Probation period (zkušební doba) and mortgages
The probation period is the initial part of employment during which both employer and employee can end it without giving a reason. It is governed by § 35 of the Labour Code (Act No. 262/2006 Coll.); it lasts at most 4 months, or 8 months for managerial employees. Most banks do not count income during probation for a mortgage because it is not secure; some accept it after 3 months with the employer's confirmation.
Example
An applicant with a net income of CZK 60,000 would otherwise qualify for a mortgage of roughly CZK 5,000,000 over 30 years at 5.00 %. But in June she joins a new company with a four-month probation period. A bank that does not recognise income during probation will turn her down until October; a bank that accepts income after 3 months with the employer's confirmation may accept her application in September.
In practice
If you are planning both a purchase and a job change, get the mortgage approved and drawn before you hand in your notice. The bank may ask for a fresh income confirmation before drawdown, so changing jobs between signing and drawdown can put the payout at risk. Keeping a move to a new company quiet does not work, as the bank sees it from statements and confirmations anyway.
How it differs
During the notice period (výpovědní doba) employment is ending, and the bank does not count the income at all; during probation a new job is just beginning. A fixed-term contract that ends sooner than the period the bank allows for in its creditworthiness assessment is similarly risky in the bank's eyes.
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