#LifeInCzechia Czech Republic is a great place to live for foreigners. Still, you may decide to eventually move to another country or perhaps return to your family. If that becomes your reality, it’s necessary to keep in mind that there are many things you shouldn’t forget to do before you hop on the plane (or bus) and leave. We’ve come up with a checklist to make this transition easier for you.

 

There’s many duties to perform before you leave the Czech Republic.

 

Leaving your job and your apartment

If you are employed in the Czech Republic, you’ll need to officially resign from your job before you leave. You can do this by delivering a letter of resignation to your manager. Don’t forget that when you quit, you still have to give your workplace a notice of two (calendar) months unless both parties agree on a different notice period. 

When it comes to your lease agreement, the rules are similar, only the notice is typically three (calendar) months. Yes, it’s really 3 calendar months, so make sure to give your notice early, so you don’t have to pay rent for an empty apartment. 

Again, you and your landlord or landlady can agree on making this period shorter, for example if there are already new tenants lined up.

Additionally, if energies (electricity, water, heating, etc.) are in your name, make sure to cancel those as well.

 

 

Cancel contracts and fees

• Phone and internet – call your internet provider, phone provider, and TV provider. Inform them that you’d like to cancel your contract because you’re leaving the country.
• Cancelling mandatory fees – if you’re obligated to pay fees (e.g. waste collection fees, dog fees or concessionary fees), you’ll need to unregister from them. You can do this the same way you registered for them (e.g. online or at a post office.).
• Insurance contracts – make sure to cancel all insurance plans, too. This may be for example your Comprehensive health insurance for foreigners, liability insurance or employee damage insurance.
• Your general physician – if you registered with a doctor in Czechia, you might want to inform her/him about your permanent departure and ask them for your medical records.

 

Immigration-related obligations

The last thing to remember is that you need to hand over your residence permit to the Ministry of the Interior before you leave. Whether you’re a third-country citizen with a residence permit or an EU citizen with a registration certificate, the card must stay in Czechia when you move away.

You should leave the card at the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy (MOI) at least 3 days before your departure. 

If this isn’t possible for you, you can mail the card to the address as soon as possible after your departure.

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Having trouble cancelling your contracts? Contact us and we’ll do our best to help you. Leaving Czechia only temporarily? Learn more about how long you can stay outside the country with a permanent residence permit in this article. 

Picture source: Vlada Kaprovic, pexels.com