Czechia Travel Guide
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Guide
Czechia is a Schengen country that is currently being checked from three directions. It has kept temporary controls on its own border with Slovakia, prolonged until 3 January 2027 according to reporting, while Germany has notified controls at all its land borders from 16 September 2026 to 15 March 2027, Czechia included, and Austria's checks with Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia run until 15 March 2027. None of it is a return to a booth at every road, but it does mean a passport belongs in your day bag, even for a day trip from Prague to Dresden or Vienna.
At Prague's Václav Havel Airport, the EU Entry/Exit System has been in force since 10 April 2026. Non-EU and non-Schengen arrivals are asked to register at the self-service kiosks in the arrival area before they approach border control. The airport added kiosks and e-gates, but reporting has described long waits, with advice to arrive at least three hours early for a departing flight.
Border crossings
- Slovakia, where the checks are Czech
The line between Czechia and Slovakia is an internal Schengen boundary, and Prague has kept spot checks running on it, extended until 3 January 2027. Coach operators and commuters have been told to expect sporadic stops, document inspections, and delays of roughly 10 to 30 minutes at peak times.
- Germany, which checks all nine of its land borders
The German controls, notified for 16 September 2026 to 15 March 2027, cover the Czech frontier along with Poland and every other land border. The German guide on this site explains what those checks look like in practice.
- Austria, one of four controlled frontiers
Austria checks its borders with Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia, through 15 March 2027, using flexible border-area controls rather than a booth at each crossing.
Transit routes
- Buy the digital vignette before you drive on a motorway
The Czech motorway toll has been electronic only since 2021 and is tied to your license plate, with no windscreen sticker. It applies to vehicles with four or more wheels up to 3.5 tonnes. Reported 2026 prices are 300 CZK for 10 days, 480 CZK for 30 days, and 2,570 CZK for a year, and driving without one can bring an on-the-spot fine of up to 5,000 CZK or up to 20,000 CZK in administrative proceedings.
- At Prague airport, register at a kiosk first
The kiosks in the arrivals area are meant to be used before you reach the border officer, which shortens the desk time. Departing non-EU travelers are also processed by the EES, which is where the three hour advice comes from.
Entry point notes
- Carry a passport, not just a national ID card, near the controlled borders
Internal Schengen checks are document checks. Non-EU travelers need the passport they entered Schengen with, and EU citizens are safest with a passport as well.
- Visa rules are the ordinary Schengen ones
The temporary controls do not change who needs a visa. Visa exempt visitors keep the 90 days in any 180 day period, and the EES now does the counting.