Moving to Czech Republic: A guide to Czech Visas and permits

Are you moving to the Czech Republic and know nothing about Czech visas and permits?

Then you are on a good address, because we prepared for you a definitive guide regarding information from moving to the Czech Republic up to obtaining permanent residence. (All information written here are especially for third country nationals.).

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Are you a third country national?

A third country national is a person whose state is not a member of the European Union nor these states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Members of the European Union: Czech Republic, Slovakia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Malta, Romania, Hungary, Finland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Italy, Ireland, Croatia, France, Poland, Estonia Austria, Slovenia, Sweden, Belgium, Spain and Bulgaria.

Residency types in the Czech Republic – short-term residence, long-term residence and permanent residence

The Czech legislation specifies more types of residence for foreigners in the Czech Republic. The first type specified is the short-term residence determined for ninety days stay. Another one is the long-term visa and long-term residence for more than ninety days and as a last one permanent residence for citizens, who have decided to stay in the Czech Republic.

Short-term residence – 90 days for every 180 days

Long-term Visa – from 90 days to 6 months

Long-term residence – for more than 90 days

Permanent residence – for 10 years, can be extended

Duties after arrival to the Czech Republic

Every third country national, who comes to Czech Republic is obliged to report his presence at the appropriate department of Foreign Police. It has to be done during three days after the arrival.

Addresses of single police departments can be found here.

The Report duty for foreigners

For fulfilling the report duty it is necessary to have the valid passport and filled registration form, which you can find in every Foreign Police department.

A police officer is authorized to ask you to submit the valid travel health insurance with the proof of his payment.

When am I not obliged to report my presence?

The report duty of presence is not related to people younger than 15 years and for people who have satisfied this obligation their accommodation provider.

Note: If you are accommodated in the hotel, your report duty has to be satisfied by your hotel.

Short-term residence in the Czech Republic

Short-term residence is residence for less than 90 days in every 180 days. The beginning of residence is counted on the day of the arrival check-in and contrary day of the checkout is counted as a last day of your residence.

It is important to note that the period of single residences in the Schengen area of other states is summed with residence in the territory of the Czech Republic. So, every citizen is obliged to leave the area at the last day of trip, when he fulfills the condition to not exceed 90 days.

Short-term residence is divided to those not subjected to a visa requirement and those subjected to a visa requirement. Summary of the states with which has the Czech Republic bilateral agreement can be found here.

Warning! Those not subjected to a visa requirement are not here for work purposes

Citizens of states with which Czech Republic has the bilateral agreement are not allowed to perform profit-making activity. Because for purposes of work you have to ask for a short-term Visa.

Application for short-term Visa in the Czech Republic

The application for the short term visa has to be submitted by the applicant personally. For children younger than 15 years it has to be submitted by their legal representative.

Where do I ask for a short-term visa?

The Application for the short-term visa can be submitted in every embassy of the Czech Republic.

If you plan to travel around the states of the Schengen area (for example because of scientific Conference) it is necessary to ask for a visa in the state, where you spend the longest time.

When can I ask for a short-term visa?

The application can be submitted three months before leaving your country.

The application processing time is around 15 days. It is better to send it earlier than 15 days before leaving your country. Thus you could receive on the latest day of leaving.

Application for a short-term visa in the Czech Republic – important documents

When applying for a short-term visa it is important to choose the right purpose of travel according to which you attach other documents bound with it. For purposes of travel we distinguish between these groups:

Tourism
Business
Cultural or sport event
Invitation
Study in Czech republic or scientific research
Employment or other profit-generating activity

Elementary documents, which you have to attach to the application

Valid passport
Filled form (you can find here)
2 Photos
Biometric data – fingerprints
Travel health insurance documents
Documents which proved
Travel purpose
Accommodation
Financial resources
Intention to leave CZ or Schengen area
Receipt of payment the application

The reasons for not granting a visa

In the case of not being granted a visa you have the possibility to send a request for reassessing the reasons for why you didn’t pass.

The reassessing form can be sent immediately after receiving the justification for non-granting visa after that you have exactly 15 days for appeal.

I am moving to the Czech Republic and I want to stay longer than 90 days

If you plan to lengthen your residence in the Czech Republic, you have three options

Become a holder of a long-term visa
Obtain a long-term residence
Obtain a permanent residence

The long-term visa in the Czech Republic

The long-term visa is issued for the purpose of residence exceeding 90 days, but not exceeding a period of 6 months. For the purpose of the long-term visa we vary:

Study – This purpose is for an exchange student but if you plan to study in the Czech Republic for a longer period ask directly for a permanent residence
Employment – from the year 2014 this purpose was replaced by an employee card.
Business
Family reunification
Invitation
Cultural or sport

What is an employee card?

An employee card is a new type of permission for long-term residents. The foreigner, who is a holder of an employee card can live in the Czech Republic and also work in a company in which an employee card was issued.

The employee card is a replacement for the long-term visa for employment purposes.

Where to ask for a long-term visa?

The application for a long-term visa is possible to submit at a Czech embassy abroad. The application form can be found here.

