- For foreign buyers
- Built with local realtors
- Updated this quarter
Here's 99% of what you need to know before buying in Prague.
The 12 documents we wish we had before buying in Prague. What each district costs, how long a flat sits before it sells, what it rents for. Plus the things nobody writes down: the reservation contract an agent will put in front of you first, and whether the flat is even yours to register.
The 12 documents to make a good real estate investment in Prague in 2026
A good share of flats here are co-operative shares rather than property you can register in your own name, and the first paper an agent puts in front of you is a reservation contract with a deposit attached. These documents show you what is actually earned and paid. They are put together with agents, lawyers and owners we work with in the city.
Questions
Do you list your sources?
Yes, on every table. Each one says where the figures came from and the month they were collected: land register sale prices, published legal and escrow rates, listing histories we track ourselves, repair fund statements shared with us by owners, and what the agents we work with in each district are seeing week to week. Anything that is an estimate rather than a recorded number is labelled as one.
Am I buying a flat or a share in something?
It depends on the building, and the listing will not always make it obvious. A good share of stock here is held through a housing co-operative, which means you buy a share rather than a property registered in your name, financing works differently and the co-operative has a say. How to tell, and what changes, is document 08.
What is this reservation contract I am being asked to sign?
It is the agency's paper, not the seller's, and it usually takes a deposit that you will not see again if you walk away. Signing it is normal here, signing it before you have checked anything is not. Document 03 covers what to change in it and what to do first.
Can a foreigner actually buy property here?
Yes, with no restriction and no permit, whichever passport you hold. Lending is the part that differs: a resident with local income is treated very differently from someone applying from abroad, which is worth knowing before you make an offer.
How much do the costs add?
Less than you are probably expecting, because the purchase tax was abolished. What matters instead is the lawyer, the escrow arrangement and the month the register takes to transfer ownership, which is the window where things go wrong. Document 06 sets out both.
Can I let it out by the night?
In parts of the centre, and less freely than the platforms suggest. Using a flat for guests counts as a change of use, and the owners' association can restrict it regardless. Where it still works, and what those flats actually earn, is document 11.
How long are the documents?
One to four pages each. They are tables and checklists rather than reports, so any one of them takes about ten minutes to read.
Which areas do you cover?
Eighteen districts and quarters: Staré Město, Malá Strana, Josefov, Nové Město, Vinohrady, Nusle, Žižkov, Karlín, Libeň, Holešovice, Letná, Dejvice, Bubeneč, Břevnov, Smíchov, Podolí, Vršovice and Vysočany. If you need somewhere or a specific building that is not in there, write to us and we will put it together for you at no extra cost.
I have a question about my own situation.
Ask us. If the answer is in the research we already have, we will send it. If it needs a call to someone in that district or a look at a specific building, we will do that too and come back to you, at no extra cost.
Is $99 a lot for a set of documents?
You are about to spend several million koruna in a market whose paperwork you did not grow up with. A deposit you cannot get back, a share that is not a title, a debt attached to the flat: there are plenty of ways this gets expensive.
What format are they in, and when do I get them?
PDF, so you can read them on your phone, tablet or computer. The download link appears on screen straight after payment and a copy arrives by email.
How often are they updated?
Every quarter. Our contacts in Prague re-check the numbers before each release, so the version you download today is the one updated this quarter.
I have another question.
Ask us on the contact page and we will get back to you.
Three packs
The first pack has 4 documents, the second has 6, and the third has all 12 of our Prague research.
All the data and information in these documents was checked this year with agents, lawyers and owners working in Prague.