Visa to the Czech Republic

   Temporary stay in the Czech Republic

A foreigner can stay on the territory of the Czech Republic temporarily without a visa, if between the Czech Republic and the state of which he or she is a citizen, an agreement has been concluded on the cancellation of visa relations or a unilateral decision is in force to cancel visa relations. In addition, a foreigner has the right to stay in the Czech Republic on the basis of a valid short-term or long-term visa, as well as on the basis of a long-term residence permit or on the basis of a special residence permit (applies to EU citizens and their family members).

Temporary stay on a short stay visa

Visa for stay in the Czech Republic up to 90 days

A visa for a stay of up to 90 days on the basis of a foreigner's application is issued by the relevant consulate / embassy of the Czech Republic abroad, as well as regional visa centers. You can get acquainted with the list of regional visa centers of the Czech Republic in Russia here: https://www.mzv.cz/moscow/cz/viza_a_konzularni_informace/volby_2010/regionalni_vizova_centra/index.html

The duration of the visa is set according to the expected number of trips to the territory of the Czech Republic, but for no more than 5 years. The visa gives the right to enter and stay during the period specified in the visa, but the total time of stay in the Czech Republic for a period of 180 days should not exceed 90 days. But a visa to the Czech Republic can be issued for both single and multiple entries.

In certain cases established by law, you can apply for this type of visa at the police at the border crossing if the foreigner, due to unforeseen circumstances, could not previously apply to the relevant consulate / embassy of the Czech Republic and asks to issue him a visa for humanitarian reasons, in the interests of the Czech Republic , on the basis of international agreements or for other important reasons. Thus, the issued visa gives the right to stay on the territory of the Czech Republic for up to 5 days.

A foreigner must attach the following documents to an application for a visa to stay in the Czech Republic for up to 90 days:

1. international passport
2. the photo
3. short stay visa application
4. an invitation certified by the foreign police of the Czech Republic (if any)
5. a document confirming the availability of funds to visit the Czech Republic within the specified period
6. air ticket (including return ticket from the Czech Republic)
7. proof of accommodation (e.g. hotel reservation)
8. parental permission to leave (for applicants under 15)

The consular section is obliged to resolve the issue of issuing a visa within 30 days from the date of application.

Attention!

The visa application for obtaining a work permit (short-term employment not exceeding 90 days, so-called seasonal work) is accompanied by a work permit issued by the Czech Employment Office. In this case, there is no need to attach documents confirming the financial security of the foreigner.

The time of stay on this visa can be extended on the basis of an application by a foreigner submitted in the Czech Republic to the department of the Ministry of the Interior, but the total time of stay should not exceed 3 months. An application for a visa extension must be submitted no later than 3 days before the expiration of the time of stay. If this deadline is missed, it is necessary to offer the Ministry of the Interior evidence that this did not happen at the will and fault of the foreigner (for example, due to hospitalization).

Transit visa to the Czech Republic

A transit (travel) visa is issued by the Czech consulate / embassy abroad on the basis of a foreigner's application for travel / transit through the Czech Republic. The visa can be single-sided, double-sided, or without limiting the number of transit trips. The visa gives the right to stay on the territory of the Czech Republic for each transit trip for 5 days, the validity of the visa is established depending on the number of intended transit trips, but not more than 6 months. The application must be accompanied by a foreign passport, a visa of the target state or other transit states, the availability of funds for staying in the Czech Republic and leaving its territory, a photograph.

An application for a transit visa can also be submitted to the police at the border crossing if, due to unforeseen circumstances, the application could not be submitted to the relevant consulate / embassy and concerns the issuance of a visa for humanitarian reasons, in the interests of the Czech Republic, on the basis of international agreements or for other important reasons ... In this case, the applicant must provide evidence of the need to issue him a visa at the border crossing.

Airport visa to the Czech Republic

At the request of a foreigner, an airport visa is issued by the consulate (embassy) of the Czech Republic in order to permit a stay in the transit zone of an international airport while waiting for a further flight. The duration of the visa is determined in accordance with the expected number of flights, and thus stays in the transit area of ​​an international airport in the Czech Republic, but no more than 3 months. The visa can be issued as one-sided or double-sided. 

