Česky

A visa for a stay of over 90 days (long-term)

An application for a long-term visa for over 90 days can be submitted at a Czech Embassy abroad. You are obliged to submit the application only at the Czech Embassy in the state of which you are a citizen or which issued your current travel document or in the state in which you have a long-term or permanent residence permit. You do not have to meet these conditions if you are a citizen of a state presented in the list of countries whose nationals are entitled to submit an application for a long-term visa at any Czech Embassy whatsoever (Decree No. 429/2010 Coll.).

An application for a long-term visa can only be submitted inside the Czech Republic in legally set cases.

You should submit the application on the completed form along with all the necessary requirements laid down by law. You should, however, always submit originals or official copies of the documents. All of the documents submitted must be made out in the Czech language or officially translated into Czech. Moreover, foreign public documents must be supported by a higher verification (Apostille, superlegalisation).
 

Along with the application for a long-term visa you must submit:

1. a travel document (original),

2. 1 photograph; not necessary if a pictorial recording has been made of the foreign national,

3. proof of accommodation,

4. document on the purpose of stay,

5. proof of funds,

6. a consent of parents or any other statutory representative or guardian to the permanent residence of a child in the Czech Republic. Consent of a parent is not required, if the parent, statutory representative or guardian making the request for a child, will stay with a child in the territory and if foreign national proves that he / she is a unable to declare consent due to reasons beyond his / her control,

7. an application fee, if needed.
    

 upon request you are further obliged to submit

• document similar to an extract from the Penal Register record, issued by the state of which you are a citizen, as well as the states in which, in the last 3 years, you have resided continuously for a period longer than 6 months, or a signed affidavit in the event that this state does not issue such a document (not required from a foreign national under 15 years).

• a document proving the fulfilment of conditions set out in the measure of Ministry of Health on prevention of the spread of infectious illnesses.
   

Travel document, document confirming the purpose of stay and registrar documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate) shall be submitted in original. Certified copy is not sufficient for this purpose.

If your application is approved, prior to affixing the visa, you are obliged to submit a proof of medical travel insurance that corresponds to the specified conditions (not required if the foreign national subscribes to public health insurance or if the costs for health care are covered on the basis of an international agreement or if the foreign national can demonstrate that health care is covered in another manner), and, upon request, a document on paying the insurance presented in the proof of medical travel insurance.
 

Application procedure

The Czech Embassy is only competent for receiving an application for a long-term visa, the competent body for processing it is the MOI. During the procedure the Czech Embassy communicates with the applicant, invites him/her for a hearing or calls on him/her to pick up the visa.

The application procedures are governed by the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals (pdf, 1.8 MB), the Administrative Procedure Code (pdf, 549 kB), and any other associated acts.

Czech Embassy may invite you for an interview, request that you complete the requirements for the application; likewise the Czech Embassy is entitled to take your fingerprints or take a pictorial record of you.
 

An application for a long-term visa is considered inadmissible if:

• the foreign national had not booked the term for submission of his/her application  for  long term visa in advance,
• not all of the requirements specified by law were submitted with it,
• the administrative fee had not been paid upon the submission of the application,
• the foreign national refuses to have his/her fingerprints or a pictorial record taken,
• it was not filed on the prescribed form,
• it was not filed at the pertinent Czech Embassy.
• the foreign national had declared he /she has no knowledge of the Czech language and he/she  had not still managed to bring the interpreter with him/her or at least person  fulfilling  the conditions of the § 24 of the Act on  the Experts or Interpreters provided he/she was noticed by the embassy of this obligation.
   

In such a case, the Czech Embassy returns the application form, all of the requirements submitted and the administrative fee to the foreign national who filed an inadmissible application, whilst informing him/her of the reasons for considering the application to be inadmissible.

It is always necessary to file the application for a long-term visa in person (the Czech Embassy can only waive this obligation in well-substantiated cases).

The documents that you have been asked to submit by the MOI should always be submitted within the set deadlines. Naturally, during the procedure, you can submit other documents that you consider important for your application. Remember that travel documents must always be submitted in person.

The Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals (pdf, 1.8 MB) sets a standard deadline of 90 days for processing an application for a long-term visa from the day it was filed. In particularly complicated cases, it is 120 days from the day of filing the application and in certain cases (for the purpose of studies, pedagogical activity or research) within 60 days of filing the application.

This visa entitles the holder to multiple departure and entry to the Czech Republic.
 

Decision on granting a long-term visa

In the case of a positive appraisal of your application, the Czech Embassy at which you filed the application will contact you – in most cases by email - to arrange a date for picking up the long-term visa.
 

A decision on not granting a long-term visa

The MOI does not grant a long-term visa, if, for instance

1. you, upon request by the MOI or the Czech Embassy, do not report for an interview or do not submit the documents for verifying the data presented in the application for a long-term visa within the set deadline or despite conducting an interview or assessing the documents submitted, this data cannot be verified;

2. you fill in the application for granting a long-term visa untruthfully;

3. you submit forged or altered requirements or the data necessary for appraising the application presented in them does not correspond to the truth, or

4. you are recorded in the register of persona non grata,

5. you are included in the Schengen Information System,

6. there is a reasonable risk that during your stay in the Czech Republic you could threaten state security, seriously disturb public order or endanger the international relations of the CR,

7. there is a reasonable risk that during your stay in the territory of another signatory country you could threaten state security, seriously disturb public order or endanger international relations of signatory states, or

8. do not comply with the measures specified Provision of the Ministry of Health against the introduction of an infectious diseases (further document proving the fulfilment of conditions set out in the measure of Ministry of Health on prevention of the spread of infectious illnesses),

9. prior to affixing the long-term residence permit you do not submit a document on medical travel insurance that corresponds to the specified conditions and, upon request, a document on paying the insurance presented in the document on medical travel insurance, or

10. facts are ascertained indicating that after the cessation of the stay set out by the long-term residence permit you will not leave the territory or intend to abuse the long-term residence permit for another purpose,

11. the foreign national does not fulfil a condition for issuing the visa,

12. the foreign national had not fulfilled the propose of his/her present long-term visa or long-term residence permit unless he/ she proves that the propose of the long term residence  had not been fulfilled only temporarily  and due to serious reasons. the foreign national circumvented the law  in order to be granted  long-term visa all long-term residence permit for instance by marriage of convenience, by a false declaration of paternity or he / she  became member of statutory body of a company or a co-operative only for the purpose.
     

In the event of not being granted a long-term visa, the MOI will inform you in writing of the reasons for not granting the long-term visa. In such a case, within 15 days of receiving the information about not being granted the long-term visa, you may request the MOI directly for a new appraisal of the reasons for not granting a visa. Within 60 days, the MOI will inform you in writing of the result of the new appraisal of the reasons for not granting a visa.

 Česky

Purpose "studies"

A foreigner who intends to stay in the territory of the Czech Republic for the purpose of studies is entitled to submit the application for a visa for a stay of over 90 days (a long-term visa) for the purpose of studies, if his/her stay in the territory of the Czech Republic shall be longer than three months.

Foreigners who intends to stay in the territory of the Czech Republic for more than three months and whose study activities are stated in § 64 of the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals, are eligible to submit an application for an issuing the long-term residence permit directly. If the purpose of foreigner´s residence in the territory is a study in accordance with the § 64 of the Act on the Foreign Nationals Residence, it is completely up to his/her own decision what type of residence permit (a visa/long-term residence permit) he/she will apply for.

Along with the application for a long-term visa, you must submit:

1. a travel document (original),

2. 1 photograph; not necessary if a pictorial recording has been made of the foreign national,

3. proof of accommodation,

4. a document on enrolment in studies,

5. proof of funds,

6. a parental consent, if needed,

7. an application fee, if needed.
    

 Upon request you are further obliged to submit

• a document similar to an extract from the Penal Register record, issued by the state of which you are a citizen, as well as the states in which, in the last 3 years, you have resided continuously for a period longer than 6 months, or a signed affidavit in the event that this state does not issue such a document (not required from a foreign national under 15 years).

• a document proving the fulfilment of conditions set out in the measure of Ministry of Health on prevention of the spread of infectious illnesses.
   

