© Citizenship Lab
AboutContactPrivacyTerms

Independent study tool — not affiliated with any government agency.

Exam guide
How to apply
Unofficial · Based on Based on the NPI ČR specification of the Czech realia test (original questions)
Last updated: 2026-10-01

About the exam

The Zkouška z českých reálií (Czech realia test) is a written multiple-choice test that most foreign nationals applying for Czech citizenship must pass. It checks basic knowledge of the Czech constitutional system and of Czech society, culture, geography and history, at the level of Czech primary education (§ 14 of Act No. 186/2013 Coll. on Czech citizenship and Decree No. 433/2013 Coll.). The tasks are written by the National Pedagogical Institute (NPI ČR) and the exam is run by ÚJOP UK, the language institute of Charles University. It is separate from the Czech language exam (B1): most applicants need to pass both.

Eligibility

(As of 2026; Act No. 186/2013 Coll., current version in force since 1 October 2025)

  • You must hold a Czech permanent residence permit:
    • non-EU citizens: at least 5 years of continuous permanent residence
    • EU citizens: at least 3 years of continuous permanent residence
    • or permanent residence together with a total of at least 10 years of authorised stay in the Czech Republic
  • Permanent residence itself is usually granted after 5 years of continuous residence, so for most non-EU applicants the whole route takes about 10 years
  • You must actually have lived in the Czech Republic for at least half of the required period
  • The residence period can be waived in some cases (for example: spouse or registered partner of a Czech citizen living in a shared household, born in the Czech Republic, former Czech or Czechoslovak citizen, a parent is a Czech citizen, asylum holder, stateless person, applicant under 18), but permanent residence itself is still required
  • Czech at B1 level and the realia test
  • Clean criminal record (from age 15); this cannot be waived
  • Proof of your income and tax payments for the last 3 years; no serious breaches of your obligations (residence, health insurance, social security, taxes, customs, fees) in the last 3 years; no outstanding tax or customs debts
  • You must not have placed a significant burden on the social benefit system in the last 3 years without serious reason
  • You must be integrated into Czech society (family, work, social life)

Exemptions from the realia test (the same as for the language exam):

  • Applicants under 15 or over 65
  • Applicants who completed at least 3 years of school with Czech as the language of instruction
  • Applicants with a physical or mental disability that prevents them from meeting the requirement

Format

  • 30 multiple-choice tasks, 4 options each, exactly one correct
  • 16 tasks on civic basics, 7 on geography, 7 on history and culture: one task from each of the 30 official topics
  • 30 minutes for the test, plus about 10 minutes of instructions (the decree allows at most 45 minutes)
  • 1 point per task; at least 60% = 18 of 30 to pass
  • On paper: you write with a pencil and copy your answers onto an answer sheet; only the answer sheet is marked
  • Test language: Czech only, at about B1 level. No dictionaries, phones or watches are allowed
  • Locations: test centres in Prague, Brno, Liberec, Poděbrady, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové, Olomouc, Ostrava and Plzeň. Dates are set a year in advance: 10 exam dates in 2026, the remaining ones on 24 October, 21 November and 2 December (Prague only)

Official question pool:

  • All tasks come from a public databank of 300 tasks (10 per topic), last updated on 5 January 2026
  • The databank and an interactive model test are online in Czech with English, Ukrainian, Russian and Vietnamese translations
  • NPI ČR holds the copyright to the tasks, so this app uses its own practice questions on the same topics. Study the official databank as well

Test fee and naturalisation fee

(As of 2026; subject to change)

  • Realia test only: CZK 2,000
  • Czech language exam only: CZK 3,700; both exams: CZK 5,700
  • Cancelling before the registration deadline (15 days before the exam) costs a non-refundable CZK 500; moving to another date costs CZK 500. After the deadline you cannot cancel or move unless you send a medical certificate
  • Citizenship application fee: CZK 2,000 per adult, CZK 500 per minor (the office can reduce it in special cases). It is not refunded if the application is refused
  • These are separate: passing the test does not cover the application fee

