How much can debt collectors take from my pay in Czechia?
Only part of your wage — the protected minimum must stay with you. From 1 January 2026 the basic non-seizable amount is CZK 14,101.50 a month, plus CZK 3,525.37 per dependent (spouse, children). From the remainder of net pay, ordinary debts take one third, priority claims (alimony, personal-injury compensation, taxes, insurance) take two thirds, and anything above the upper calculation base is seizable in full. What people don't know: child allowances, housing benefit and the birth grant cannot be seized, and a protected account stops the bank from freezing wages that were already garnished. With several executions the order decides — the deduction is not multiplied.
📋 The rules
- 2026 protected minimum: CZK 14,101.50 + 3,525.37/dependent
- Ordinary debts: 1/3 of the remainder; priority claims: 2/3
- Above the upper base: fully seizable
- Untouchable benefits: child allowance, housing benefit, birth grant
- Protected account: shields already-garnished wages in the bank
🔓 Exceptions
- Instalment agreements with the bailiff: often better than full garnishment
- Insolvency (debt relief): a separate regime with its own instalments
- Non-seizable benefits: child allowance, housing benefit and the birth grant stay untouched even during an execution
⚠️ Penalties & fines
This isn't a sanction topic, but consequences exist. Hiding income or working undeclared during an execution counts as obstructing an official decision — a criminal offence — and in debt relief it costs you the benefits and risks the court refusing to discharge the rest. An employer who fails to make the deductions is liable for the unwithheld amount themselves, so their goodwill won't help you. Without a protected account you also risk a double hit: the employer deducts from the wage and the bank freezes what lands in the account. An instalment deal with the bailiff usually beats full garnishment.
📎 Official sources
- Peníze.cz · Protected amount calculator (CS) →
- Dostupný advokát · Protected amount from Jan 2026 (CS) →
- ExekuceInfo · Garnishment calculation 2026 (CS) →
❓ Frequently asked
How much stays from CZK 30,000 net?
With one ordinary execution and no dependents, roughly 24 to 25 thousand crowns stay with you. A garnishment calculator gives the exact figure — you always keep the CZK 14,101.50 base plus the non-seizable share of the remainder.
What is a priority claim?
Alimony, personal-injury compensation, taxes and insurance — the debts where the state and the family come first. Two thirds of the remaining wage are deducted instead of one third, so twice as much leaves your pay as with an ordinary debt.
Can the bailiff empty my bank account?
An account can be frozen; only an amount up to three times the living minimum is protected and withdrawable once. That is why you set up a protected account for your already-garnished wage — the same money cannot be taken twice.
Can child benefits be taken?
No — child allowances, housing benefit and the birth grant are non-seizable and the bailiff may not touch them. If they end up frozen in an account anyway, demand their release and document where the money came from.
I have several executions at once. What happens?
The protected minimum stays with you regardless of how many there are — the deduction is not multiplied, only split. What decides is the order: the deducted amount is distributed among the creditors accordingly, with priority claims first.
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