If your application is approved, prior to affixing the visa, you are obliged to submit a proof of medical travel insurance that corresponds to the specified conditions (not required if the foreign national subscribes to public health insurance or if the costs for health care are covered on the basis of an international agreement or if the foreign national can demonstrate that health care is covered in another manner), and, upon request, a document on paying the insurance presented in the proof of medical travel insurance. The Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals (pdf, 1.8 MB) sets a standard deadline of 60 days for processing an application from the time of filing it.

The requirements for the application shall not be older than 180 days except for the travel document and the photograph of the foreign national if it corresponds to his/her actual appearance.

A long-term visa for the purpose of studies is issued for a period that is demonstrated with the confirmation of studies, however, not longer than 1 year.

 Česky

Special work visa

A special work visa is a visa for a stay of over 90 days in the country (referred to as a "long-term visa"). It will only be possible to issue this visa, if there is a regulation of the Government of the Czech Republic, which activates the process resulting in issuing these visas. In its regulation, the government can specify:

1. the sector or profession, for which the special work visa will be issued to foreign nationals;

2. the citizenship of the foreign national who will be eligible to apply for this visa;

3. the maximum number of applications, which can be filed over a certain period of time;

4. the deadline by which it will be possible to file an application for this visa; and

5. the condition that a job agency must not be the employer of the foreign national in the country.
    

An application for a special work visa must be submitted at an embassy of the Czech Republic abroad, provided that a government regulation was issued, which allows for submitting such an application. This application cannot be submitted in the territory of the Czech Republic. The application must be filed on an official form.
 

The following must be attached to an application for a special work visa:

1. the original of a valid travel document;

2. a document on availability of accommodation for the period of residence in the country;

3. a photograph;

4. upon request, a document equivalent to an extract from the Register of Criminal Records, issued by the country, of which the foreign national is a citizen, as well as by those countries, in which the foreign national has been staying during the last three years for an uninterrupted period longer than six months, or a statutory declaration if the given country does not issue such a document;

5. a decision to permit employment, issued by the Public Employment Service of the Czech Republic pursuant to the Employment Act,

6. a parental consent, if needed,

7. an application fee, if needed.
    

The required attachments of the application must not be older than 180 days, except for the travel document and the foreign national’s photograph, as long as it corresponds to his/her actual appearance. Before a visa for a stay of over 90 days is granted, the foreign national is also obliged to present a document on travel medical insurance for the period of residence in the country until he/she becomes a participant of the national medical insurance programme.

It will only be possible to issue a special work visa with a maximum period of validity of one year and it will not be possible to renew this visa, even if it is issued for a period of validity shorter than one year. At the moment when the quota of filed applications, defined in the government regulation, is submitted , it will no longer be possible to file an application for this visa because the number of applications set in the government regulation cannot be exceeded.

A stay in the territory of the Czech Republic with a special work visa is not counted towards the 5-year period of uninterrupted stay in the country, required for issuing a permanent residence permit. During a foreign national’s residence based on this visa, the foreign national will not be able to submit any application for any other residence permit.

 Česky

Purpose "business"

Along with the application, you must submit:

1. a travel document (original),

2. a document on the purpose of your stay (a document confirming the entry into the pertinent business register, list or record),

3. a proof of funds,

4. a proof of accommodation,

5. 1 photograph; not necessary if a pictorial recording has been made of the foreign national,

6. a consent of parents,

7. an application fee, if needed.
    

upon request you are further obliged to submit

• a document similar to an extract from the Penal Register record, issued by the state of which you are a citizen, as well as the states in which, in the last 3 years, you have resided continuously for a period longer than 6 months, or a signed affidavit in the event that this state does not issue such a document (not required from a foreign national under 15 years).

• a document proving the fulfilment of conditions set out in the measure of Ministry of Health on prevention of the spread of infectious illnesses.
   

If your application is approved, prior to affixing the visa, you are obliged to submit a proof of medical travel insurance that corresponds to the specified conditions (not required if the foreign national subscribes to public health insurance or if the costs for health care are covered on the basis of an international agreement or if the foreign national can demonstrate that health care is covered in another manner), and, upon request, a document on paying the insurance presented in the proof of medical travel insurance.

