All foreign nationals who are staying in Brno for longer than three months are obliged to pay the municipal “waste tax”, to the same amount as Czech citizens. The waste tax is CZK 900 per person per year, and should be paid before 31 May. Only children aged 3 and under or seniors over 70 do not have to pay.
Those arriving after 31 May should pay the fee within 15 days of their arrival.
The responsibility to pay the fee falls on individual residents, not landlords or property owners. If utilities are included in your rent, ask your landlord if they have also paid the waste tax (though this is not common). If not, you can follow the easy instructions below.
How to pay
Payments can be made online, via a two-step process:
Step one: Register
New residents should register online with the Environmental Department, through the BrnoID system, clicking on ‘Waste Tax’. BrnoID is a useful site and English-friendly, and also allows residents to prepay a šalinkarta (ie. public transport pass) online.
You can create an account with just an email address and password, and submit a form for reporting the stay of foreigners, including your family members.
- Foreigners don’t need a “rodné číslo” (Czech personal identification number) to register and pay at BrnoID.
- Residents who already registered in the past don’t have to register again – you can skip this step and proceed to the payment. Only report a change of address if necessary.
- If you are unsure whether you have registered in the past, you can check by calling +420 542 174 307 or +420 542 174 310 or by email at odpady@brno.cz. They will be able to look up your details in the registry or cross-check with the Foreign Police registry.
Step two: Pay
Once registered, you can pay:
- through the BrnoID eshop
- by bank transfer to the account number 111220022/0800. For the payment’s identification symbol (variabilní symbol), use your identification number (issued by the Czech Immigration office as rodné číslo) or your date of birth (in the format ddmmyyyy)
- in cash at Šumavská 35, building C, 3th floor (office hours)
Children up to three years of age and seniors over 70 years of age don’t have to pay. If your child reaches the age of 4 in the current year, the full year fee is payable.
If you arrive later in the year, you pay only for the number of remaining months until the end of the calendar year. (You came in June – you pay for 7 months, ie. 525 CZK)
Moving addresses?
Although the Brno waste collection fee is paid per person (and thus not connected with one particular address in Brno), it is advisable for foreigners to report any change of address, by emailing odpady@brno.cz.
De-register when leaving
When you finish your stay in Brno, remember to de-register. Fill in a form reporting the end of the stay of foreigners within 15 days of your departure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my landlord paying the waste collection fee for me?
- Your landlord doesn’t have the responsibility to do so. However, some landlords may do. Always ask them for evidence, such as information under what “variable symbol” number they paid, so your payment can be identified.
What if I arrived later in the year?
- Pay the appropriate share for the months you are staying, i.e. 900 CZK divided by 12 multiplied by the number of months remaining in the year. You must register and pay the fee within 15 days after the date of commencement or before the end of May.
What if I didn’t pay last year, and now I would like to repay?
- If you already owe for the previous year(s), you should add the appropriate sum to the current payment. You can pay it all at once to the same account with the same identification number.
I will be moving out before the end of the year. Can I pay less?
- Generally, you are obliged to pay the full year in advance and before moving out you can claim money back for the remaining months. However, if you sent a hard copy of the registration form with the final date of your stay written in and wired proportional amount, that would be accepted. This is not possible through the online form, though.
Do I have to de-register when leaving Brno or not staying in the following year?
- Yes. Otherwise, you would be expected to pay onward and your debt would be rise.
How do I de-register / check out?
- Fill in a form reporting the end of the stay of foreigners within 15 days of your departure. You can ask for a return of overpayment.
We live together with roommates. Do we have to pay for each one of us?
- Yes, the fee is for each individual.
I am moving out but somebody is taking my room. Can I let the fee stand or do we have to cancel one and register the other?
- You should have your money for the rest of the year reimbursed and the new tenant should register.
What if I don’t pay?
- You will be required to pay a fine up to three times the yearly fee; failure to pay can be enforced by the seizure of your property.
