Czech Republic recognises the Provisional Approval of Tesla FSD Supervised System
The Ministry of Transport has recognised the provisional approval of the Tesla FSD Supervised driver assistance system issued by the Dutch type-approval authority RDW. By doing so, the Czech Republic joins the Netherlands and five other European countries. As a result of this decision, the system may also be used in the Czech Republic under the conditions set out in the provisional approval.
The decision follows several months of expert assessment of the available documentation, consultations and discussions conducted at both national and European levels. The Czech Republic is prepared to support further European efforts aimed at establishing a harmonised European framework for the use of the FSD Supervised system.
Over recent months, the Ministry of Transport has comprehensively examined the operation of the system and the conditions under which it was approved within the European Union. It participated in European-level discussions, reviewed the technical and operational documentation submitted as part of the European approval process and assessed its relevance for the Czech Republic's decision-making. The Ministry also consulted relevant institutions and professional organisations on technical matters and held discussions with representatives of Tesla Europe. Particular attention was paid to the system’s safety aspects, operational experience and the potential implications of its approval. Tesla FSD Supervised is an SAE Level 2 driver assistance system (partial driving automation). The driver must remain fully engaged in driving at all times, continuously supervise the system's operation and be prepared to take control immediately whenever necessary. Responsibility for operating the vehicle remains entirely with the driver.
"We approached the assessment of the system with due diligence. Our experts engaged with international partners as well as representatives of Tesla. Our primary focus was on safety, which is the key consideration in this matter. All currently available data and information convinced us to follow the example of the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and other countries and make this system available to users. The Czech Republic is among the European leaders in autonomous driving technologies. We want to create conditions that support their development and gradual deployment while maintaining appropriate safety standards and regulatory oversight," says Ivan Bednárik, Minister of Transport.
During the European discussions held over the past several months, the amount of available information and practical experience with the system increased significantly. Additional documentation addressing technical issues that had initially been the subject of expert debate also became available. For the Czech Republic, clarification of specific questions relating to safety and real-world operation was a decisive factor in the decision-making process.
Among the principal issues examined by the Ministry of Transport were compliance with speed limits, the interpretation of road signs and traffic regulations, system performance in a variety of traffic situations, and the level of driver control over the vehicle.
In the early stages of the European discussion, particular attention was given to matters related to the so-called speed offset and contextual speed functions, namely the way in which the system handles speed limits and responds to specific traffic situations. Further expert debate focused on the driver monitoring system, its ability to require active driver supervision and the mechanisms designed to prevent use of the system in ways that would be inconsistent with the approval conditions.
Over subsequent months, the Ministry received access to additional technical information, operational experience from Member States where the system is already in use, and further documentation discussed within European cooperation structures. This information made it possible to conduct a more detailed assessment of the system and to clarify several issues that had been subject to professional debate during the initial phase of the European discussion.
Practical experience from countries that had already recognised the provisional approval also played an important role, as did the growing body of information available throughout the year regarding the system’s performance under European operating conditions. At the same time, the Ministry verified how incidents are monitored and what mechanisms the manufacturer has in place for the continuous evaluation of system performance.
The Ministry of Transport based its decision on the provisional approval issued by the Dutch approval authority RDW, documentation available through European administrative cooperation mechanisms, information obtained during discussions at EU level, and expert consultations conducted within the Czech Republic.
The provisional EU type approval for the Tesla FSD Supervised system was issued by the Dutch approval authority RDW on 10 April 2026 in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/858. The Ministry of Transport recognised this approval pursuant to Article 39 of that Regulation, thereby allowing the system to be used in the Czech Republic under the specified conditions.