Residence, Visa
Entry Formalities, Residence Visa
The conditions regulating the residence of foreigners in the Czech Republic, the entry in and exit from the Czech Republic are set out in Act no. 326/1999 Coll., on Residence of Foreigners in the Czech Republic.
Under this Act, a foreigner is deemed to be a person other than a citizen of the Czech Republic (including non EU, EU and EEC citizens).
The governmental authorities of the Czech Republic exercising powers related to the residence of foreigners in the Czech Republic include, in particular, the Aliens Police and the Border Police, the Czech Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the individual diplomatic and consular offices abroad.
At the end of September, there was adopted new Amendment of the Aliens law. The Amendment adopted mostly changes regarding the family reunification, stay of unaccompanied children and the care of these ( Article XII.
One of the most important changes lays in procedure of the authorization of the work and authorization of the stay at the territory.
Visas Overview
Visas are NOT required by nationals of the following countries:
(a) United Kingdom (U.K.) for stays up to 180 days;
(b) E.U. countries, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Salvador, San Marino, Switzerland, Uruguay, USA, Vatican City & Venezuela for stays up to 90 days;
(c) Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania & Singapore for stays up to 30 days.
(a) Travelers not requiring a visa may be asked at the border to prove they are carrying a minimum of £20 per day.
(b) Travelers with a visa must register with the police within 3 working days of arrival to the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic is now part of the EU but the visas issued by the Czech Republic are national and not Schengen visas. Therefore Schengen visas cannot be used for entering the Czech Republic and Czech visas do not allow aliens to enter the territories of other EU member states. All aliens who require a visa when travelling to the Czech Republic must therefore have a valid Czech visa, corresponding to the purpose and length of their stay in the country.
Foreigner who travels to the Czech Republic has to apply for the visa from outside the Czech Repubic ( i.e. at the Embassy of the Czech Republic). Regarding the type of the visa he/she must also provide the following neccessary documents and information :
For Visa up to 90 days he/she must also provide travel documents, 1 photo, invitation to the Czech Republic or finance resources for stay and accommodation in the Czech Republic. He/she has to have arranged health insurance for the stay at the territory.
For Visa over 90 days he/she must provide also 1 photo, travel document, a document certifying the purpose of residence (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate, work permit or registration number of request for work permit), a document certifying that the applicant possesses sufficient funds to stay in the Czech Republic (i.e. a document proving the applicant’s ability to pay a monthly amount of at least the double of the official subsistence minimum, or a certificate proving that these funds will be allocated from public budgets), an extract from the Czech Criminal Register and a similar document issued by authorities of the applicant’s home state and the countries of the applicant’s residence in excess of six months in the past three years, a document proving that the applicant has secured accommodation in the Czech Republic. He/she has to have arranged health insurance for the stay at the territory.
Foreigners residing in the Czech Republic based on residence visa issued for up to 90 days or based on a long-term residence visa are required to report the beginning, the place and the expected duration of the stay to the police within 3 days upon entering Czech Republic.
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Residence at the territory of the Czech Republic
The Aliens Law provides for two regimes of residence: temporary residence and permanent residence.
Foreigner may temporarily reside in the Czech Republic:
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without a visa – mostly EU citizen and citizen of the state with a special agreement
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on the basis of a short-term visa (vizum B – transit viza, vizum C – up to 90 days, joined Schengen vizum) , long-term visa ( visa D over 90 days, long term vizum D and C) diplomatic visa or a special visa
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on the basis of a temporary residence permit
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on the basis of the exit order
A foreigner may pernamently reside in the Czech Republic:
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on the basis of having stayed in the Czech Republic for 5 uninterrupted years on the basis of long-term visa (then he may apply for a permanent residence permit).
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on the basis of the decision of the respective state institution of the special child´s care
Residence of EU Citizens and their Families in the Czech Republic
The residence of EU citizens in the Czech Republic is governed by other rules than those governing the residence of third country foreigners. The following text contains some basic information on permanent or temporary residence permits and on the procedures that must be completed to acquire these permits.
The residence of EU citizens and their families in the Czech Republic is governed by special provisions of the Aliens Law. Under the law, the members of an EU citizen’s family include his/her husband or wife, children under 21 years of age and unprovided direct relatives (children, parents) or relatives of the EU citizen’s husband or wife. Applications for the issue of a residence permit are filed either at a Czech diplomatic mission or at the local office of the Aliens Police.
Temporary Residence Permit
EU citizens may apply for a temporary residence permit if they intend to stay in the Czech Republic for more than three months. The following must be attached to the application: a copy of the applicant’s passport, a photograph, a document certifying the stay’s purpose, certificate of health insurance policy, and a sworn statement that the applicant will not claim social benefits during his/her stay in the Czech Republic (unless the purpose of his/her stay is employment or business).
A member of the EU citizen’s family may apply for a temporary residence permit under similar conditions if the EU citizen has already filed his/her application or if he/she resides in the Czech Republic under a temporary residence permit.
Permanent Residence Permit
EU citizens will be granted a permanent residence permits by the police upon the citizen’s application, in cases stipulated by the law. The permit will be issued, in particular, if the EU citizen:
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is employed in the Czech Republic and stays here for more than three uninterrupted years
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exercises the powers of a legal entity’s corporate body in the Czech Republic
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makes business in the Czech Republic
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has reached retirement age and had carried out any of the activities listed above at least 12 months before he/she filed the permanent residence permit application
The law further provides for other specific cases allowing EU citizens to apply for a permanent residence permit.
The following must be attached to the application: a copy of the applicant’s passport, a certificate confirming that all the statutory conditions for granting the permanent residence permit have been met, and a photograph of the applicant.
The police will issue a permanent residence permit to the EU citizen’s relative upon the relative’s request, provided that the application has been filed by his/her relative – an EU citizen, or by a surviving relative of an EU citizen having been employed in the Czech Republic, having exercised the powers of a legal entity’s corporate body or having made business in the Czech Republic, on the condition that all other statutory conditions have been met.
Validity of Residence Permit Certificates
Temporary residence permit certificates are issued for various periods of validity depending on the validity of the purpose, for which the temporary residence permit is issued, the duration of this period ranging from several months (the minimum period) to five years (employment, business). The validity of the permit may be repeatedly extended.
Permanent residence permit certificates are issued for the period of ten years; the validity of these permits may be, again, repeatedly extended.
Generally, the validity period of residence permit certificates issued to family members corresponds to the validity period of permits issued to the EU citizens being the holders of a residence permit certificate.
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