 Česky

Purpose "family"

Along with the application, you must submit:

1. a travel document (original),

2. a document on the purpose of your stay(e.g. a birth certificate, marriage certificate, a document on guardianship, a document confirming the fact that the person is without any financial means, a document on a foreign national being solitary or his/her health status),

3. a proof of accommodation,

4. a proof of finance,

5. 1 photograph; not necessary if a pictorial recording has been made of the foreign national,

6. a consent of parents,

7. an application fee, if needed.

upon request you are further obliged to submit

• a document similar to an extract from the Penal Register record, issued by the state of which you are a citizen, as well as the states in which, in the last 3 years, you have resided continuously for a period longer than 6 months, or a signed affidavit in the event that this state does not issue such a document (not required from a foreign national under 15 years),

• a document proving the fulfilment of conditions set out in the measure of Ministry of Health on prevention of the spread of infectious illnesses.
   

Travel document, document confirming the purpose of stay and registrar documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate) shall be submitted in original. Certified copy is not sufficient for this purpose.

If your application is approved, prior to affixing the visa, you are obliged to submit a proof of medical travel insurance that corresponds to the specified conditions (not required if the foreign national subscribes to public health insurance or if the costs for health care are covered on the basis of an international agreement or if the foreign national can demonstrate that health care is covered in another manner), and, upon request, a document on paying the insurance presented in the proof of medical travel insurance.

 Česky

Purpose "sports"

You should apply for a visa for a stay of over 90 days (long-term), purpose sports, if you want to stay in the Czech Republic more than 3 months and if it is exercising of professional sports activities.

Along with the application, you must submit:

1. a travel document (original),

2. a document on the purpose of your stay,

3. a proof of finance,

4. a proof of accommodation,

5. 1 photograph; not necessary if a pictorial recording has been made of the foreign national,

6. a consent of parents,

7. an application fee, if needed.
    

Upon request you are further obliged to submit:

• a document similar to an extract from the Penal Register record, issued by the state of which you are a citizen, as well as the states in which, in the last 3 years, you have resided continuously for a period longer than 6 months, or a signed affidavit in the event that this state does not issue such a document (not required from a foreign national under 15 years),

• a document proving the fulfilment of conditions set out in the measure of Ministry of Health on prevention of the spread of infectious illnesses.
   

As a document on the purpose of your stay it is necessary to submit player contract you signed with sports club. This contract must be properly registered by relevant Sports Association which operates in given sport sector as responsible authority. Player contract must be signed with sports club, or Sports Association operating in given sport sector, and from that contract must be obvious you will exercise professional sports activity. That means sports activity within the competition which is marked as professional by relevant Sports Association (it is usually the first or the second highest level of competition in the given sport sector).

Athletes whose exercising of activities does not correspond with conditions above, but are paid by sports club for their sports activity, can apply for Employee Card.

If your application is approved, prior to affixing the visa, you are obliged to submit a proof of medical travel insurance that corresponds to the specified conditions (not required if the foreign national subscribes to public health insurance or if the costs for health care are covered on the basis of an international agreement or if the foreign national can demonstrate that health care is covered in another manner), and, upon request, a document on paying the insurance presented in the proof of medical travel insurance.

The Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals (pdf, 1.4 MB) sets a standard deadline of 90 days for processing an application for a long-term visa from the day it was filed.

The requirements for the application shall not be older than 180 days except for the travel document and the photograph of the foreign national if it corresponds to his/her actual appearance.

It is not possible to apply for a visa for a stay of over 90 days (long-term), purpose sports, as a trainer (coach) or as a sports physiotherapist, etc. These persons cannot apply for a long-term visa, purpose sports, because they do not exercise sports activities directly. It is necessary to apply for a long-term visa, purpose business, or apply for Employee Card in these cases.

 Česky

Purpose "culture"

Along with the application, you must submit:

1. a travel document (original),

2. a  document on the purpose of your stay– the confirmation of the natural or legal person pursuing cultural activities on the Czech territory u

3. a proof of accommodation,

4. a proof of finance,

5. 1 photograph; not necessary if a pictorial recording has been made of the foreign national,

6. a consent of parents,

7. an application fee, if needed.
    

upon request you are further obliged to submit

• a document similar to an extract from the Penal Register record, issued by the state of which you are a citizen, as well as the states in which, in the last 3 years, you have resided continuously for a period longer than 6 months, or a signed affidavit in the event that this state does not issue such a document (not required from a foreign national under 15 years),

• a document proving the fulfilment of conditions set out in the measure of Ministry of Health on prevention of the spread of infectious illnesses.

