Student long term visa
13.02.2020 / 20:00 | Aktualizováno: 04.10.2024 / 20:46
Information about how to submit applications for long stay visas (for over 90 days of stay) for study purposes.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Student visa applicants need to schedule an appointment in advance via email ONLY. Request for an appointment must be sent to NewYork.Visa@mzv.gov.cz.
Incomplete applications are inadmissible and will be returned back to the applicant!
The Czech Consulate General strongly recommends that applicants do not travel to the Czech Republic to begin their study programs without valid visas.
!!PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF THE PROCESSING TIMES AND MAKE SURE TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATIONS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE!!
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION:
You are required to submit your visa application in person by appointmen only. Please send your appointment request to: NewYork.Visa@mzv.gov.cz. Upon submitting your visa application, an interview will take place and you may be asked to explain the reasons why you are applying.
FOR US CITIZENS ONLY:
As of February 1, 2021, the General Consulate of the Czech Republic in New York allows, based on the provisions of § 169d, paragraph 3 of Act No. 326/1999 Coll., on the Residence of Foreigners in the territory of the Czech Republic, the submission of applications for long-term student visas from U.S. citizens without requiring personal appearance for submission of the application. Please note that applicants may be subsequently summoned to the Consulate for an interview or hearing.
Upon meeting the above conditions, applicants are entitled to submit their applications to the Consulate via mail or drop off (personally at the reception). Applications must be dropped off within our office hours. The applicants are not required to use the aforementioned options and may instead arrange a personal appointment to submit the application. In the case of sending the applications by mail, the applicants assume responsibility for any potential loss of the application and documents during delivery.
Don´t forget to CLEARLY print/write your full name and postal address on the envelope. We will send the passport with visa in it. Please be advised that visas can be collected in person at the Embassy. Should a applicant prefer to use mail services, they are free to select their preferred delivery service. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE EMBASSY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY IN SUCH DELIVERY SERVICES AND THEIR SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY TO THE INTENDED ADDRESS (Consulate or applicant).
APPLICATION NUMBER:
Once complete applications are received by the Consulate, the applicants are emailed their application numbers. It is imperative that you contact the Consulate by email if you do not receive your application number within 5 working days of the application's delivery.
You are obliged to file the application only at the Czech Embassy/Consulate located in the state of your citizenship or which issued your current travel document or in the state in which you have a long-term or permanent residence permit of two years minimum. You are excluded from these conditions if you are a citizen of a state presented in the list of countries whose nationals are entitled to file an application for a long-term visa at any Czech Embassy/Consulate whatsoever (Decree No. 429/2010 Coll.).
You may submit your application at the Consular Office (of the Embassy or Consulates General of the Czech Republic) in accordance with the jurisdiction where you permanently reside.
If the university/program is accredited by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, you are eligible to apply for a long term-visa for the purpose of study (Student Visa).
If the university/program is not accredited by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, you are not eligible to apply for this type of visa and you have to apply for the long-term visa for the other purposes.
The information on this website applies to both types of visa! The difference between the two types of visa is the processing time (see below).
A long-term visa must be approved by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic.
The long-term visa for the purpose of study shall be processed within 60 days from the date the Consulate receives and records the complete application.
The long-term visa for "other" purposes shall be processed within 90 days from the date the Consulate receives and records the complete application.
Please be aware that no status updates on long term visa applications will be given by the Consulate (neither by mail nor phone). For status updates please visit our website: http://www.mzv.cz/consulate.newyork/en/visa_and_consular_information/visa/approved_visa/index.html.
If your number does not appear on the website, then it means your visa is still in process. Please keep in mind the visa processing times when checking your visa status.
Please understand that the Consulate General is not able to expedite the visa process since the approval process and the final decision are handled by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. Therefore, the Consulate General highly encourages applicants to submit their applications on time.
If you need your passport during the visa process, you can withdraw it personally or send us a written request along with a prepaid self-addressed envelope. The envelope must contain a tracking number and a stamp. Please be aware that some online labels have short expiration dates and cannot be utilized for mailing after the processing period. Futhermore, your passport can be returned back to you ONLY upon receiving the written request and ONLY to your US ADDRESS. The passport must be re-submitted to our Consulate again for the issuance of the visa.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Please read carefully the list of required documents, as incomplete applications cannot be accepted and will be returned to you.
- According to the Law of the Czech Republic, all documents (except the proof of sufficient financial means) must be presented in Czech Language Under Section 16 of the Administrative Procedure Code the documents are to be produced in the Czech language. Parties to proceedings may produce documents also in the Slovak language. Documents written in a foreign language must be submitted by a party to proceedings in the original version together with an officially certified translation into Czech (Act No. 36/1967 Col., on Experts and Interpreters, as amended). You can find the list of official translators and interpreters here / see the list of known translators - New York !
