Czech Republic Visa, EU Cards, Czech Residency Permits
We provide our clients with a full range of services in the field of Czech alien law, which is itself a very broad area. Our team will be able to assist you with every step of the process in order for you to have all the necessary documents in place and help you to realize your plans.
Foreign citizens (other than from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) must obtain a visa in order to reside in the Czech Republic. Citizens from countries with which the Czech Republic has an agreement to abolish visa obligations or for which the visa obligation was abolished by a Czech government directive (e.g. Japan, USA), may reside in the Czech Republic without a visa for up to 3 months. However, if the purpose of residence is to earn money (e.g. employment), then the foreign citizen must apply for a Czech Republic work permit and a visa (e.g. for the purpose of employment). Depending on the intended length of his/her stay, the foreign citizen applies for either a short-term or long-term visa. If the foreign citizen intends to stay in the Czech Republic for the purpose of employment he/she must first apply for a work permit.
Effective 1 May 2004 (when the Czech Republic entered the European Union), EU citizens may stay and work in the Czech Republic without a permit, only on the basis of a travel document (passport) or identity card. An EU citizen, under certain circumstances, is entitled to file an application for a temporary residency permit (EU Card). These situations include registration in the commercial register as the person performing the function of member of a company’s statutory body, working contract in the Czech Republic, marriage of Czech citizen, property purchase in the Czech Republic, etc. Temporary residency permit allows holders to obtain real estate properties in their own name, to register a car in the Czech Republic, etc.
At Companies.cz we offer following Czech Republic visa services:
- Short-term Visa
- Long-term Visa
- Business Visa
- Working permit
- EU Cards (residency permits for EU citizens)
An EU citizen can apply for a temporary EU card, which enables the purchase of property in the Czech Republic under his or her own name. We can apply for the EU Card on client’s behalf, however client has to come to Prague (Mo – Thu) in person in order to collect the EU Card which will be issued within 30 days after the application is submitted. We strongly advise clients to come to Prague at least 1 day before collection of the EU card. General documents needed for EU card:
- 3 passport pictures
- Original passport – a copy of the passport should be sent in advance via email
- Original health Insurance Card valid in the Czech Republic
- Ideally filled in Purchase Contract or Future Purchase Contract – fully signed by the seller and the buyer
- Proof of residential accommodation
EU Cards are issued by the Czech Government, there is no legal guarantee of getting the Czech residency permit (Czech authorities are also empowered to ask the client for an interview). However, all clients of Companies.cz have thus far received their EU Cards without a problem.
A long-term visa is issued for stays longer than 90 days and allows the foreign citizen to stay for a maximum of 6 month.
A short-term visa is issued for stays of up to 90 days and allow the foreign citizen to stay until the date shown on the visa, but the total length of time spent in the Czech Republic may not exceed 3 months. The visa is valid for a maximum of 1 year (set according to the expected number of trips to the Czech Republic).