How to register

  1. Fill in the online application on the ÚJOP UK website (ujop.cuni.cz/obcanstvi). You can apply at any time and choose your preferred test centre and day (weekday or Saturday).
  2. When a new exam date opens (at least 14 days in advance), the system assigns you a place in order of application and sends a confirmation email with payment details.
  3. Pay by bank transfer within 7 days, or your application is cancelled.
  4. On the day, arrive at least 30 minutes early with your passport, your permanent residence card and proof of payment.

Retake policy

  • If you fail, you can register again once the results are published and pay the fee again
  • No limit on the number of attempts and no waiting period is stated (a 6-month ban applies only to candidates expelled from the language exam for breaking the rules)
  • The realia test and the language exam are assessed separately, and you can register for each one on its own, so you only repeat the part you failed
  • Appeals against a result cost CZK 1,000, refunded if the appeal succeeds

After passing

  1. Results are published online (ujop.cuni.cz/obcanstvi/vysledky) within 30 days; they are not given by phone or email.
  2. The certificate (osvědčení) is posted to you within 7 weeks. It does not expire.
  3. Submit your citizenship application with the certificate at the regional office (krajský úřad) for your place of permanent residence; in Prague, at your district office (Praha 1–22). You need, among other things, a CV in Czech, a birth certificate, criminal record extracts, and proof of income and taxes. Foreign documents need an apostille or legalisation and a certified Czech translation.
  4. The regional office sends the application to the Ministry of the Interior within 30 days; the Ministry decides within 180 days.
  5. You become a Czech citizen on the day you take the citizenship oath at the regional office, within 12 months of being invited.

Official resources

  • Ministry of the Interior, granting citizenship: mv.gov.cz
  • Exam portal (NPI ČR): cestina-pro-cizince.cz/obcanstvi
  • Realia test information: cestina-pro-cizince.cz
  • Official databank of 300 tasks: cestina-pro-cizince.cz
  • Interactive model test: cestina-pro-cizince.cz
  • Test specification (PDF): cestina-pro-cizince.cz
  • Exam rules, valid from 1 July 2025 (PDF): cestina-pro-cizince.cz
  • Registration and results (ÚJOP UK): ujop.cuni.cz/obcanstvi
  • Act No. 186/2013 Coll.: e-sbirka.cz · Decree No. 433/2013 Coll.: e-sbirka.cz

Things to watch out for

  • The real test draws only from the official databank of 300 tasks. This app's questions are original practice on the same topics, so also work through the databank and the model test.
  • Do not confuse this with the A2 Czech exam for permanent residence: citizenship needs B1 Czech plus the realia test.
  • Places are assigned from a queue as dates open, so register early, and pay within 7 days.
  • Only the answer sheet is marked: leave time to copy your answers within the 30 minutes.
  • The databank is updated from time to time (most recently on 5 January 2026), so check it before your exam.
  • Since February 2025, citizenship proceedings for Russian nationals are suspended (Act No. 24/2025 Coll.), with a few exceptions.
  • Unclear: the Ministry's page also mentions waiving the language requirement for "reasons worthy of special consideration", but does not say how this is applied. Ask your regional office if you think it applies to you.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take the test in English? No. The test is in Czech only. The official databank and model test have English, Ukrainian, Russian and Vietnamese translations for study, and you can use this app's interface in your own language.

What if I fail? Register again after the results are published and pay CZK 2,000 again. You only repeat the realia test, not the language exam.

Do I have to give up my current citizenship? No. Since 2014 the Czech Republic allows multiple citizenship, so you do not have to give up your current nationality under Czech law (check your other country's rules).

How do I prepare? Learn the 30 official topics. The real test has one task from each topic, so a weak topic costs at most one point, but you need 18 correct answers to pass.