Is your fixed rate ending? What to do six months ahead

30 September 2026

Between 2026 and 2028, fixed rates end on Czech mortgages worth hundreds of billions of crowns every year. People who leave it to the last minute usually sign whatever the bank sends. Here is what you can do earlier.

Why it matters now

According to the Czech National Bank, fixed rates end on mortgages worth about CZK 470 billion in 2026, CZK 530 billion in 2027 and over CZK 600 billion in 2028.

This year it is mostly the cheap fixed rates from 2020 and 2021, at around 2 to 3 %. The CNB expects monthly payments to rise by about 15 % on average. The jump will be smaller in the following years, but even more fixed rates will end (CNB, May 2026, in Czech).

What happens when the fixed rate ends

Your bank sends you an offer with a new rate. You can accept it, negotiate a better one, or move the mortgage to another bank, which is called refinancing.

At the end of the fixed period, you can repay or move the mortgage without a penalty. Czech consumer credit law also allows free repayment within three months of being notified of the new rate.

If you do nothing, the mortgage usually continues at the rate the bank offered.

What to do six months ahead

• Find the exact end date of your fixed rate in your contract.
• Check the outstanding balance and how many years you have left to repay.
• Think about what monthly payment you could manage if it went up.
• Prepare proof of income. A new bank will ask for it again (documents checklist).
• Consider the length of the new fixed period. Shorter means the rate changes more often, longer means certainty for longer.
• Don't leave it to the last few weeks. Moving to another bank takes weeks, not days.

What to watch out for

• Term. The CNB recommends that banks do not extend the final maturity beyond the original one when refinancing. A lower payment in exchange for a longer term is therefore usually not on offer.
• Borrowing more. If you want to borrow more when refinancing, the bank assesses it almost like a new loan, including the CNB limits on your own funds.
• Insurance. Moving to another bank often changes property or payment protection insurance too. Check what stays and what ends.

This article is general and educational, not a loan offer or a recommendation of any product. Figures as of September 2026.