- Please submit originals and copies of all supporting documents!
- All documents must be presented as originals or as notarized copies.
- All documents (except travel document) cannot be older than 180 days.
- The Consulate shall not assume any responsibility for lost or damaged documentation.
1. Completed application form
- The form "Application for a Long-term Visa" must be filled out completely with a ball point pen or on a typewriter. Do not use red ink or pencil to complete the application.
Please do not forget
- to sign the application in the place indicated at the bottom of the fifth page (the handwritten signature by a blue/black pen is required).
- to include your phone number and e-mail address for future communication
2. Two recent identical photographs
(passport size, professional, OF A GOOD QUALITY - NOT PRINTED OUT FROM PC!)
- Please see detailed instructions and examples of photographs here.
- One photograph must be glued on the original application form (in the frame in the right upper corner of the application) and the second photograph on the copy of the application.
3. Passport
- You must submit your original passport and a copy of the data pages of the passport (pages with your personal data, photo, and signature).
- The passport must: have validity exceeding your intended stay by at least 3 months (after the visa expires), have been issued within the last 10 years, and have at least two blank pages (for affixing the visa and for the administrative purposes).
- DO NOT FORGET TO SIGN YOUR PASSPORT!
4. Document confirming the purpose of the stay
- The original or notarized copy of confirmation of enrolment into studies issued by a Czech University or school (Acceptance Letter). This document must be in the Czech language.
5. Proof of accommodation
- a document issued by a Czech University or school verifying the accommodation for the duration of your studies, or
- a rental/lease agreement, sub-letting contract, accommodation agreement or an agreement with similar content, or
- an original accommodation statement from the owner of an apartment/house stating his/her ability and willingness to provide applicant´s accommodation for the time of stay (signature must be notarized by a Czech notary),
- in the case of a sublet - the original or a notarized copy of the lease contract and an affidavit signed by the owner confirming the sublet (signature must be notarized by a Czech notary)
Important notes
- The original or a notarized copy of any of the mentioned documents must be submitted together with your application.
- The documents confirming your accommodation must be in the Czech language.
- A document confirming the accommodation cannot be a part of the acceptance letter. It has to be submitted separately.
6. Document confirming sufficient financial resources
Funds to cover the stay in the Czech Republic may be proven by one of following possibilities:
- a notarized copy of the front side of an internationally recognized debit card in your name with the validity throughout your stay in the Czech Republic (please conceal the debit card number on the copy) + original or notarized copy of a corresponding bank checking account statement in your name with approximately 3 600,- USD balance for one semester. Remember, only checking bank accounts are acceptable; credit accounts are not acceptable! Make sure that your name on the notarized copy of your debit card and on your bank account statement is clearly visible!
- an original letter from the bank confirming the fact that you will be able to use your funds during your stay in the Czech Republic with a verified translation into the Czech language with approximately 3 600,- USD balance for one semester + a notarized copy of the front side of an internationally recognized debit card in your name
- another document confirming that you can use the financial funds during a stay in the Czech Republic (e.g. an original letter from the family member confirming the financial support during your stay in the Czech Republic signed by a person who will support you /notarized signature with a verified translation into the Czech language/ plus bank checking account statement with approximately 3600 USD for one semester) + a notarized copy of the front side of your internationally accepted debit card that is linked to family member account
- a financial guarantee of the US or Czech University which proves that the student’s stay in the Czech Republic will be secured 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 organization + a notarized copy of an internationally recognized debit card in your name (please conceal the debit card number on the copy). The letter from the US University must be translated into the Czech language. Proof of funds submitted in this manner cannot be used for an application for a long-term visa for the “other” purposes.
- Requirements for financial means during your stay: It is necessary to prove the availability of funds that are 15 times the amount of the existential minimum (currently it is set at 3 130 CZK) for the first month and double the amount of the existential minimum for every month afterwards, thus, for instance, for a stay from 1 January – 30 June it would be (15 x 3130) + (5 x 2 x 3130) = 46 900 + 31 300 = 78 200 CZK (approximately 3 600,- USD for one semester, the amount in US dollars depends on the exchange rate CZK/USD). Please note that the existential minimum is established by the Czech law and can be changed every year.
7. Criminal History Background/ Affidavit
“Embassy of the Czech Republic in accordance with § 31 (3) para. a) of Act No. 326/1999 Coll. on the Residence permit of the Foreign Nationals in the Czech Republic, asks all applicants for long-term visas and long-term residence permit, who will submit applications at this embassy, to also submit together with the application a document similar to an extract from a criminal record issued by the Department of State of which the applicant is a national and the same document issued by the Department of States where the applicant has been continuously residing for more than 6 months in the past 3 years, or a solemn declaration/affidavit if that State does not issue such a document.”
