card may pay conversion costs, but the bank or the shop must show them before the payment.
A Czech company or authority that accepts direct debits or transfers from domestic accounts may not refuse your Dutch IBAN because it comes from another EU country. Why you keep that account and your DigiD is in keeping a bank account and DigiD.
Is your money guaranteed at a Czech bank?
Yes. The Czech guarantee scheme pays up to the equivalent of 100,000 euro per person per bank, without an excess, and the payout must start within seven working days. In a few cases defined by law, up to 100,000 euro is temporarily added, for example for the proceeds of the sale of a home registered in the Czech land register, if that money was credited at most three months before the day the bank stopped paying out and comes directly from the buyer or the escrow agent under the purchase contract.
Where the bank fits in the order of report, registration certificate and healthcare is in the step-by-step plan for Czechia.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.4: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Czechia or go straight to step 4.4 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change — when in doubt the source is leading, not this article.
- Your Europe — the right to a basic payment account, and when a bank may refuse — europa.eu
- Ministry of Finance (financial literacy) — accounts, and the basic account without conditions on turnover or residence — financnigramotnost.gov.cz
- Information Portal for Foreigners — the rodné číslo, also for the bank — ipc.gov.cz
- Bank iD — logging in to the government with your bank, also for foreigners — bankid.cz
- Your Europe — payments in euro within the EU, and conversion costs for other currencies — europa.eu
- Garanční systém finančního trhu — the deposit guarantee, 100,000 euro per person per bank — garancnisystem.cz
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