Proof of funds for the purposes of a long-term residence
A) Long-term residence (for example for the purpose of studies)
The information provided in this section do not concern long-term residence for the purpose of family unification, a resident of another EU Member State and business.
The amount of financial resources required for the purposes of a long-term residence
A foreign national is obliged to prove the availability of funds that are 15 times the amount of the existential minimum (in accordance with the Government Regulation No. 436/2022 Coll., as of January 1st, 2023 the following minimum is equal to 3 130 CZK) for the first month and double the amount of existential minimum for every month afterwards, i.e. for instance:
1 semester - for a stay from September 1st until February 28th it would be (15 * 3 130) + (5 * 2 * 3 130) = 46 950 + 31 300 = 78 250 CZK.
1 year - for a stay from September 1st until August 31st it would be (15 * 3 130) + (11 * 2 * 3 130) = 46 950 + 68 860 = 115 810 CZK.
A foreign national under 18 years proves the availability of half the amount.
Means of demonstrating availability of funds for the purposes of a long-term residence
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A bank account statement for an account maintained in a bank or other financial institution (not necessarily a bank or financial institution licensed to operate its business solely in the territory of the Czech Republic) in the foreign national`s name indicating that he/she is free to use the finances in the required amount during his/her stay in the territory of the Czech Republic. The submitted document must clearly indicate that the foreign national is entitled to use the requisite funds in the Czech Republic. Should it not be clear that the foreign national has the requisite financial resources at his/her disposal (e.g. in case of a foreign bank account), he/she will be required to provide further evidence, e.g. an internationally recognised payment card issued for the bank account upon request.
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Another document on financial security demonstrating that the foreign national has the required amount of financial resources at his/her disposal, or that he/she has secured funds to cover the costs associated with his/her stay in the territory.
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A valid internationally recognized payment card, as long as it is not exempt from use in the Czech Republic. Upon request of an administrative body, the foreigner is obliged to simultaneously submit a statement from a bank account maintained in a bank or other financial institution, indicating that he/she is free to use the finances in the specified amount during his/her stay in the territory.
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A foreign national who will study in the Czech Republic (i.e. who is applying for a residence permit for the purpose of “studies” pursuant to § 64 of the ARFN) can submit the proof of funds in form of a pledge issued by a state body or legal entity that they will secure the foreign national’s stay in the Czech Republic by providing financial means amounting to the existential minimum for 1 month of the expected stay, or a document that all of the costs associated with his/her stay will be covered by the recipient organisation (school). If the amount in the pledge does not cover the amount required by the law, the foreign national is obliged to submit a document proving he/she has the financial resources amounting to the difference between the existential minimum and the pledge for the period of the expected stay, at most, however, 6 times the amount of the existential minimum. The document on securing funds for the stay can be substituted for by a decision or contract on awarding a grant obtained on the basis of an international agreement by which the Czech Republic is bound. Proof of funds submitted in this manner cannot be used for an application for a long-term visa for the purpose "other".
Proof of funds in the abovementioned amount can be substituted for by a document confirming that the costs associated with the foreigner national`s stay in the Czech Republic have already been covered, or that services will be provided free of charge, or by a letter of invitation verified by the foreign police.
B) Long-term residence (for the purpose of family unification, business, and a resident of an EU member state)
In this case, funds for the stay are proven specifically on the basis of special provisions of the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals, that being by submitting a document on the aggregate monthly income of the foreign national and the persons appraised with him/her residing in the Czech Republic (on the aggregate monthly income of the family after unification, if it concerns long-term residence for the purpose of family unification).
The amount of the aggregate monthly income of the foreign national and the persons appraised with him/her, may not be lower than the sum of the amounts for the existential minimum for the foreign national and the persons appraised with him/her (family members) according to the below criteria and the corresponding amount of the normative costs for housing or the amount of actually proven housing costs.
Income is deemed such income that is in accordance with the Act on Living and Subsistence Minimum, with the exception of a one-off salary, child benefits, unemployment benefits, requalification benefits and benefits within the system of assistance in material need. Section 8 Clause 2 and 4 of the Act on Living and Subsistence Minimum shall not be used for the purpose of counting salary.
