Moving to Prague? The tech checklist, in the order that matters.
Most of the tech trouble people bring me in their first month comes from doing the right things in the wrong order, usually cancelling an old phone number before the accounts that send codes to it have moved. This is the order that avoids it. You can do all of it yourself; where it helps to have someone do it with you, that's linked.
By Josh, Reboot Prague · Last updated September 2026
Before you leave
- Move two-factor codes off your old number. Go through your bank, email, Apple or Google account, social media and anything work-related, and switch SMS codes to an authenticator app wherever you can. This is the single most important step on this page.
- Save your backup codes. Most services offer a set of one-time backup codes. Print them or keep them in a password manager, not only on the phone you're about to reset.
- Keep your old number alive for now. Don't cancel it until you've been in Prague a few weeks and nothing has sent a code to it. Many providers have a cheap plan that just keeps the number.
- Back up your phone and laptop. A move is when things get lost, dropped or stolen. Check the backup actually finishes, not just that it's switched on.
- List the accounts that use your phone number. Banks, government portals at home, your tax office, your health insurer. They'll all need the new number eventually.
Already locked out?
If codes are going to a number you no longer have, see hacked and locked-out accounts. It's often recoverable, it just takes longer than doing it the other way round.
Your first week: phone and SIM
The three big networks are O2, T-Mobile and Vodafone. All of them sell prepaid SIMs and eSIMs, and prepaid is the easy way to start. A contract can wait until you know what you actually use.
If your current SIM is from another EU country, it keeps working here under the EU's roam-like-at-home rules for normal use, so there's no rush on day one. Staying on a foreign SIM for months can run into your provider's fair-use limits, and that's usually when a Czech number starts to make sense.
Once the Czech number works, add it to your accounts alongside the old one, check that codes arrive, and only then remove the old number. Phone setup covers the SIM, eSIM and moving everything to a new phone if you'd rather not do it alone.
Internet at home
Many rented flats already have a connection, with the router in the hallway because that's where the cable comes in. Older buildings have thick brick walls, panel blocks have reinforced concrete, and both eat Wi-Fi. If the bedroom has no signal, a mesh system or a second access point usually fixes it. A more expensive router usually doesn't.
Whatever router you end up with, change the admin password and the Wi-Fi password printed on the sticker. The previous tenant may still know them. More on this under Wi-Fi and router setup.
Laptops, chargers and plugs
Czech sockets are type E at 230 V. Chargers from most of mainland Europe fit; UK, Irish, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Almost every laptop and phone charger handles 230 V without a converter. Check the label: it'll say 100–240V.
A laptop bought here comes with Czech Windows and a Czech keyboard. Most of that switches to English in one short session, but some models ship with a Single Language edition of Windows that can't be switched without a reinstall. Check the edition before you buy, or see switching a Czech laptop to English.
Money, banking and everyday apps
- Card payments, contactless included, work almost everywhere. Paying in crowns and letting your own bank convert is usually cheapest, so say no when a terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency.
- If you need cash, use a bank's ATM. The Euronet machines and exchange booths around the tourist areas are known for poor rates.
- For public transport, the official PID Lítačka app sells Prague tickets and passes, and the IDOS journey planner finds connections. Both work in English.
- Czech banking apps often expect a Czech phone number for verification, so it helps to have the SIM sorted before you open an account.
- Once you have a Czech bank account, many government services let you log in with Bank iD through your bank, which saves a lot of paperwork.
Staying safe in a new country
New arrivals are a favourite target for scams, partly because everything is unfamiliar and partly because the messages are in Czech. Fake parcel-delivery texts and "your account will be blocked" messages are the usual ones. Don't tap links in texts; open the app or type the website yourself instead.
And set up a backup before your phone gets lost, not after. Backup setup takes one session and covers phone and laptop together.
The short version
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Before you move | Move two-factor to an authenticator app, save backup codes, back up phone and laptop |
| Before you move | Keep your old number active and list the accounts that use it |
| Week one | Get a Czech SIM or eSIM and add the new number next to the old one |
| First month | Home Wi-Fi: change the default passwords, fix dead spots |
| First month | Switch a Czech laptop to your language, if you bought one here |
| After a few weeks | Remove the old number from your accounts, then cancel it |
| Any time | Set up a backup that runs by itself, and test a restore |
Rather have someone do it with you?
Most of this fits in one or two sessions, on-site or remote. Tell me where you are in the move and I'll say what's worth doing first. The first read is free.
Frequently asked
Do I need a Czech phone number?
Not straight away. A SIM from another EU country keeps working here under roam-like-at-home rules for normal use. Most people get a Czech number within the first weeks anyway, because banks, landlords and delivery services expect one.
When should I cancel my old phone number?
Only after every account that sends codes to it has moved to an authenticator app or your new number, and a few weeks have gone by without anything arriving there. Cancelling first is the most common way people lock themselves out of their own bank.
Will my laptop charger work in Prague?
Almost certainly. Czech sockets are type E at 230 V, and most laptop and phone chargers accept 100–240 V. Plugs from most of mainland Europe fit; UK, Irish, US and Australian plugs need a simple adapter.
Should I buy a laptop in Prague?
That's fine, but it will come with Czech Windows and a Czech keyboard. Most of that switches to English easily. Watch out for Windows Home Single Language, which needs a reinstall to change language.