According to European Union Regulation (EC No. 539/2001, as amended by Regulation EC No. 2414/2001 and Regulation EC No. 453/2003) citizens of listed countries are required to possess valid visa to enter the Schengen Area.

Canadian citizens holding valid passport do not require to have a visa to enter the Czech Republic/Schengen Area for stay not exceeding 90 days in any 180 days period, provided that the stay is non-profitable. The passport should be valid at least three months after intended departure from the Czech Republic/Schengen Area. Border officer may at his/her own discretion request presentation of the travel medical insurance during the border control.

Youth Mobility Agreement - Czech Republic welcomes young Canadians

On October 1, 2007, a bilateral Agreement between the Czech Republic and Canada concerning the facilitation of temporary work stays of youth entered into force. As of this date, Canadian nationals may apply at the Czech Embassy in Ottawa.

Schengen (short-term) Visa

All applicants for Schengen Visa are required to submit the application in person and give their biometrics (fingerprints) at the Consulate. Bring your PR card (or work/study permit) to the appointment.

Schengen Visa issued by diplomatic or consular mission entitles its holder to stay in the territory of the Czech Republic/Schengen Area for the period indicated in the visa. The maximum lengths of stays may not exceed 90 days within a 180 days.

Diplomatic or consular mission of the Czech Republic will issue the Schengen Visa only if the Czech Republic is the state in which the only or the main purpose of the trip is located or if the main purpose of the trip cannot be determined, only if the stay in the Czech Republic is the longest compared to stays in other Schengen states. If this rule cannot be used, the diplomatic or consular mission of the Czech Republic will issue the visa if the Schengen Area will be entered into through the territory of the Czech Republic - the Czech Republic is the first state to be visited during the trip.

Supporting documents depend on the purpose of stay in the Czech Republic/Schengen Area and may generally not be older than 180 days, except for the passport and registry documents. Border officers of the Czech Republic may at their own discretion request presentation of the relevant supporting documents, incl. proof of travel medical insurance, during the border control.

Download the application form here (or scroll down to the end of this article for download)

 

Important notice regarding long-term visas and all long-term residence permits (including Employee Card and EU Blue Card)!

Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Toronto, in accordance with § 31, section 3, letter a) of the Act No. 326/1999 Coll. on the Residence of Foreign Nationals in the Czech Republic requests that all applicants for long-term visa and long-term residence permits, who intend to lodge their application at the consulate, submit along with the application and supporting documents an Extract from the Penal Register record (Criminal Record Check) issued by the state of which the applicant is a citizen and also by the states in which the applicant has had continuous residence for over 6 months in the last 3 years or an affidavit, if the given state does not issue such document.

At the same time,  it is possible in accordance with § 31, paragraph 1 letter g) of Act No. 326/1999 of the Czech Collection of Laws, on the residence of foreigners, to replace a Canadian document similar to an extract from the Register of Criminal Records by a foreigner's affidavit on criminal history background.

Long-Term Visa

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.).

The Long-Term Visa is issued for stay in the territory of the Czech Republic exceeding 90 days with the maximum validity for 12 months. The stay on a Long-Term Visa can be extended if the purpose of stay remains the same. An application for extending the stay on a long-term visa has to be filled at an MOI office at the territory of the Czech Republic, at earliest 90 days and at latest 14 days before the period of the permitted stay expires.

The applicant should submit the application on the completed form along with all the necessary requirements given individually for selected purposes of stay and outlined by law. All the documents submitted should be either originals or certified copies and have to be made out in the Czech language or officially translated into Czech language. Foreign public documents must further be provided with a higher authentication (Apostille, superlegalisation).

Long-Term Residence Permit

The Long-Term Residence Permit is issued for stay in the territory of the Czech Republic exceeding 12 months. At the diplomatic or consular mission of the Czech Republic only the Long-Term Residence Application for following purposes of stay can be accepted: purpose of studies, scientific research and family reunification.

The applicant should submit the application on the completed form along with all the necessary requirements given individually for selected purposes of stay and outlined by law. All the documents submitted should be either originals or certified copies and have to be made out in the Czech language or officially translated into Czech language. Foreign public documents must further be provided with a higher authentication (Apostille, superlegalisation).

Employee Card

An Employee Card is a type of permit for long-time residence in the territory of the Czech Republic where the purpose of the foreign national’ stay (longer than 3 months) is employment. An Employee Card is most often issued for the duration of the employer-employee relationship but not for more than 2 years, with an option to repeatedly extend its validity.

With regard to professional qualifications, an Employee Card is intended for all types of employment regardless of the level of required professional qualifications. However, the job vacancy for which an application for an Employee Card can be filed must come from the central register of job vacancies that can be filled by holders of Employee Cards. Subject to the consent of the employer, these vacant jobs can be published on the Internet Integrated Portal of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs where you can find them.

EU Blue Card

An EU Blue Card is a residential status designed for a long-term stay involving the performance of a highly skilled job (§ 42i of the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals). Duly completed university education or higher vocational education, the duration of which was at least 3 years, is deemed to be a high level of skills. The EU Blue Card database of vacancies is available at the website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Permanent Residence Permit

After 5 years of continuous residence in the Czech Republic, a foreign national can file an application for permanent residence.

Application forms

Application for Schengen Visa
Application for Long-Term Visa
Application for Employee Card
Application for Blue Card
Application for Residence Permit

Fees

All visa and residence applications are subject to consular fees.