Before you start

A valid foreign driving licence
Proof of Czech residence and your residence document
An official Czech translation by a court-appointed translator, where the licence is not in Czech
A medical certificate, where required

Step-by-step

1
Work out whether you need to exchange at all
EU and EEA licences are valid here indefinitely. Non-EU licences must be exchanged after you establish residence, and stop being valid for driving in Czechia once that window closes. The clock starts at residence, not at your first drive.
OnlineWho: You
2
Get a translation from a court-appointed translator
A certified Czech translation is required where the licence is not in Czech, and it must be by a soudní tlumočník — a court-appointed translator with a stamp and registration number. An ordinary professional translation is rejected. Confirm the credential before you pay.
In personWho: You
3
Apply at the Brno city transport department
Applications go to the transport department (odbor dopravy) of Brno City Hall rather than to a national office. Bring the original licence, the certified translation, your residence document, a photograph and any required medical certificate.
In personWho: YouAllow a few weeks where no examination is needed
4
Sit examinations only if your country requires it
Licences from countries party to the Vienna or Geneva road traffic conventions generally exchange directly. Outside those, expect theory and possibly practical testing at a driving school.
In personWho: You
5
Buy an IDS JMK pass instead of a car, at least at first
Brno is covered by zones 100 and 101, and a single pass covers trams, trolleybuses, buses and regional trains within them. The network runs late, the trams are frequent, and the city is compact. Test a month on transport before committing to a car — a large share of residents never buy one.
Mobile appWho: YouMonth 1
6
Remember the alcohol limit is zero
Czechia has a 0.0% legal blood alcohol limit for drivers, with no tolerance band. In a region built on wine this catches people who assume a small allowance exists. It does not, and the penalties are serious.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence
Certified Czech translation by a court-appointed translator
Proof of residence and residence permit
Passport
Photograph
Medical certificate, where required

Things most newcomers don’t know

Brno has no metro, and it does not need one.

Prague's metro shapes how people there think about distance. Brno instead runs a dense tram and trolleybus network on a compact city, with everything inside zones 100 and 101 on one tariff. The practical effect is that almost the whole city is functionally central, so you can choose a neighbourhood on character and price rather than on transit access — a genuinely different housing calculation from Prague's.

Source: DPMB / IDS JMK

The translation must be by a court-appointed translator, and an ordinary one is refused.

A soudní tlumočník is a specific legal credential with a stamp and a registration number, not a quality claim. Applications are rejected outright where the translation came from an ordinary professional agency, which means paying twice and losing weeks. Confirm the registration number before you commission the work.

Source: Czech document requirements

The exchange window runs from when you establish residence, not from your first drive.

People assume the clock starts when they begin driving here. It starts at residence. Driving on a lapsed non-EU licence in Czechia affects your insurance position as much as your legal one, which turns a paperwork oversight into a financial catastrophe after any accident.

Source: Czech licence exchange rules

Zero means zero, and the wine region makes that a live risk.

Czechia's limit is 0.0%, with no allowance for a single glass. South Moravia's wine culture means social evenings here more often involve driving out to a cellar in a village than they do in Prague, and the assumption that a small amount is tolerated is both common among newcomers and wrong.

Source: Czech road traffic law

Common mistakes to avoid

Using an ordinary translation rather than a court-appointed one, and having the application refused.
Letting the exchange window lapse after establishing residence.
Assuming any alcohol tolerance exists — the limit is zero.
Buying a car before testing whether an IDS JMK pass covers your week.
Assuming Prague's transport advice applies — Brno has no metro and a different zone system.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.