When can I ask for long-term visa?

The application for a long-term visa can be submitted if the purpose of your visit is still the same as for a short-term visa. It is possible to submit long-term visa from the earliest 90 days and the latest 14 days before expiration of a short-term visa.

The application for a long-term visa in the Czech Republic

– necessary documents

Valid passport
Two photos
Document proving accommodation in the Czech Republic
Document proving purpose of residence
Document proving financial resources

On demand documents

Document proving none previous convictions
Medical report proving none illness

Long-term residence in the Czech Republic

Long-term residence is determined for foreigners who intend to stay on the territory of the Czech Republic for longer than 6 months.

It is important to vary between a long-term visa and long-term residence. (A long-term visa is only for less than 6 months).

For an application you can ask in the Czech Republic and also in the Czech embassy abroad. The purposes of an application are:

Studying
Scientific work
Employment
Business
Family reunification

The application for long-term residence is issued in the form of biometric card.

What is a blue card?

A blue card is the special type of long-term residence for foreigners who work where it is necessary to have a very high qualification.

A highly qualified person is somebody with a university diploma or with special education which lasted at least three years.

Where can I ask for a long-term residence?

The application for long-term residence could only be submitted personally in the office of Ministry of Interior. (For study and scientific purposes it could be done in the Czech embassy abroad).

When can I ask for a long-term residence?

To submit the application for a long term residence it is only possible if you have fulfilled these three points.

You are a holder of a short-term visa
You plan to stay in the Czech Republic longer than 6 months
The purpose of your stay is the same as it was at the beginning (exemption for family reunification, scientific and study purposes and blue card).

The application for long-term residence in the Czech Republic

The application has to be written in Czech language or officially translated.

It is also important that all documents attached must be no older than 180 days except for your passport.

Documents, which you have to attach to the application for long-term residence

a) Travel document,
b) Proof of accommodation,
c) 2 photographs; not valid if a pictorial record has been taken of you,
d) proof of finance – a document proving that your aggregate monthly income alongside all persons residing in the Czech Republic with you will not be lower than the sum amount of the subsistence minimum for you and all persons assessed together with you and the highest amounts of standard costs for accommodation specified for the purpose of a contribution for accommodation by a special legal regulation, or the amount which you can credibly prove as an amount of reasonably justified costs for accommodation of yourself and all persons assessed together with you;
e) A document confirming the entry into the pertinent business register, list or record,
f) Confirmation from the relevant Tax Authority that you do not have any tax arrears and confirmation from the District Social Security Administration recording any debts of social security fees and fees for state employment policy including any fines. If you are not a taxable entity or a payer of social security insurance fees and contributions for state employment policy, you shall submit a document issued by the Tax Authority of the Czech Republic and/or by the District Social Security Administration to that effect,
g) if you are the statutory body of a company or cooperative or its member, then a further confirmation from the relevant Tax Authority that the company or cooperative do not have any tax arrears and a confirmation from the Social Security Administration that this company or cooperative does not have any payable debts for social security insurance and contributions to state employment policy, including fines,
h) Upon request an income tax assessment,
I) upon request extract from the Penal Register record,
j) Upon request a medical report, that you do not have a serious illness (only if there is reasonable suspicion)
k) A document on travel medical insurance, and upon request a document on having paid the insurance premium.

Permanent residence in the Czech Republic

The permission to permanent residence is issued after 5 years of continuous residence.

Travelling out of the country for work purposes are not counted in this time.

Residence for the purpose of studying is counted only as a one half.

When can I ask for permanent residence?

The application can be submitted if you fulfill these three points

5 years continuous residence in the territory of the Czech Republic
Criminal probity
Proof of financial resources

Where can I ask for a permanent residence?

The application for a permanent residence has to be submitted at the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic – always personally.

The application for a permanent residence in the Czech Republic

The application form for a permanent residence can be found here.

All documents attached to the permanent residence form has to be written in Czech language or officially translated. Be careful during the filling of the application because there mustn’t be any incorrect information if there were any, your application could be rejected.

The application for a permanent residence – necessary documents

Valid passport
Two photos
Document proving accommodation in the Czech Republic
Document proving purpose of residence
Document proving financial resources
Document proving none previous convictions
Document proving successful Czech language examination
Document proving 5 years of continuous residence in the CZ

Granting of a permanent residence

If the permit is approved, then you will be contacted by a worker of the Ministry of Interior. He will inform you to take over biometric card.

If he couldn’t get through you, you would receive notification by post on address, which you written on the application form.

The reasons for not granting a permanent residence

In the case of not being granted a permanent residence you have the possibility to appeal against it during 15 days after receiving.

The appeal has to be send via registered letter or delivered personally then Ministry of Interior makes reassessment.

Revoking a permanent residence

A permanent residence can be if you commit a crime in the Czech Republic or in the Schengen area. Permanent residence is also revoked if you are out of the Czech Republic for more than 6 years or more than 1 year from the Schengen area.

Resources:

http://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/information_for_aliens/visa_form/index.html
http://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/
http://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/application-forms.aspx