How to move your capital in Crusader Kings 3 (CK3)

Your capital is vital in Crusader Kings 3 as it should always be defended, can never be destroyed, and always goes to your primary heir. Because of its importance, you might choose to move it to a more suitable location.

It’s important to note your capital can only move under certain conditions during your Crusader Kings 3 campaign. You want to ensure you meet these conditions and think carefully about how you apply them. If you do it to a location and are unsatisfied with it, your empire’s capital might be stuck there until the next ruler comes along.

How changing your capital works in Crusader Kings 3

You can move your empire’s capital in Crusader Kings 3 by selecting the next province you want to go to, opening the examine menu, selecting the “Move Realm Capital here” option, and confirming the choice. You can do this to any major territory you own in your empire, so long as your ruler is not traveling or at war. They need to be in their current capital to make this decision.

Shortly before you confirm the move, a notification appears on your screen saying that some buildings in your previous location may become inactive. You can see the buildings you’ve created in your realm by clicking on the county and looking at the building icons on the lower right of the menu. If a building is inactive, a red exclamation point is floating above it on the upper left, and you may have to switch some domains depending on whether you’re over your limit.

Typically, a Realm Capital cannot be moved around after you’ve made this decision. You can only do this once per lifetime for a ruler in Crusader Kings 3. However, you may be able to move your Realm Capital again if you move it back to a de jure capital.

You want to pick and choose your Realm Capital carefully in Crusader Kings 3. There are multiple benefits to choosing a powerful one, and you want to give your empire as many benefits as possible as you slowly build your way up to creating a powerful legacy.