If your application is approved, prior to affixing the visa, you are obliged to submit a proof of medical travel insurance that corresponds to the specified conditions (not required if the foreign national subscribes to public health insurance or if the costs for health care are covered on the basis of an international agreement or if the foreign national can demonstrate that health care is covered in another manner), and, upon request, a document on paying the insurance presented in the proof of medical travel insurance.

 Česky

A visa for the purpose of collecting a residence permit - D/VR

In some cases, for instance when changing a passport in the country of origin after or if the validity of a long-term visa / residence permit expires in the course of proceedings on a legitimate newly submitted application, or after approving applications for a long-term residence permit submitted at an embassy, then to return / enter the Czech Republic, you will need a visa for the purpose of receiving a residence permit.

For this you must fill in the Long-term visa form, add your photograph, no other requirements are necessary.

This visa is conferred ex officio in the shortest time possible.

The visa is issued with a validity of 6 months and it entitles the foreigner to a residence for a maximum stay of 60 days. After travelling to the Czech Republic, it is necessary to report to the MOI within 3 working days for the subsequent acts.

The embassy will request you submit proof of medical travel insurance.

 Česky

Extension of the visa and the residence period for a visa for over 90 days

An application for extending the validity of a visa and the period of stay in the territory on a long-term visa is to be submitted to specific MOI office.

The validity of a long-term visa and the period of stay in the territory, that is shorter than 1 year, can be extended by the MOI on the request of a foreign national, on condition that the purpose of stay persists unchanged and overall maximum duration does not extend the period of 1 year.

You are entitled to lodge an application for extension of the validity and of the stay on a long-term visa, on condition that your purpose of stay persists, at earliest 90 days and at latest before the period of validity or period of permitted stay in the territory expires.

If you are prevented from filing the application for reasons beyond your control, you are entitled to lodge this application within 5 working days after these reasons ceases. You are obliged to indicate such reasons while submitting the application and to prove them upon the notice at the latest. Reasons indicated later will not be taken into consideration.

If the validity of a long-term visa expires before the decision on its extension is taken and if the application was submitted within the given time limit, this long-term visa is deemed to be valid and the period of stay on this long-term visa is to be extended until a decision is taken and comes into force. The right to stay on the territory will however cease before legal force of the decision on application in case of conviction to punishment of expulsion, due to the administrative expulsion of applicant, when application for international protection is lodged.

An application for extension of validity of the period of stay on a long-term visa is to be submitted in the official application for long-term visa form.
 

The validity of a long-term visa cannot be extended beyond one year.

An application for extension of validity of the period of stay on a long-term visa shall be accompanied by following documents:

1. a travel document,

2. a document confirming the purpose of stay,

3. proof of funds,

4. proof of accommodation,

5. proof of medical travel insurance, that corresponds to the specified conditions to the extent of comprehensive health care (not required if the foreign national subscribes to public health insurance or if the costs for health care are covered on the basis of an international agreement or if the foreign national can demonstrate that health care is covered in another manner), and, upon request, a proof of payment for the insurance presented in the document on the medical travel insurance,

6. 1 photograph only if the applicant has changed his/her appearance

7. upon request a document proving the fulfillment of conditions that prevent the introduction of the spread of infectious diseases,

8. an application fee, if needed.
    

Travel document, document confirming the purpose of stay and registrar documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate) shall be submitted in original. Certified copy is not sufficient for this purpose.

The application for prolongation of the validity or duration of stay on the long term visa is inadmissible if:

• not all of the requirements specified by law were submitted with it,

• the administrative fee had not been paid upon the submission of the application,

• it was not filed on the prescribed form.
   

In such a case, the Ministry of Interior returns the application form, all of the documents submitted and the administrative fee to the foreign national who filed an inadmissible application, whilst informing him/her of the reasons for considering the application to be inadmissible.

Application for prolongation of validity of the leave to remain long term visa shall be submitted by applicant in person (the Ministry of Interior can only waive this obligation in well-substantiated cases).

In other cases, it is possible to apply otherwise than in person (by post or to the data box of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic). In the case of using the data box, all documents, except the passport, must be attached to the data message in their electronic original or converted into electronic form by means of authorised conversion. Where there is an administrative fee for the receipt of the application, the payment details for the payment of the administrative fee must be requested at the same time as the application. If the application for the extension of the validity period and the period of stay for a long-stay visa is submitted by post or to the data box of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, only a copy of the passport page with personal data may be attached to the application; the original passport will be submitted only when the visa is issued. Do not send the original passport by post.

 Česky

Validity of a visa and length of stay

Visa for stay over 90 days is granted for a specific period of stay corresponding to the requisite purpose of stay and the validity of the submitted documents, however no longer than for 1 year. A visa sticker always contains two figures: the validity of the visa and the number of days you can stay.

The validity of the visa (indicated as "valid from-to") means the period during which the visa holder is authorized to stay (standard validity is 1 year). In addition, the period of authorized stay (indicated as "length of stay ... ... days") means the number of days the visa holder may stay.

In most cases, the beginning of the validity of the visa falls on the day the visa is issued by the embassy.

The indicated "length of stay" begins on the day the person enters the territory of the Czech Republic. This principle applies regardless of whether the person arrives directly to the Czech Republic or first enters the territory of another Schengen state.

Visa validity period of stay shorter then one year, can be extended repeatedly, provided that the purpose of stay is still the same, a maximum period of 1 year.

 Česky

"Bridging label"

If you are staying in the Czech Republic on a long-term visa or a long-term residence permit and you filed an application for issuance or extension of a long-term residence permit within the due time limit and a decision is yet to be made, during which time your visa/residence permit has expired, you can apply at an MOI office for a certificate of residence permit in the form of a visa sticker ("bridging label").

This "bridging label" is marked into the passport in the form of a visa for over 90 days with a validity period corresponding to the expected duration of the application procedure, usually as you wait. For this reason, it is necessary for you to be present in person. You should submit a valid travel document, no other requirements are necessary.

Then the pasted label serves as a testimonial to having filed an application and it serves as a proof of the legality of stay in the territory of the Czech Republic until a legitimate decision is made on the application, on the condition that the so called fiction of the validity of the previous residence permit applies to the foreigner. If this fiction of the validity of the previous residence permit does not apply to the foreigner, he/she cannot be issued a "bridging label". If the so called fiction of the validity of the previous permit ceases to exist (for example by a legitimate decision on the application or a legitimate decision of the court on imposition of punishment by expulsion or if the decision on expulsion of the foreigner is enforceable), the validity of the "bridging label" also ceases to exist.

"The bridging label" enables its holder to travel from/to the Schengen zone.

Residence permit of the foreigner who is subsumed into the Informational System of States Parties is only certified by the confirmation of residence permit. If the so called fiction of existing residence permit ceases to exist (for example by the means of final decision on the application or by the means of final decision of the court on imposing the sentence on the basis of an expulsion or deportation or if the decision on the expulsion of the foreigner is enforceable), the validity of the residence permit also ceases to exist.

 Česky

Reviewing the reasons for not granting a visa

In the event of not being granted a long-term visa, within 15 days of receiving the notification of not being granted a long-term visa you can request the MOI for a new appraisal of the reasons for not granting the visa.

If it was not possible to deliver the notification of not being granted a long-term visa, the deadline for filing an application starts on the day that follows the 180^th day from filing the visa application.

The application on a new appraisal of the reasons shall contain data about who filed it, what is regarded as being at variance with the legal regulations or an impropriety in the previous decision or procedure. Facts that you failed to provide or state in the application for a visa cannot be a reason for a new appraisal.

Within 60 days of the application being delivered, the MOI will inform you in writing of the results of the new appraisal of the reasons for not granting a long-term visa.

You can send the application by post to the Ministry of the Interior of the CR.

 Česky

Visa codes

The following is a list of visas for a stay of over 90 days (long-term visas) codes intended information purposes only and is merely an additional piece of information for foreigners who already received a long-term visa. Applicants do not need to know this code and do not have to fill it out in their application. This list may be subject to change without prior notice.