Long term visa
The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Accra serves nationals and residents of Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe and Togo.
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Information regarding visa procedures, requirements and individual applications can ONLY be obtained from the visa officer of the Embassy of the Czech Republic, not from security staff or any other third party. Do not employ agents, travel agencies or other middlemen.
- The applicants are strongly advised to submit their application at least 3 months prior to the date of departure, as the processing of a visa may take up to 90 days upon receiving a complete application.
- All applicants have to apply in person at the Embassy.
- Visa application forms are free of charge.
- The visa fee is 2500 CZK to be paid in Ghanaian cedi only. The fee changes every month based on the current exchange rate. Due to legislative changes, with effect from 31. July 2019, all applicants will be charged the visa fee, including those who are traveling for the purpose of study. The visa fee is a processing fee and is to be paid in full, when handing in the application. Should the visa be denied, the Embassy will not refund the money. Fees must be paid in cash. Cheques, bank cards and other currencies are not accepted.
- As the Embassy does not return forms, photos or any supporting documents, be so kind as to provide the Embassy with certified copies of the original documents you will need to have returned.
- In some cases further documents and guarantees will be required, e.g. invitation from your business partner in the Czech Republic, proof of your current occupation or your student status, etc. No vaccination certificates are required unless you are coming from an infected area.
- Please note that sponsorship letters are not accepted.
- The date of issue of the documents must not be older than 6 months; this does not apply to passports and registrar´s documents such as birth certificates.
- All supporting documents need to be translated into Czech language.
- The Embassy of the Czech Republic has the right to interview the applicant for long stay visa, long term residence permit or permanent residence permit. This interview is held in English language. In case the applicant does not speak English, he should retain an interpreter for the interview. Please note that there is difference between interview and interrogation. Once Embassy asks you to come for an interrogation it will be conducted only in Czech language only, therefore you must arrange an interpreter. Please note that Embassy does not provide you with an interpreter from English to Czech.
- Fake or forged documents will not be returned and will be sent to the relevant authorities.
- Please note that no information about the stage of a particular visa application will be given to a third party. Only the applicant will be informed about the result.
- Compliance with the visa conditions does not automatically guarantee that a visa will be issued.
- If the visa is granted, please verify whether the information printed on the visa sticker is correct and complete.
- Please note that it is obligatory to submit all below mentioned supporting documents already when submitting the visa application, including superlegalisation and translation verification where necessary. Superlegalization process must be completed beforehand. For more information about how to book an appointment for verification of documents at the Czech Embassy in Accra, please check here.
LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
1. Application form - completed and signed by the applicant.
2. Passport (valid at least 3 months after the last day of the planned stay, with at least 2 free pages).
3. 3 recent passport size photographs with white background.
4. Documents proving sufficient funds to cover his/her living expenses in the Czech Republic - a bank statement of the applicant for the last three months must be submitted along with a debit card, which may used for accessing these funds in the Czech Republic.
5. Documents proving the purpose of stay. This can be for example:
a) In case of study - a confirmation that the applicant was accepted for a course of study by the respective educational facility.
b) In case of business - a confirmation by a business entity (an individual business person or a commercial company) registered in the Czech Republic.
c) In case of corporate business (members of a statutory body of a legal entity) articles of association or a notarial deed and an extract from the companies register.
d) In case of self-employment - a registration certificate.
e) In case of dependency - a respective registrar document, i.e. marriage or birth certificate.
f) In case of any other purpose please contact our visa section.
6. Accommodation booking (e.g. a lease contract).
7. Criminal check of the applicants home country, as well as country in which he or she has resided for at least 6 months in the last 3 years. Please note that validity of Criminal Check in Ghana is only 6 months.
The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Accra in accordance with § 31 art. a) of Act No. 326/1999 Coll., on the Residence of Foreigners in the Czech Republic, asks all applicants for long-stay visas and long-term permit who will submit applications at this embassy to submit a document similar to an extract from a criminal record issued by the State of which the applicant is a national and the same document issued by the States where the applicant has been living continuously in the last 3 years for more than 6 months, or an affidavit if that State does not issue such a document.
8. Health insurance
Travel health insurance covering medical expenses, including emergency hospital treatment and repatriation, for the entire duration of the stay in the Czech Republic (minimum of medical coverage is EUR 400.000,-). The document is not required for the visa procedure itself, nevertheless, it is necessary to present it on collection of the appropriate visa.
All supporting documents need to be in Czech language or translated into Czech (only the bank statement is accepted in English). The extract from the criminal record should be translated into the Czech language and be put together as one document. This should be legalized by Ghanaian authorities and then superlegalized at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Accra. The Embassy will verify the translation (300,- CZK / page) and superlegalize the criminal record (600,- CZK / name and stamp).
Please make sure that you follow the correct procedure when legalizing your criminal record (or other official documents). The correct procedure is laid down in this article: Legalization of official Ghanaian documents
Official (public - i.e. from governmental institutions) documents, which are not properly legalized, will not be accepted as supporting documents!
Please note that as from January 1 2024 the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Accra does not accept applications for employee cards in connection with the novelisation of the Government Decree Nr. 220/2019 dated December 13 2023. Quota of applications for long stay visas for the purpose of business remains 8 per year.
For more information please visit either the webpage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic or the webpage of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic.