EU Citizens in Prague Can Now Register to Vote in Seconds

This is the key point. For presidential, parliamentary, senate and regional elections – foreigners cannot vote.

Municipal elections are different. Citizens of any other EU member state CAN vote if they:

1. Have a valid ID from an EU country (passport or national ID card)
2. Are 18 years old or older on election day
3. Have official residence in the Czech Republic – meaning a permanent residence permit for an EU citizen OR a certificate of temporary residence (potvrzení o přechodném pobytu).

Crucial: Non-EU citizens cannot vote in municipal elections, even if they have lived here for 20 years.

Why do so many EU citizens miss the chance?

“Many EU citizens have never registered their residence here,” explains Suzanne Verhaar, one of the founding members of the Volby pro Všechny (Elections for All) initiative. “Officially, we do have to, but there are no repercussions if you don’t, so many don’t bother.”

That changes soon – EU citizens could face a fine if they don’t register their residence starting from January 2027.

Without that official residence paper, you cannot be added to the voter list. Making it even harder, the Ministry of the Interior website still doesn’t have a simple English form.

The Shortcut: How to Register in 5 Minutes

You simply need to submit a written application to be added to the annex of the voter list (dodatek seznamu voličů).

It requires only:

• Name and surname
• Date of birth
• Address of residence in the Czech Republic

Where to submit: To the municipal office of your official residence. In Prague, this is the municipal office of your particular district – e.g. Úřad městské části Praha 3 – not Prague City Hall. You can submit in person, by post, or via datová schránka (digital databox).

The easiest way: The Volby pro Všechny initiative has launched an English-friendly registration tool that lets you fill in and prepare the application form in just a few minutes. They guide you on how to submit it.

“We recommend getting your registration as soon as possible, but no later than two weeks before the elections. You do not get any kind of confirmation, so the next step is just to show up at the elections,” Suzanne tells Expats.cz.

Those who registered in advance will receive the ballot sheets directly at home.

Good news for procrastinators: This year you can still register on the spot on election day – as long as you have the right documents (ID card/passport + residence permit).

The catch: you must show up at the correct polling station for your home address, and there is only one. Volby pro Všechny will publish a ‘polling station finder’ by the start of September.

Election Day: Why You Get TWO Ballots

In Prague and other large cities, you will receive two ballot papers: one for the City itself (Magistrát – who will be the Mayor of Prague?) and one for your local district (who will lead Praha 2, Praha 7 etc.?).

How to vote? You can:

1. Vote for a party: Mark X next to your preferred party. Your votes go to candidates in the order the party chose.
2. Vote for individuals: Mark X next to specific candidates, even from different parties. You can select as many candidates as there are seats on your local council.
3. Combine both: Mark individual candidates AND a party. Your votes first go to your chosen candidates, remaining votes go to the party.

Final tip: You get two ballots and two envelopes – make sure you place them in the correct ballot boxes, otherwise your vote won’t count.

Why does this vote matter more than the national one?

“Because it matters. These will be the people who are going to decide on housing, roads and tram lines, schools, parks and events. On the surroundings in which we live our everyday lives.“

Dog poop, noise, rent, playgrounds, bike lanes, night trams – it’s all decided locally.

Register to vote here -> Volby pro Všechny tool

Don’t wait. The deadline is closer than you think.