Czechia

Is Czechia safe to visit?

Yes. Czechia had 0.77 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, ranks 13th on the 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary and sits at Level 1 in the US State Department's system, where it calls the country generally safe. Its roads had their best year on record in 2025. We score it 88, level with Austria.

What visitors actually run into is petty crime and overcharging, almost all of it in Prague. The health picture also changed in 2025, with a sharp rise in hepatitis A.

Prague: pickpockets, money changers and taxis

Most foreign visitors spend most of their time in Prague, and it is where the risk is. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says petty theft is a problem in the main tourist areas and names three places: busy metro and bus routes from the airport, trams to Prague Castle, and the crowds in the old town. Simple theft made up 22% of the 34,853 crimes recorded in the city in 2025.

The scams are well known and easy to avoid once you know them:

• Men posing as plainclothes police who ask to see your passport and foreign currency. Czech police have no right to do this. Offer to walk to a police station, or call 112.
• Street money changers, whose notes are often counterfeit. Use a bank or exchange office, and since 2019 you can cancel an exchange within three hours.
• Taxis hailed on the street. Use a major company or an app, and check the rates on the door.
• Nightclubs with high "consumption" charges and cards that carry a large penalty if you lose them before paying.

The FCDO also warns of drink spiking in bars and clubs.

Violent crime and the 2023 university shooting

Serious violence is rare. Czech police statistics count attempts as well as completed killings, which makes their numbers look higher than the UNODC rate. On 21 December 2023 a student killed 14 people at Charles University's Faculty of Arts in Prague, the deadliest mass shooting in Czech history. It was not terrorism, and nothing like it has happened since. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary's terrorism wording for Czechia, "cannot be ruled out", is the mildest it uses, a step below Austria's and two below Germany's.

Health: hepatitis A and ticks

Healthcare in Prague and Brno is good, and tap water is safe. Two infections deserve attention. The State Health Institute (SZÚ) recorded 3,255 hepatitis A cases in 2025, according to preliminary figures, up from 636 in 2024. The virus spreads through contaminated food and water and close contact. CDC recommends the vaccine for unvaccinated travellers. Wash your hands before eating, especially at street stalls.

Ticks are the other one. Czechia logged 703 cases of tick-borne encephalitis in 2025, up from 680, and Lyme disease is common too. The risk is in forests, meadows and gardens from spring to autumn, including mushroom picking, a national pastime. Use repellent, check for ticks after walks and ask a doctor about the TBE vaccine if you will spend a lot of time outdoors.

Roads and floods

Czech police counted 421 road deaths in 2025, 17 fewer than in 2024 and the lowest since 1961, about 3.9 per 100,000 people. WHO's modelled estimate for 2019 was 5.9, and we score mainly on that. Speed was behind a third of the deaths, and 70 of the dead were pedestrians. In Prague, trams have right of way on zebra crossings and cannot stop quickly.

The drink-driving rule is strict: any alcohol at all can mean a fine of up to 50,000 koruna and loss of licence. Motorways need an electronic vignette, bought online before you drive.

Floods are the natural hazard to know. In September 2024 record rain sent rivers through towns in the Jeseníky mountains near the Polish border, cutting them off and destroying houses, and the worst-hit regions declared a state of emergency. Earlier floods in 1997 and 2002 hit Moravia and Prague. If you are hiking or camping near rivers during heavy rain, check warnings from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute.

How to stay safe in Czechia

• Carry your passport; police can fine you if you cannot show ID.
• Keep bags zipped and in front of you on the airport bus and castle trams.
• Change money at banks or cash machines, and choose to be charged in koruna.
• Book taxis through an app or a major company.
• Get vaccinated against hepatitis A, and use repellent in the countryside.
• Never drive after even one beer.
• Call 112 for any emergency. In Prague, read out the number on the nearest lamppost.

How we scored it

Violent crime (95) and conflict (91) are the strongest factors, backed by a top-15 peace ranking and the mildest FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary terrorism wording. Petty crime (76) is the weakest, driven by pickpocketing and scams in Prague. Health (87) loses points for the 2025 hepatitis A surge and widespread tick-borne disease.