FAQ: The Ban of Movement Between Districts due to COVID-19

Newly-set countermeasures regarding restrictions of movement and freedom might be rather confusing. Does the whole city count as one district? In which parts of the city can I move freely? Can I visit my relatives in the same district? We have decided to bring you a list of questions we predict will arise in the next couple of days.

Brno districts
The Whole city of Prague counts as one district. The same applies to Brno-City and Brno-Outskirts.

Movement within a City Territory

Do I need a special document or pass if I go to work?

  • NO, if you are travelling to work within one district, no special document is required.

If I go shopping, to the doctor, or visit a public authority, do I need a special document or pass?

  • NO, you do not need any special document, if you stay within one district.

Can I leave my place of residence if I want to spend time outside e.g. walking, dog walking, jogging, etc.?

  • YES, you can enjoy your outdoor time within the entire area of the municipality (your own town or village), however not the district. Also, keep in mind that the night curfew remains between 9 pm and 5 am. Dog-walking at night is allowed within 500 meters of your place of residence.

Can I travel between districts within a city?

  • YES, all districts of a city (“městská část”) together are subject to the same rules as a single non-city district (“okres”).

 Can I visit my relatives and friends if they are in the same district?

  • NO, visits are allowed only to provide essential care or to accompany a relative during a visit to a healthcare facility or a public authority.

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Movement between Districts and Cities

What special documents do I need if I am travelling to another district from where I live?

  • A document from an employer is required. The document needs to contain your employee’s place of work and their place of residence. The document can be found on the MOI website.

What documents are required when travelling outside of my district (to visit a healthcare facility, public authority)?

  • You will need an officially acknowledged form or your written declaration on word of honor in which you will state the place, time, and destination of your travel. 

Can I go shopping in a different district than where I live?

  • NO, you can only do your shopping within your district. Travelling to shops is limited to the smallest necessary number of people.

Can I travel to my country house / another recreational house?

  • You should choose one of the residences to stay in for the next three weeks (duration of these countermeasures). The purpose of these measures is to limit the mobility of people in order to prevent the spreading of the virus as much as possible.
  • However, if you choose to stay in your country house, we recommend that you have a certificate of title to the real estate (“list vlastnictví”) or other suitable proof of your ownership with you. 

Can I go on a trip outdoors and cross-district borders?

  • NO, this is not possible; you are only allowed to visit natural areas within the territory of the municipality where you live. You must not visit other places even within your district.

How will suburban transport work be given that it crosses district borders? 

  • The transport will work just as before the new restrictions, however, the passengers must meet all the conditions necessary to leave the district.

Checking and Possible Penalties

What are the penalties/sanctions if I do not respect the measures?

  • These are government-mandated crisis measures, the obligations are stipulated in the Crisis Act. A penalty of up to CZK 20 000 can be imposed for violating the measures.

 How will the compliance be checked? Who will check the compliance?

  • Frequent random checks will take place everywhere in the Czech Republic. The police resources will also be checking buses and trains.

I have been vaccinated or already had COVID-19. Do these restrictions apply to me as well?

  • YES, the restrictions apply to everyone.

 

We hope that this article was helpful and made the restrictions clearer. Also, If you don’t want to miss any important updates on the current coronavirus situation be sure to follow our blog and keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook. Stay safe!

Sources:  Dominik Feri’s Instagram, mvcr.cz

Viktoria Solarova

Hello! I am Viki and practically I am expat, too. I am from Slovakia but I study here, in Prague. I hope you enjoy reading my articles, at least as much as I enjoy creating them :)

21 thoughts on “FAQ: The Ban of Movement Between Districts due to COVID-19

  1. Hello Viktoria,
    I was surprised to see Anna Minjaríková no longer with Foreigners.
    Will we be seeing you regularly on this blog for updates to current events etc. in the Czech Republic?

