Schengen Visa
Applications are filed at consulates or visa centers located in applicants´ consular districts, commonly in person, not at a border crossing nor in CZE.
1. FILE YOUR APPLICATION IN THE STATE OF WHICH YOU ARE CITIZEN OR IN WHICH YOU RESIDE.
- If there is no CZ consulate or visa center in the state of which you are citizen or in which you reside, but there is one in another state of your consular district (often in a neighbouring state), file your applicationt there.
- Alternatively, find out if there is a consulate of another Schengen Area state in the state of which you are citizen or in which you reside that represents CZE. If yes, file your application there.
- Also find out if there is a visa center in the state of which you are citizen or in whcih you reside. If yes, file your application there.
-If there are several diplomatic missions of the Czech Republic in one state (for example an embassy and consulate(s) general), file your application at the consulate located in the consular district where you reside – i.e. nearest to you. The same applies to visa centers.
2. FILE YOUR APPLICATION WITH THAT SCHENGEN STATE THAT IS THE ONLY OR THE MAIN DESTINATION OF YOUR JOURNEY.
JOURNEY TO CZE ONLY: If CZE is your only or main destination, file your application with CZE.
JOURNEY TO SEVERAL SCHENGEN STATES: 1) When travelling to several Schengen Area states, file the application with that Schengen Area state, in which the main purpose of travel is located or in which you will stay the longest. 2) If the purpose of travel in all Schengen Area states is the same (for example tourism in several states), as well as the length of stay, file the application with that Schengen Area state, into which you will arrive first (i.e. through the external borders of which you will enter the Schengen Area).
Legal sources:
○ Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code) – Articles 5, 6 and 18
Useful links:
○ European Commission - Migration and Home Affairs – Applying for a Schengen Visa