For these purposes, it is necessary to prove the aggregate monthly income of a foreign national, which also meets the requirements of a regular and continuous income. Thus, the submission of a single account statement on the account’s balance cannot be considered proof of such an income.
Required aggregate monthly income for the purposes of the application:
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Long-term residence for the purposes of family unification - corresponds to the sum of all incomes of the applicant and his/her family, who will reside with him in the territory of the Czech Republic after the long-term residence permit is granted.
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Long-term residence of a resident of an EU member state - a document must be submitted on the income of the foreigner as well as of all jointly appraised persons that have an income.
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Long-term residence for the purposes of business - a document must be submitted on the income of the foreigner as well as of all jointly appraised persons that have an income.
Document on the income of other family members is not required in case the applicant´s income fully covers the amount required by the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals.
Jointly assessed persons are:
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parents and minor dependent children,
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spouses or partners; a partner is also understood to be a partner, with whom a citizen of an EU Member State has entered into a registered partnership on the basis of the legal regulations of another EU Member State, if these legal regulations govern the mutual maintenance obligations between the partners,
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parents and
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minor children that are not dependent,
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adult children, if these children live together with their parents in a flat; this does not apply in a case when these adult children are jointly appraised with a spouse or partner or with a person with whom they live in the flat (if they do not declare in writing that they do not live together permanently and do not cover the costs for their needs jointly),
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other persons that live together in a flat, with the exception of persons that prove, that they do not live together permanently and do not cover the costs for their needs jointly, if these persons that are jointly appraised with the foreign national reside in the territory.
If the applicant is a parent of a minor dependent child, who has been entrusted to the custody of the other parent by a decision of a relevant authority, this child is not appraised with the applicant.
If the applicant is a child that lives in a joint household with just one parent, the other parent is not a jointly appraised person. For the purposes of the application, alimentary payments paid to the child by the other parent, who does not live with the child in a joint household, are counted as the child’s income.
Family members for the purposes of long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification:
- Spouses
- Parents and minor children
- Parents and adult dependent children (until June 30th, 2023)
- Single parent of a foreigner with a residence permit or of a foreigner who cannot take care of himself/herself for health reasons
The amount of the subsistence minimum
A foreign national who is not appraised jointly with other persons.
In accordance with the Government Regulation No. 436/2022 Coll., as of January 1st, 2023 the following amount of the subsistence minimum for an individual is equal to 4 860 CZK a month.
A foreign national who is appraised jointly with other persons.
In this case, the amounts of the existential minimum are stepped according to the order of the persons. The order of the persons appraised is determined so that persons who are not dependent children are appraised first followed by dependent children. Within each of these groups of appraised persons, the order is determined by age from the oldest to the youngest person. The decisive age of a person for determining the amount of the existential minimum is the age of the person in the calendar month during which the existential minimum is ascertained.
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The amount of the subsistence minimum of a person who is determined to be first in order is CZK 4 470 a month.
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The monthly amount of the subsistence minimum of a person who is determined to be second in order is
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CZK 4 040 for a person over 15 years, who is not a dependent child,
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CZK 3 490 for a dependent child from 15 to 26 years,
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CZK 3 050 for a dependent child from 6 to 15 years
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CZK 2 480 for a dependent child under 6 years.
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Costs for housing
In accordance with the Act No. 450/2022 Coll., the highest amount of normative costs for housing since January 1st, 2023 is:
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CZK 18 129 for one person and/or for two people in a family
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CZK 20 812 for three people in a family
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CZK 24 995 for four and more people in a family
If the foreign national credibly proves that for his/her housing and, if needs be, that of the persons jointly appraised (family members) he/she invests a different amount than that determined as the amount of normative costs for housing, the necessary monthly income is calculated by adding the amounts of the existential minimums (see above) and the actually proven housing costs.
Housing costs are formed from the rent or another amount paid for the provision of housing and further the costs for gas, electricity, water, waste water and central heating or for solid fuel, if these costs are not included in the rent for the flat or another room intended for housing or, if needs be into the amount paid for accommodation.