1. US citizens
US citizens 15 years and older are required to submit a Criminal History Background/ Affidavit (PDF, 342 KB) confirming that they have never been indicted and sentenced for a felony of any kind.
If the visa application is submitted via mail or drop off, a notary public must verify applicant's signature on the affidavit. The affidavit form must state the applicant's full name including a middle name, if applicable.
If the applicant lived in any other country besides the USA for 6 months or longer in the past three years, an Excerpt from a Criminal History Record issued by that country must be also submitted with the required legalization/apostille along with a certified Czech translation of both documents.
Children under the age of 15 are not required to submit the affidavit or Criminal History Record.
2. Non US citizens
Non-US nationals are required to submit:
a) An Excerpt from a Criminal History Record issued by the official authority of the country of their nationality. The Excerpt from the Criminal History Record must be appropriately certified (Apostille or super-legalization) and both documents, the Criminal Record and the Apostille, must be submitted with a certified Czech translation;
AND
b) The US Criminal History Record issued by the US official authority (from the FBI only) with the appropriate certification (Apostille) along with a certified Czech translation of the entire document.
The applicant must also submit an Excerpt from Criminal History Record issued by the State in which the applicant has been staying continuously for more than 6 months in the past three years. An Excerpt from Criminal History Record issued by that country must also be submitted with the required legalization/apostille along with a certified Czech translation.
Children under the age of 15 are not required to submit an Affidavit or a Criminal History Record.
8. Travel medical insurance
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.
Foreign nationals entering the territory of the Czech Republic who will stay there for more than 90 days have to provide a proof of a comprehensive health insurance plan concluded with any insurance company authorised to provide it in the Czech Republic: Medical Insurance - frs.gov.cz
More details concerning the travel medical insurance are also available on the website of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic: https://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/third-country-nationals-application-requirements-travel-medical-insurance-during-a-stay-longer-than-90-days.aspx
List of Insurance Corporations
9. Visa application fee
- Please note that a visa fee is assessed for visa application (please see long-term visa for stay over 90 days in Visa Fees) . The fee must be paid either in cash or by money order made payable to the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York. We do not accept personal checks or credit/debit cards. As the visa fee may change on monthly basis due to the current exchange rate, we recommend checking the current fee at the Consular and Visa Fees.
10. Post delivery
If the applicant would like to send the passport back after the visa process, he/she needs to:
- Enclose a prepaid self-addressed envelope with a tracking number and a stamp. Please note that some online labels have limited validity and cannot be utilized for mailing the passports after the processing period.
- Secure a tracking number of your envelope for the future tracking.
- Passports can ONLY be mailed to US ADDRESSES.
The Address of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic:
Consulate General of the Czech Republic
321 E 73rd Street
New York, NY 10021
Don´t forget to include your phone number and email address for the future communication.
- All visas must be approved by the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic prior to the Czech Consulate being able to issue same. No assurances regarding the issuance of visas can be given in advance. Therefore, final travel plans or the purchase of non refundable tickets should not be made until your visa has been issued.
- Please submit originals and copies of all documents!
- The visa for a stay over 90 days is granted for maximum length of 1 year.
- While lodging the application, an interview with the applicant can be conducted. A written record of the interview can be a part of the application. A record will be written down in Czech language and will be signed by the applicant and the officer of the Consulate who will conduct the interview. In case you do not understand Czech you can bring an interpreter with you to translate the written record.
- Student visas can only be issued by the same Embassy and Consulate General where the application for it was submitted. Hence, you cannot apply for a visa in the US and pick it up in Europe or the Czech Republic. The Czech Consulate General strongly recommends that applicants do not travel to the Czech Republic to begin their study programs without valid visas.
- In case the visa has been refused, you have the right of appeal. The appeal should be addressed to the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic that made the decision about the application within 15 days after receiving the information about the refusal of the application.
- The Consular Section of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic does not provide translations of documents submitted within the visa application. Please see a list of known translators and/or interpreters of the Czech language located in the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York.
*Please be advised that visas can be collected in person at the Embassy. Should a client prefer to use mail services, they are free to select their preferred delivery service (USPS, UPS, FedEx). IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE EMBASSY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY IN SUCH DELIVERY SERVICES AND THEIR SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY TO THE INTENDED ADDRESS.
If you have any questions, you can contact us via email (NewYork.Visa@mzv.gov.cz).
Useful links
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic