Land and the cadastre

Arable land (orná půda)

In Czech: Orná půda

Arable land (orná půda) is a land type in the Czech land register used for growing crops. It belongs to the agricultural land fund (ZPF), so building on it is possible only once the zoning plan allows it and ZPF rules are met.

Also called: farmland, agricultural land, field, pole

What it means

Arable land, in Czech orná půda, is one of the land types the land register (katastr nemovitostí) records for each parcel. It is land that is regularly ploughed and used for cereals, rapeseed, maize and other crops. Like meadows or gardens, it belongs to the agricultural land fund (zemědělský půdní fond, ZPF), protected by Act No. 334/1992 Coll.

Arable land is bought by farmers, by people who see it as a long-term place for their money, and by those hoping the field will one day become a building plot. For the last group, the key point is that the land type alone does not decide whether you can build, and the road from field to house is usually long.

How it works in the Czech Republic

Under Section 9 of Act No. 334/1992 Coll., agricultural land may be used for non-agricultural purposes, such as building a house, only after consent to its removal from the ZPF has been granted, and levies for the removal are set under Section 11. The law also covers cases where consent is not needed; these conditions can change, so check them with the competent ZPF authority or a lawyer (as of October 2026).

Before that, the municipal zoning plan (územní plán) must allow building. A field outside areas designated for development stays agricultural, and changing the zoning plan is a process decided by the municipality, with no certainty about the outcome or how long it will take.

Arable land is often leased to a farmer under an agricultural lease (pacht). Before buying, find out whether a lease exists, how long it runs and how it can be ended, as this decides when you can actually use the land yourself.

Practical example

For example, you notice a 1.5 ha field just outside a village, offered for less than building plots nearby. The title deed records it as arable land, the zoning plan shows it as an agricultural area, and a local farming company works it under a pacht.

What to watch out for

  • Do not compare the price of arable land with building plots; without a zoning plan that allows building, it is farmland.
  • Find out whether the field is leased, to whom, for how long and how the lease can be ended.
  • Check in the zoning plan whether the plot is in an area designated for building.
  • Expect removal from the ZPF to mean another procedure and a levy.
  • Check access; a parcel in the middle of a large field may have no road of its own.

Frequently asked questions

Can I build a house on arable land?

Only if the zoning plan allows it and you obtain consent to remove the land from the ZPF, unless an exception applies. A building permit from the building office follows.

What is removal from the ZPF?

It means agricultural land is used for a non-agricultural purpose. It requires prior consent from the ZPF authority, and levies are set for the removal.

On Lovec-Realit.cz

  • Buildability of land (zastavitelnost)Buildability of land (zastavitelnost pozemku) describes whether and how much you can build on a plot. No single document decides it: it combines the zoning plan, land type, protection zones, flood zones, access and utilities.
  • Zoning plan (územní plán)A zoning plan (územní plán) is a municipality's main planning document. It sets where building is allowed, what each area may be used for and which conditions apply to development, so it is worth checking before buying land or a house.
  • Building plot (stavební pozemek)A building plot (stavební pozemek) is, under the Czech Building Act, a plot, part of a plot or a group of plots defined and designated for building. Whether you may really build on it depends mainly on the municipal zoning plan.
  • Parcel number (parcelní číslo)A parcel number (parcelní číslo) is the number under which the Czech land register records a specific plot within a cadastral area. There are building parcels marked st. and land parcels, often split with a slash, such as 512/3.
  • Access road (přístupová cesta)An access road (přístupová cesta) is the route from a public road or street to a plot or house. What matters is who owns it and on what basis you may use it, for example ownership, a co-ownership share or an easement.

Sources

Laws and official pages this text is based on (in Czech).

This text is for information only and has not yet been checked by a legal or financial expert. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Verify important details in the listed sources or with a professional.

Updated 25 October 2026

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