An application for a visa is accompanied by a foreign passport, a visa of the target state (this provision does not apply if a foreigner can stay in the specified state without a visa), a photograph, an air ticket for a flight to the destination where the foreigner will follow from the Czech Republic. The list of states whose citizens or holders of travel documents issued by such a state must have a visa for airport transit, is determined by the decree of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic - currently Decree No. 86/2000 Coll. is relevant. in accordance with the wording of Regulation No. 45/2003 Coll. Russian citizens are not required to apply for an airport visa, provided that they do not leave the transit area of ​​the airport.

Exit order / exit order

An exit order gives a foreigner the right to temporary stay in the Czech Republic in specific cases. An exit order is a document that is administratively issued by the foreign police upon the expiration of a visa, in case of refusal to satisfy an application for a long-term stay, permit a stay, or issue a special permit to stay at the end of a temporary stay in the Czech Republic. In addition, an exit order is issued in cases where a visa is not required, as well as after a decision has been made to end the provision of temporary protection on the territory of the Czech Republic (according to law No. 221 / 2003СЗ.) Or during administrative expulsion (deportation). The maximum validity period for an exit order is 60 days. An exit order gives a foreigner the right to temporarily stay in the Czech Republic for the time that he needs to resolve urgent matters and leave the Czech Republic. The exit order is in the form of an insert that the police glues into the travel document. In special cases, the exit order may not be pasted into the travel document and issued separately. The exit order becomes invalid at the moment of departure from the territory of the Czech Republic.

At the end of the stay in the Czech Republic of an EU citizen or a member of his family, the police issue an exit order for a period of at least 15 days. A foreigner is not entitled to transit in other Schengen countries when flying to his country.

Stay in the Czech Republic on a long-term visa

Visa for stay over 90 days

An application for a visa for a period exceeding 90 days is submitted to a consulate / embassy abroad. In the cases specified in the law, an application for this visa can be submitted on the territory of the Czech Republic. For example, this applies to those cases when a foreigner is already in the Czech Republic on a visa for more than 90 days for family reunification and applies for this type of visa for another purpose (wants to change the purpose of stay in the Czech Republic). Also, an application for a visa is submitted in the Czech Republic for a tolerant attitude towards the stay of a foreigner (tolerance visa). This visa is requested if circumstances beyond the control of the foreigner prevent him / her from leaving or it is not possible to leave.

When submitting an application on the territory of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Internal Affairs must resolve the issue of issuing a visa within 180 days from the date of submission of the application and all the necessary documents. Consideration of a request for a long-term visa for the purpose of studying in the Czech Republic, as a rule, takes place within 60 days.

The validity period of the visa corresponds to the document (s) confirming the purpose of the foreigner's stay in the Czech Republic. For example, if a foreigner is going to study in the Czech Republic and submits to the consulate of the Czech Republic a confirmation of study for a period of two semesters, then the start and end dates of studies indicated in the document will coincide with the start and end dates of his / her visa for which he / she submits an application to the consulate.

The foreigner must attach to the application (questionnaire) for the issuance of this type of visa by the Czech Consulate:

1. international passport
2. document confirming the purpose of stay
3. a document guaranteeing the availability of funds for the period of stay in the Czech Republic and a sponsorship statement, in case the bank account does not belong to the applicant
4. document confirming the provision of accommodation for the period of stay in the territory of the Czech Republic
5. a police clearance certificate from the country of which the applicant is a citizen, as well as from the states in which he / she has stayed for at least 6 months continuously for the last 3 years. If some states do not issue such certificates, you can attach a sworn statement. This obligation does not apply to persons under 15 years of age.
6. photos

If the purpose of the stay is employment in the Czech Republic, then the foreigner presents as a document confirming the purpose of the stay, a work permit or an agreement with the employer. In this case, it is not required to present proof of funds for staying in the Czech Republic.

At the request of the consulate / embassy or the foreign police, the foreigner must present a certificate of health and the absence of serious diseases.

An application for issuance of a police clearance certificate in the Czech Republic can be submitted at the Czech consulate / embassy.

The time of stay on a visa for a period of more than 90 days, if it is shorter than the validity period of the visa, can be legally extended at the request of a foreigner. This applies to those cases when the reason for which the visa was issued remains valid (the purpose of stay does not change).