Form of documents proving a foreign national’s income (or the persons appraised with him/her)
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If it concerns income from employment - an employer`s confirmation of a specific amount as the average net monthly salary for the previous quarter, which must amount to a specified sum, and an original or notarised copy of a valid work contract (or an employer`s confirmation of the fact that the employee is not in the notice period and that he continues being employed). Submission of a work contract for a “postee employee“ can be substituted by submitting an assignment letter of the “parent“ employer, to whom he/she was posted. The employer’s confirmation of the specific amount of the average net monthly wage can also be substituted by wage slips for the pertinent period, if, however, they have value as evidence and are meaningful.
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If it concerns income from business (e.g. from a trade, shares in profits of p.l.c. partners or general partners of a special partnership) - a payment assessment of income tax set by the tax administrator for the last tax period (ex officio or upon request by the tax subject) in accord with § 140/3 of Act No. 280/2009 Coll., the Tax Code. It is further necessary, for the purposes of determining the net income of the given person, to submit a document from the district social security administration on the amount paid to social security insurance and the state employment policy for the pertinent tax period, and further, if it concerns a document on a person that is a subscriber to public health insurance (e.g. a foreign national with permanent residence as a jointly appraised person, family member), it is also necessary to submit a document on the amount paid to the General Health Insurer.
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If it concerns a person who has income from the profits of a commercial company (a partner in a p.l.c., a shareholder in a joint stock company, a general partner in a special partnership) or cooperative, of which he/she is a partner (income from capital assets) - an extract from the general meeting of the commercial company or the membership meeting of a cooperative, from which the division of profits between partners is clear, and a document on paying tax on the basis of a special tax rate pursuant to § 36/2 of the Act on Income Tax (pdf, 462 kB).
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If it concerns a person who is a statutory body or member of a statutory body of a legal entity (e.g. an executive of a p.l.c., a board member or chair of a cooperative, etc.) or of a different body of a legal entity and he/she has income solely from this position (income from employment and benefits) - a confirmation from the pertinent legal entity on the amount of the average net monthly wage and a document from which the right to a bonus and its amount or the manner of remuneration is clear. In case of commercial corporations such document may be (in particular an agreement on the performance of a function pursuant to § 66/259 and 60 of the Act on Commercial Corporations). However such agreements concluded before January 1st, 2014 should have been adapted to the Act on Commercial Corporations till July 1st, 2014 otherwise the performance of a function is non-remunerated. In case the agreement on the performance of a function was not concluded it is possible to provide or an extract from the general meeting of the company or the membership meeting (or, for instance, the decision of a sole partner of a p.l.c. replacing the extract from the general meeting), or an internal company rule from which the setting of bonuses for the pertinent member of the statutory body or other body of a legal entity is clear).
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If it concerns a person who, as a member of a cooperative, a partner or an executive of a p.l.c. or general partner of a special partnership, carries out work for the company and receives an income from this (income from employment and benefits) - a confirmation from the pertinent legal entity on the amount of the average net monthly wage and a document from which the right to a bonus and its amount or the manner of remuneration is clear (e.g. a work contract, if it concerns a labour relation with the company or cooperative).
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Confirmation on the transferral of benefits paid by the state of which the foreign national is a citizen or another state, which pays him/her such benefits.
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If it concerns incomes that cannot be proven otherwise (e.g. by one of the ways given above) it is possible to submit statements from an account held in a bank or other financial institution in the foreign national’s name, proving regular and constant monthly income for at least the last 6 months (this can concern, for instance, an entrepreneur starting up, who has not yet submitted a tax return and thus cannot submit the payment assessment of income tax - he/she can, thus, submit an extraordinary year-end closing, if he/she has completed one pursuant to the Accounting Act, and account statements).
In the case of persons with business income who have registered for the so-called flat-rate tax, it is necessary to also provide a proof of registration in the flat-rate tax system from which their participation in the system is clear, a tax record (which may be a special financial statement or an accounting journal with the record of incomes and expenses) for the period of at least past 6 months together with bank statements from an account in the foreigner's name at a bank or another financial institution proving a regular and stable monthly income for the same period for which the tax record was provided.
The statement about release of duty of confidentiality of Tax Office
Upon request on Administrative Authority a foreigner is on request obliged to submit the declaration of release obligation of secrecy of the Tax Office, in full range of data, in purpose of verification aggregate monthly income of the family; if a foreigner submitted the document to the request of income of the family member, he/she is on request also obliged to submit its declaration of release obligation of secrecy.