The steps that family members from a third country (i.e. those who are not citizens of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland) must take prior to arrival differ depending on the planned length of their stay.

Stay in the Czech Republic / Schengen area up to 90 days

Stay in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days

Obligations of foreigners upon arrival

Schengen (short-term) visa for the purpose of visiting family or friends (up to 90 days)

Regulated by the following legislation:

• 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)

• Regulation (EU) 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)

Applications are filed in the country where the applicant is a citizen or where the applicant has a residence permit, usually in person at the Czech consulate office – a list of consulates can be found here.

Terms:

• an application for a Schengen visa is filed no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days prior to the stay

• an invitation to visit the Czech Republic

Procedure for filing the application:

• find out at which consulate or visa centre you will file the application

• the application is filed at the consulate of the Schengen-space country that is the only or main target of the stay

• arrange an appointment to file the application

• applications are usually filed in person, and biometric data is collected (fingerprints), fingerprints are not needed for children up to 12 years old and their personal visit is not necessary, children 12 to 15 years old must be accompanied

Requirements:

• passport

• application form

• photo (35 mm x 45 mm)

• supporting documents demonstrating the following:

  • purpose of the stay (official or unofficial invitation)

  • accommodation (accommodation agreement, lease agreement, sublease, confirmation of accommodation, reservation, private invitation with the name and address of the inviting person)

  • financial resources (bank account statement, receipt for the payment of services, etc.)

  • intention of leaving the country (e.g. booked airline ticket/train ticket)

• travel health insurance (must be valid for all Schengen-space countries and cover the entire stay, minimum premium cover of EUR 30,000)

• application fee

The applications are usually handled in 3 to 5 days. The legal deadline for handling applications is 15 days.

Long-term residence permit (over 90 days) for the purpose of family reunification

Regulated by the following legislation:

• Act no. 326/1999 Sb., on the residence of foreign nationals in the Czech Republic and on changes to certain acts

Applications for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification are filed at a consulate office.

When can an application be filed in the Czech Republic:

• if you have a long-term visa for over 90 days

• if you have a long-term residence permit issued for another purpose

Who can apply:

• spouse of a foreign national with a residence permit

• a dependent child of a foreign national with a residence permit

• a dependent child of the spouse of a foreign national with a residence permit

• a minor foreign national who has been entrusted to alternative family care by a foreign national with a residence permit or by their spouse by a decision of the competent authority

• the parent of a minor foreign national who has been granted asylum pursuant to a special legal regulation

• a single foreign national over the age of 65 or, regardless of age, a foreign national who is unable to take care of themselves for health reasons if it involves the reunion of the family with the parent or child with a residence permit

• a person who lived in another EU Member State prior to entering the Czech Republic as a family member of a blue card holder

Procedure for filing the application:

• find out at which consulate or visa centre you will file the application

• arrange an appointment to file the application

• applications are usually filed in person, and biometric data is collected (fingerprints)

Requirements:

• application form – green, “Application for a long-term residence permit”, for the purpose of “family reunification”

• passport

• 2 photos (35 x 45mm)

• application fee – paid with tariff stamps in a specific amount, which can be purchased at any post office

• supporting documents confirming the following:

  • family relationship

  • aggregate monthly income of the family – net monthly income of the head of the household for the past three months

  • affidavit of the head of the household that they will financially secure the family for the period of the stay

  • accommodation – original in Czech, accommodation agreement, lease agreement, sublease, etc.

  • children submit consent of parents/legal guardians to the stay in the Czech Republic (not necessary if a parent travels with the child)

• upon request, a document similar to an extract from the criminal register of the Czech Republic – issued by the country where the foreign national is a citizen and also from countries where the foreign national has lived during the past three years for an uninterrupted period of more than six months; the Staff Welcome Centre will provide more detailed information relating to individual countries and how to obtain this document

• upon request, a document confirming compliance with the requirements of the measures against the introduction of an infectious disease

• travel health insurance – an insurance policy and a receipt for payment of the premium for the entire stay, to be submitted in the case of granting a visa

Subsequently, the family member contacts the respective Czech consulate office abroad - the consulate establishes a term for acceptance of the application usually within 14 days of contacting this office - and then files in person at the consulate office an application for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification.

The deadline for deciding on the application for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification is 270 days. The long-term residence permit is issued for a period corresponding to the residence permit of the holder, however a minimum of one year.