A foreigner must submit an application for a visa extension to a branch of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic no later than 14 days before the expiry of the period of stay. If this deadline is missed, it is necessary to provide documentary evidence that this happened not at the will and fault of the foreigner (for example, due to hospitalization). It is not critical if the competent authority does not make a decision on the extension before the visa expires, but only if the application for the extension was submitted on time. The visa is considered valid until the competent authority makes a decision (in this case, the so-called “visa fiction” is in effect).

If a foreigner has a child in the Czech Republic and the foreigner wants the child to stay in the Czech Republic, he must, within 60 days from the date of the child's birth, apply for the child the same type of visa as the foreigner himself. The visa application must be accompanied by the passport of the child or foreigner (the child must be entered in the passport), the child's birth certificate and a document on his medical insurance.

Visa valid for more than 90 days to ensure a tolerant attitude towards the stay of a foreigner on the territory of the Czech Republic (tolerance visa)

A visa is issued by the police on the basis of an application by a foreigner if his departure is impeded by circumstances that the foreigner cannot influence (for example, a proceeding is underway in state authorities that directly relates to his rights and obligations and requires his presence in the Czech Republic), if the foreigner's departure is not possible ( i.e. if a foreigner was forced to leave for a country where he would be directly threatened because of his race, religion, nationality, political convictions, where he could be subjected to torture and torture or humiliating treatment, then if his extradition is required by a foreign state on charges of a crime for which the law of that state imposes a death sentence),or if a foreigner has filed a complaint or cassation appeal in a temporary protection case and, by a court decision, this had a suspensive effect (only valid if the grant of temporary protection was declared by the decision of the EU Council).

The validity of the visa and the duration of stay in the Czech Republic on its basis is established taking into account the nature of the obstacle in leaving for the time that is necessary, for a maximum of 1 year. The visa can be renewed again, however, for a total period of no more than 1 year. An application for a visa must be accompanied by a foreign passport, a certified copy of a document confirming the existence of an obstacle to exit, and a photograph. If the obstacle in exit, due to which the visa was issued, is removed, then within 3 days, an application for the termination of the visa should be submitted to the police. If this is not done, the police themselves will administratively revoke the visa. The police will then issue an exit order / exit order to the foreigner.

Without submitting an application, a foreigner is issued a visa for a period of more than 90 days to obtain a Residence Permit (if the foreigner has applied for a permanent residence permit at the Czech consulate / embassy abroad); in this case, the validity of the visa is set for 6 months.

Diplomatic visa and special visa to the Czech Republic

A diplomatic visa and a special visa are issued to a foreigner on the basis of an official application. A special visa is issued for the performance of official duties on the territory of the Czech Republic. Abroad, both types of visa are issued by the corresponding consulate (embassy) of the Czech Republic, in the territory of the Czech Republic - by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A visa is issued for the duration of a diplomatic or consular office, or for the duration of official duties.

Some general rules regarding visas to the Czech Republic

For all of the above types of visas, a few general rules apply. A foreigner does not have a legal right to issue a visa to the Czech Republic. This means that the decision to issue a visa in a particular case or not is made by the Czech Ministry of the Interior. In principle, a visa must be issued if all the relevant documents are in order and the entry of a foreigner into the territory of the Czech Republic is not hindered by any circumstance taken into account by the state authorities (for example, the foreigner is not on the list of unwanted persons).

An application for a visa, as a rule, is submitted to the relevant consulate (consular section of the embassy) of the Czech Republic abroad. In cases stipulated by law, a visa application is submitted to the Aliens Police in the Czech Republic. According to the provisions of the law on the stay of foreigners in the territory of the Czech Republic, the documents attached to the visa application must not be more than 180 days old, with the exception of a foreign passport, registration documents and photographs, if they correspond to the appearance of the foreigner. For individual documents, this rule may be clarified or additional requirements may be imposed by the consulate located in the country in which this document is issued.

Attention!

No visa required for EU citizens.

An application for extending the time of stay in the Czech Republic on the basis of a visa or extending the validity of a visa is submitted to the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of residence.

The application is filed within the statutory deadlines, i.e. for long-term visas a maximum of 90 days and a minimum of 14 days before the expiry date of the visa, for short-term visas at the earliest 30 days and at the latest 3 days before the expiration of the stay or the validity of the visa. A short-term visa is extended solely on the basis of the provision of document (s) indicating the need to extend the period of stay of a foreigner in the Czech Republic. The total time spent by a foreigner in the Czech Republic on the basis of a short-term visa (including an additional period after the extension) must not exceed 90 days in a 180-day period.

