Land registry (katastr nemovitostí)
Katastr nemovitostí in English is the land registry (cadastre): the public register of Czech real estate under Act No. 256/2013 Coll., run by the Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre (ČÚZK) through its cadastral offices. It records land, buildings and units, their owners and the rights attached to them, including liens, easements and pre-emption rights. Anyone can view the entries online, free of charge.
Example
Once the purchase agreement and the pledge agreement are signed, applications for registration are filed, each with an administrative fee of CZK 2,000. The cadastral office may approve the entry no sooner than 20 days after notifying the owner, so the whole process takes about a month. On a CZK 4,000,000 loan the bank usually pays out only after the application to register the lien has been filed.
In practice
Before buying, look the property up for free in the ČÚZK viewer Nahlížení do katastru nemovitostí, download a current extract from the title sheet (list vlastnictví) and check the owner, liens, easements and any pending-change flag. The bank does the same and attaches the extract to the valuation. A lien does not vanish on its own once the mortgage is repaid: its deletion has to be applied for, with the bank's confirmation of repayment. An extract several weeks old is not good enough to rely on.
How it differs
The title sheet is the land registry extract for a specific property. Registration is the procedure by which ownership or a lien is entered. A flag (plomba) warns that some proceedings concerning the property are under way. The cadastral map is the graphic part of the registry, showing plot boundaries and numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is katastr nemovitostí in English?
The land registry, also called the cadastre: the public register of land, buildings and flats in Czechia, with their owners, liens and easements. Ownership and a mortgage lien arise only when they are entered in it.
Is it free to look up a property in the Czech land registry?
Yes. The ČÚZK viewer Nahlížení do katastru nemovitostí (nahlizenidokn.cuzk.gov.cz) is free and needs no registration. An official title-sheet extract is charged; through the ČÚZK remote-access service it costs CZK 100 per title sheet.
What do parts A to D of a title sheet mean?
A lists the owners and their shares, B the properties, C the rights that burden them, such as liens and easements, and D notes and pending-change flags (plomby). B1 shows rights that benefit the property, and E the documents behind the ownership entry.
Related terms
In-depth guide
Calculate your own situation
Instead of abstract definitions — enter your own parameters and see the result for yourself. No registration, no form, no salespeople.