An amendment to Act No. 326/1999 Coll., on the Residence of Foreigners in the Czech Republic and on Amendments to Certain Acts, was adopted with effect from 1 July 2023.

Based on the provisions of §169g of Act No. 326/1999 Coll., it is now possible to submit an application for a long-term visa and an application for a permit for long-term or permanent residence in the state of which the foreigner is a citizen, or in the state that issued the travel document of which the foreigner is the holder, or in the state in which the foreigner is long-term or permanent resident  and at the same time in which the foreigner has been lawfully residing continuously for a period of at least 2 years.

Long-term residents can only apply for a long-term residence permit if they have been legally and continuously residing in Ireland for at least 2 years. This period shall be calculated as of the date of application. 

An exception to this rule is made for citizens of third countries who are not subject to the so-called territorial consular competence rule and who may submit an application at any Embassy of the Czech Republic.

Third-country nationals who are not covered by the exception to the territorial consular competence rule will have to prove their compliance with the condition of continuous residence for a period of 2 years in Ireland when registering to submit an application, for example, by a previous residence permit or a residence certificate issued by the competent migration authority in the country concerned.