Can My Apartment Key Fob Be Copied?
Almost certainly yes. Most fobs handed out by Prague building managers are unencrypted 125 kHz chips or MIFARE Classic, both of which can be copied in minutes. Here is how to tell what you have, what it costs, whether it is allowed, and what to do when the správce says no.
Check my fob — upload a photo- Most fobs
- Copyable in minutes
- Price
- 700 Kč, or 1 300 Kč MIFARE
- Legal
- Yes, if you hold the original
- Not copyable
- You pay nothing
The short answer, by fob type
- Plain plastic teardrop fob, any colour, no logo or a small "EM" / "HID" / "Paxton" mark: yes, this is a 125 kHz proximity fob. Copy takes minutes; 700 Kč.
- Fob or card marked MIFARE, or from a newer building with a flat black reader and a card that also opens the lift or gym: probably MIFARE Classic — yes, copyable; 1 300 Kč.
- Small round metal button on a plastic holder that you press against a metal ring on the door: an iButton (Dallas). Yes; 700 Kč.
- Card labelled DESFire, iCLASS SE, Seos or LEGIC; fob from a SALTO or Nedap system: usually no. These are designed to resist cloning. We will tell you from the photo.
Is it legal?
The fob was issued to you for access you are entitled to, and a copy gives you that same access — no more. Building rules (domovní řád) sometimes ask residents to request fobs from the manager; that is a house rule about administration, not a legal bar on copying, and it cannot override your right to use your own property.
What we will not do: copy a fob without its holder present, or copy from a photo or serial number. The person with the original is the person we copy for.
When the building manager refuses to issue a fob
This is the single most common reason people come to us — and none of it stops you copying the fob you already hold. The copy is identical to the reader and needs no registration; it keeps working until the building re-keys its readers, at which point everyone needs a new original from the manager, you included:
- A partner who is not registered at the address
- A second fob "not in the budget"
- An SVJ that only issues fobs at the annual meeting
- A manager nobody can reach
- A landlord who wants 1 500 Kč and three weeks
Will anyone be able to tell?
No. A copy carries the same identifier as the original; the reader cannot distinguish them. Modern systems that can — DESFire, Seos — are the ones we cannot copy in the first place, so there is no grey zone: either the copy is indistinguishable, or we tell you it is not possible.
What it costs and how long it takes
700 Kč for a standard 125 kHz fob or an iButton, 1 300 Kč for encrypted MIFARE, both done while you wait in about ten minutes at our workshop in Žižkov. If the fob turns out not to be copyable, or the copy does not open your door, nothing is charged.
Questions about this
Can you copy the fob to my phone instead?
Usually not. Phones cannot emulate 125 kHz fobs at all, and Android can only emulate a MIFARE Classic identifier under narrow conditions most building readers do not accept. A physical copy is the reliable option; a thin card in your wallet is the closest thing to "phone-sized".
My fob is cracked but still works. Can it still be copied?
Yes, as long as the reader still reads it — the chip and antenna inside are intact. Copy it before that changes; once the antenna breaks, the data is unreadable and no one can help.
Do I need to know what type my fob is?
No. Upload a photo of the front and we identify it. You will know the type and the price before you pick a time.
Can you copy a garage or parking fob?
If it is an RFID fob you hold to a reader — yes, same as a door fob. If it is a remote with a button that opens the gate from a distance, that is a radio transmitter, not RFID, and we do not copy those.