Long-Term Visa
Long-term visas are required for citizens of the so-called third countries staying in the Czech Republic for longer than three months for one of these purposes: health, culture, sports, official (political), family, study, training, internship, volunteering, working holiday, seasonal employment, on-site training, entrepreneurship or other. Long-term visas are issued for a maximum of one year.
KINDLY FOLLOW THESE STEPS:
1. FIND A CONSULATE WHERE YOU WILL LODGE YOUR APPLICATION.
2. SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.
Consulates schedule their own appointments, mostly by e-mail or phone – refer to consulates´ websites for guidance.
Applications are lodged in person. An interview is held and fingerprints are collected.
Children younger than 12 do not submit fingerprints and do not need to visit the consulate. Children between 12 and 15 must come accompanied by their parents / legal guardians who lodge visa applications on their behalf.
3. LODGE THE APPLICATION PRESENTING THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:
● PASSPORT
● APPLICATION FORM – Application for long-stay visa
● 2 PHOTOS
● BIOMETRIC DATA (FINGERPRINTS)
● SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ON
○ PURPOSE OF STAY – for example spa confirmation or medical facility confirmation, cultural or sports institution confirmation, registry document proving family relationship – birth certificate or marriage certificate, acceptance letter from school or other educational institution, confirmation on volunteering, employment contract, letter issued by the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic on fulfilling requirements for on-site training, company register extract, trade license etc.)
● PARENTAL CONSENT FOR CHILD´S TRAVEL – written in a free form and signed by both parents / legal guardians (signature does not need to be officially verified); parental consent is not required from a parent / legal guardian who (1) lodges the application on behalf of a child younger than 15 – only signature of the second parent / legal guardian is required in such a case, (2) already resides in the Czech Republic and the child will reside here with him / her – only signature of the second parent / legal guardian is required in such a case, or (3) provides a proof that he / she cannot submit such a content due to reasons beyond his / her influence.
● FEE
● TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE – only if visa approved, not when applying
DO NOT OVERLOOK:
-Supporting documents may not be older than 180 days with the exception of a passport, registry documents (birth certificate or marriage certificate), diplomas and similar documents and photo (if reflecting current appearance).
-Supporting documents must be submitted in Czech. Documents in another language must also be submitted in official translation into Czech.
-Foreign public documents must be legalized, i.e. equipped by an apostille or superlegalized.
-The following documents must always be submitted in their originals: passport, supporting documents on purpose of stay, registry documents (birth certificate and marriage certificate), and parental consent. These originals will be returned to the applicant should he / she wish to keep them. Passport is always returned to the applicant and is submitted again when issuing the visa.
-Other supporting documents may be submitted as originals or officially verified copies.
-We kindly request that applicants also prepare a set of copies of all the requirements.
-SUBMIT ONLY COMPLETE APPLICATIONS CONTAINING ALL THE DOCUMENTS.
-INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS ARE UNACCEPTABLE => THEY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR PROCESSING AND WILL BE RETURNED TO THE APPLICANT. (§ 169h of Act on Residence of Foreign Nationals)
4. AWAIT THE DECISION.
The legal processing time of long-term visa applications is 90 days. With the purpose of study, it is 60 days. The legal processing time can be extended to 120 days in individual cases requiring more examination.
5. GET TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE WHEN VISA APPROVED.
When picking up your visa, do submit an officially verified translation of the policy and general conditions into Czech to prove the conclusion and extent of the insurance.
Upon request, do submit the proof of payment for the insurance.
6. PICK UP YOUR VISA IF APPROVED OR REFUSAL FORM IN CASE OF VISA REFUSAL.
Applicants can pick up their passports themselves or they can authorize someone else to do so on their behalf. A certified power of attorney needs to be presented when picking up the passport on somebody´s behalf. If the applicant notifies the consulate about this arrangement when lodging the application, no power of attorney is necessary.
NOTE: Visa issuance does not automatically grant the right of entry to the Czech Republic or the Schengen Area. Visa holders are required to fulfill entry conditions specified in the Schengen Border Code when crossing the external borders and, upon request, present documents related to the planned stay.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON LONG-TERM VISAS:
Long-term visa applications can be lodged by citizens of the so-called third countries, i.e. states outside of the EU, Island, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Long-term visa is not intended for family members of EU citizens nor of Island, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland who are holders of residence cards of family members of citizens of the EU/EEA or who have applied for them.
Long-term visa applications are lodged when a stay exceeding three months is expected (hence cannot be covered by a short-term Schengen visa).
See also Visa vs. Residence Permit.
Long-term visa applications are lodged at diplomatic missions of the Czech Republic according to the local territorial competence. They forward the applications to the Ministry of the Interior, which examines them and decides on them. If approved, the diplomatic mission at which the application was lodged issues the visa into the passport. Long-term visa can be issued for a maximum period of one year.
If the purpose of stay lasts, you can request – before expiry of the long-term visa – a long-term visa extension for up to one year at your local branch of the Ministry of the Interior, or request a change of status to long-term residence permit. There are long-term residence permits for the purposes of employment, study, scientific research, family unification, intra-company transfer, investment, and for residents of other EU Member States.
Long-term visa grants its holder a right of free movement in the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days within any 180 days for non-gainful purposes (in this respect, it fulfills the function of a short-tem Schengen visa).
Legal sources:
○ Act No 326/1999 Coll., on Residence of Foreign Nationals in the Czech Republic and Amending Certain Acts (available in Czech) (territorial competence: § 169g, scheduling appointment to lodge application: § 169f, lodging application in person: § 169d, requirement to submit documents: § 168.2, submitting fingerprints: § 55.3, long-term visa: § 30, long-term visa supporting documents: § 31, supporting documents – requirements (not older than 180 days, originals): § 55.1, unacceptability of application: § 169h, legal processing period: § 169t.2, travel health insurance: § 180j)
○ Act No 500/2004 Coll., Administrative Code (available in Czech) (requirement to submit documents in Czech: § 16.1+2)
○ Decree from December 21, 2010, No 429/2010 Coll., on Establishing Exceptions from Foreigner´s Obligation to Apply for a Visa or Residence Permit at a Diplomatic Mission According to Local Territorial Competence (available in Czech)
○ Decree from February 5, 2020, No 35/2020 Coll., on Establishing Territorial Districts of Diplomatic Missions for Purposes of Lodging Visa and Residence Permit Applications (available in Czech)
○ Regulation (EU) No 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code) – mainly Title II – External Borders, Chapters I and II
Useful links:
○ Ministry of the Interior – Visa for Stay over 90 Days (long-term), Contacts, Application Requirements, Status of Application, Conditions of Entry and Basic Requirements after Entry to the Czech Republic
○ Ministry of Industry and Trade – Economic Migration – Overview of Programs, Economic Migration
○ Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – Recognition of Education
○ Ministry of Justice – Court Certified Translators (in Czech)
○ Recognition of Foreign Education and Qualification
○ Foreigners in the Czech Republic
○ Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic – Training (in Czech)