If during the validity period of the visa a foreigner leaves the Czech Republic, then the validity of a one-way transit (travel) visa, one-way airport visa, a tolerance visa and a single entry visa for a period of stay up to 90 days is terminated. The effect of other types of visas, including a long-term visa and a short-term visa with the possibility of multiple entry (type MULT), does not affect the departure of a foreigner from the territory of the Czech Republic.

A visa to the Czech Republic becomes invalid if a court verdict on punishment by expulsion enters into legal force or a decision on administrative expulsion can be enforced.

In cases established by law, the police can decide to terminate the visa to the Czech Republic.

The very fact of issuing a visa does not give a foreigner the right to enter the territory of the Czech Republic. At the border crossing, the police may refuse to enter the country for a foreigner for reasons established by law. This police act cannot be challenged.

Temporary stay in the Czech Republic on the basis of a long-term stay permit

Long-term residence permit for a foreigner on a visa valid for more than 90 days.

An application for a long-term residence permit can be submitted by a foreigner who is already in the Czech Republic on a long-term visa and wishes to stay in the country for more than 1 year, if the previous grounds (purpose) for his stay remain in force.

An application for a long-term stay permit (with a purpose other than a tolerant attitude towards the stay of a given foreigner in the country) is also eligible to be submitted by a foreigner who is in the country on a tolerance visa with a stay of more than 90 days and then stays in the country on the basis of a long-term stay permit for reasons of tolerance issued in accordance with § 43, if he / she has stayed in the country continuously for at least 3 years.

A foreigner must apply for a long-term residence permit no earlier than 90 days and no later than 14 days before the expiration of the long-term visa. In the event that a foreigner is unable to submit an application within the aforementioned terms for reasons beyond his control, he has the right to submit an application no later than 3 working days after the reasons for the delay have been eliminated; the visa shall be considered valid until the end of this provision.

In the event that a visa for a stay of more than 90 days expires before the decision to authorize a long-term stay is made, despite the fact that the application was submitted on time in accordance with the previous paragraph, the visa is considered valid until the entry into force of the decision on this application (§ 47, paragraph (1) and (2) of the Law on the Residence of Foreigners in the Czech Republic).

An application for a long-term residence permit is submitted to the department of the Ministry of the Interior on an official letterhead. In addition to this form (application), a foreigner must present a passport, a document confirming the purpose of stay in the country, proof of funds to stay in the country (see § 13), a document confirming housing for the duration of his stay in the country, insurance valid for during the entire stay and photographs. Also, the applicant must pay a state fee in the form of special stamps (kolek) in the amount of 2500 CZK when submitting an application. This state duty applies to both student stay and stay for the purpose of employment.

A foreigner must submit to the application for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of employment: a work permit, a foreign passport, a document confirming housing for the duration of his stay in the country and photographs.

To the application for a long-term residence permit as an act of tolerance for the stay of a foreigner in the country, the foreigner must present a passport, if he / she has one and if it has not expired, a certified copy of a document confirming the existence of reasons due to which the foreigner's stay on the territory of the Czech Republic is necessary (if such confirmation cannot be presented for reasons beyond the control of the foreigner, then a sworn statement is attached), and photographs.

The department of the Ministry of the Interior issues a long-term residence permit to a foreigner in the form of a residence permit in the Czech Republic (card with biometric data of the foreigner, proving the identity and purpose of stay in the country).

A branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs issues a residence permit in the Czech Republic with an indication of the period of validity required to fulfill the purpose of the stay. The validity of the residence permit can be renewed again (according to § 44 of the Act on the Residence of Foreigners on the Territory of the Czech Republic).

A foreigner wishing to change the basis for a long-term stay in the country, initially approved by the Ministry of the Interior for him, is obliged to apply for a new long-term stay permit to the competent authority (Section 45 of the Law on the Residence of Foreigners in the Czech Republic) and present the necessary documents certifying other purpose of his / her stay.

If a foreigner is in the country on a tolerance visa, he can apply for a long-term residence permit only after 3 years of continuous residence in the Czech Republic.