    1. Hi Dwight,
      Anna doesn’t work for us anymore, but you’ll see me in the comments and on the blog instead. I’m excited to chat with you if you ever have any questions or remarks.
      Best,
      Tereza

  2. Hi Viktoria,
    The following may seem difficult to read, but the intention is to bring awareness to the severity of the COVID issue.
    Following is a YouTube that some Czech viewers may find unappealing due to the insistence by the CDC and many other epidemiologists worldwide who seek solutions via science which include among many additional items the age-old wearing of masks while outdoors in the presence of others and especially while indoors in public spaces as well as social distancing. I am 71 years young and wish to stay healthy for at least another 20 thus anytime I go outside my flat I have my mask on, even if only taking out the recycle and trash. You never know when another person not wearing a mask (there seems to be too many not wearing masks even here in Marianske Lazne) will pass by you.
    It just cannot be stressed enough how vitally important it is to halt the spread of COVID by the wearing of masks. Does it make you look silly sometimes? Well, yes I suppose if you are fashion conscious. Better than not seeing anything at all because you are laying in your coffin. Or better than looking down into the coffin of a loved one because they did not adhere to sane requests regarding masks and social distancing.
    Dr. Fauci says this is the biggest question he still has about Covid-19
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9rBkUAfvLQ

    1. Hi Dwight! Thanks for sharing the video.
      I personally agree with you 100% about the mask-wearing. It’s a necessary evil we all have to undergo to save our friends and family. Hopefully we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now.

      Take care and stay healthy!
      Best,
      Tereza

  3. Hi Viktoria,
    I see you are from Slovakia. My wife and I moved here to Marianske Lazne from America on July 4, 2015.
    In 2012 I began writing my memoirs. If you are interested to read my memoirs let me know by my email and I will give you access.

    1. Hi Dwight! Viky doesn’t necessarily check all the comments on the blog (it’s my job), but I will notify her about this one. It’s certainly nice to know there are people willing to tell stories about their expat experience! So thank you for offering!
      Best,
      Tereza

      1. Hi Tereza,
        You are welcome as well to have access to my memoirs which I keep on my dropbox. To share I only need personal email as work email is not a good idea.
        Please share this also with Viktoria about my dropbox and the need for personal email to share.
        As I have mentioned elsewhere, while I haven’t had an extreme and super interesting life in respect to the many who have, mine has been interesting enough to write my memoirs.
        Incidentally, I have already shared my memoirs with Anna.

        1. Hi Dwight! That’s so nice of you – thanks! We might contact you in case we’d like to do a little interview or something. I’m sure Viky will be in touch – I’ll give her your other email address.
          Take care,
          Tereza

  4. Hi Tereza,
    I would really not like to do an interview.
    I prefer to stay anonymous to the wider viewers of Foreigners.cz
    I offer my memoirs to individuals as I deem it okay.
    To give an interview would potentially expose us and our current life in the Czech Republic to a wider audience I have no desire to expose our quiet retirement years to.
    Please understand our desire to remain anonymous as much as possible.
    In fact, I think I will furthermore refrain from any future communication about myself here on this blog and limit my communication here solely to the issues raised on this blog.
    Sorry, I must do so to further protect us from unwarranted and unwanted surveillance.
    It is certainly more than enough that I expose us here on this blog site and so I prefer it to not go any further.
    Thank you for your understanding.

  5. Hi Tereza,
    Now that you have my other email address can you delete it from my previous post?
    Thanks and I see my previous post about not wanting to do an interview has disappeared.
    As always, stay safe

    1. Hi Dwight, I deleted the email from your original comment – no problem! 🙂

      And I understand why you don’t want to do an interview, that’s totally fine, you should maintain your privacy if that’s what you want!

      Take care,
      Tereza

  6. Hi Tereza,
    I came upon another excellent video that gives credence to the importance of masks.
    Rand Paul tries ‘gotcha’ question on Dr. Fauci. It backfires HORRIBLY
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YpxXGrBUzY
    My comment about the mask situation follows:
    Trump’s refusal to do what is right regarding the pandemic has spread around the world like cancer, leaving too many people believing his BS and causing many to protest.

