Car registration, driver's licence

A vehicle registered in Ukraine can be operated in the Czech Republic without registration for six months (under the Vienna Convention) provided that:

- a valid document of liability insurance for the damage caused by the vehicle’s operation (green card);

- the vehicle is in proper technical condition (the date of inspection is not checked during the operation of such a vehicle, as Ukraine is not a member of the EU).

International "green card" insurance is available online at one of the Ukrainian insurance companies.

The list of insurance companies in Ukraine and more information can be found here: http://www.mtsbu.ua/ua/about_us/full_members_list/.

In case of further registration of the vehicle, the technical suitability of the car will be approved under §6, §34 and §35 of Law No. 56/2001 Coll. laws (if the car has an EU vehicle type approval, then approval of technical suitability is not carried out, only the registration procedure is carried out).

After registering a car in the Czech Republic, you can apply for a "green card" at the Czech Insurance Office.

Please note that from July 2022, persons with temporary protection in EU countries can:

- use a Ukrainian driver's license without the need to exchange it during the entire period of residence under temporary protection;

- to use an old-style Ukrainian driver's license, issued only in the Cyrillic alphabet and with no expiration date, without needing an additional certified translation or an international driver's license;

- use a Ukrainian driver's license even if it expired in 2022 (this is relevant for licenses issued for the first time with a validity of 2 years);

- obtain a temporary (for the period of residence under temporary protection) EU model driver's license in case of loss or theft of a Ukrainian driver's license without passing exams – it is enough for the EU country to verify the validity of the right to drive obtained in Ukraine, as well as to verify compliance with the standards of physical and mental ability to drive.

The service of exchanging a driver's license issued in Ukraine is available at the SE “Document” branch at the address: Prague, Náměstí Republiky 656/8 (OS Kotva).

If you don't have a driver's license, you need to train at a driving school, get a certificate from a doctor about the absence of contraindications to driving a car, pass an exam and get the actual document. The main condition for obtaining a driver's license is habitual residence in the Czech Republic, i.e., staying on the territory of the Czech Republic for 185 days in a calendar year due to personal and professional connections.

The driver's license must be replaced with a Czech one only if you have resided in the Czech Republic for over a year. If you are in the Czech Republic temporarily, changing your driver's license is impossible. To replace a Ukrainian driver's license with a Czech one, contact the city/village council in your residence. The exchange of a Ukrainian driver's license for a Czech one is possible when a citizen of Ukraine fulfils the condition of habitual residence in the territory of the Czech Republic, i.e., 185 days in a calendar year due to personal and professional connections.