  7. Hi Tereza,
    I left a message yesterday, Friday, with a link to another video regarding COVID and I see it is gone. So I have decided I will no longer post comments on Foreigners.cz blog as surely they must provoke some to anger or some other vial feelings and we certainly do not want the readers of your blog to become disheartened and upset from hearing and knowing truth.

    1. Hi Dwight! We don’t erase comments unless asked to do it, it simply hadn’t been approved yet, because it was posted during the weekend. I usually do the approvals every working day between 11 and 12. It’s up now :).

  8. Hi Tereza,
    WOW!!! That did not take long to remove my last message:
    I left a message yesterday, Friday, with a link to another video regarding COVID and I see it is gone. So I have decided I will no longer post comments on Foreigners.cz blog as surely they must provoke some to anger or some other vial feelings and we certainly do not want the readers of your blog to become disheartened and upset from hearing and knowing truth.
    To this, I should add that the truth that Foreigners. cz displays on their site and their blog is theirs and I only meant anything I present that I feel is truth. Hope your readers understand I was not referring to Foreigners but only what I send in this comment section.
    Sorry if I caused any harm.

    1. Hi Dwight – again, we did not erase anything, it simply hasn’t been approved yet. It’s up now :). We’re always grateful for your contributions.

  9. Hi Tereza,

    WOW!!! Shows how impatient I can be sometimes. Sorry for being such an ass, pardon my French.
    Back to the subject about truth, Foreigners’ blog submissions, and my blog submissions. I guess I was being excessively ignorant of how things are at your end regarding your time etc. Sorry for any misunderstanding or hurt I may have caused.
    To reiterate. My comment about the mask situation in a recent post:
    “Trump’s refusal to do what is right regarding the pandemic has spread around the world like cancer, leaving too many people believing his BS and causing many to protest.”
    In the end, who is responsible for taking care or not taking care to spread this awful disease. We are. All of us.
    On another subject. I discovered today that the Lidl store is selling home test kits for the short test variation of tests. This begs the question, will these home test results be accepted by any authority who readily accepts test results that come from bonafide testing facilities? As in, for example, when passing through a border check or coming into a transportation hub such as the Prague Airport.
    Is it possible to get an answer from the MOI? This seems like something that the MOI needs to address so people are not caught off guard thinking their home test will allow passage.

    1. Hi Dwight! Don’t worry about it – I understand how you could make that assumption since you didn’t know the comments were moderated, it’s all good :).
      You make a really good point about home test kits, thank you! I will raise this question with our immigration experts. We are preparing a blog article about vaccinations and testing in connection to different insurance companies for next week, so maybe I could somehow include this info, if we can find out the answer.

      Take care,
      Tereza

    2. Hi again!
      I chatted about your question with our immigration specialists and they say these home test kits won’t be enough for travelling. Unless you have an official certificate that confirms you are negative (which you can only get in labs), it’s not going to be taken as proof.

      I think these home test kits are mostly meant for people who want to test themselves simply because they are suspicious they might have the virus.

      When it comes to travelling, you should always consult the current traffic light traveller’s map, as it specifies what kind of test you need to travel back from the country to the Czech Republic (e.g. if it’s dark brown, you’ll need a PCR test, etc.). For the reverse journey, you’ll need to consult that specific country’s rules. You should find a lot of information on the Ministry of Health website – it changes every week.

      Hope this helps!

      Best,
      Tereza

  10. Hi Tereza,
    In my recent previous post, I so wanted to lambast trump and include an extensive rant but thought rightfully so this blog is not the place for that.
    I would however enjoy sharing my rant with you but off this site and on an email address of your choosing, but certainly do not want to bring ruination to you or any Foreigner employee.
    Needless to say, as an American, I am extremely appalled at trump and his wasted 4 years that decimated American lives via his refusal to accept the dangers of the COVID along with the refusal to insist on social distancing and mask-wearing not to mention the US economy.

    1. Hi Dwight!
      I understand your frustration with the former American administration. I think every country has its own issues. Certainly, we have a lot to talk about here! 🙂
      As for mask-wearing, it’s good you’ve been promoting it so enthusiastically! I believe it’s really important.

      Thanks,
      Tereza

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