A visa to the Czech Republic will be required for all citizens of the Russian Federation planning to visit this country for various purposes, be it a tourist trip, a visit to visit close relatives or friends, employment, a business trip, university studies, medical treatment or for further registration of a residence permit, for example, on the basis of family reunification. Moreover, the requirements for the preparation of documents differ depending on the type of visa. Therefore, before proceeding with the design, it is advisable to carefully read all the nuances.
What gives a visa to the Czech Republic
For Russians in 2021, a visa to travel to the Czech Republic is mandatory. A Czech visa, depending on its type, gives the right to travel to the countries of the Schengen zone, to carry out transit travel through the country, to work or do business in the Czech Republic. Citizens who are not residents of the Schengen countries or their relatives have the right to apply for its registration.
Categories of Czech visas
The following types of visas are provided to enter the Czech Republic:
- Airport transit visa category A - issued at the airport when transferring to another flight only if there are air tickets confirming the onward flight to another country.
- Transit visa category B - issued for a period of five days for those who transit through the territory of the Czech Republic or the Schengen area as a whole by land (for example, by train or by car).
- Short-term Schengen visa category C - issued for those who plan to stay in the Czech Republic or the Schengen area for tourism, business, visiting friends or relatives, work, study or research (if there are documents confirming the basis for its issuance) ... A Schengen visa is issued for the period necessary for the implementation of these purposes (maximum 5 years), however, the period of stay in the Czech Republic and the Schengen area as a whole cannot exceed 90 days in half a year. An entry permit can be single (one entry into the Schengen area is allowed), double (two entries are allowed) and multiple (for this, a multivisa is issued, according to which an unlimited number of entries into the country are allowed).
- Long-term national visa category D - issued if it is necessary to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days, if the purpose of staying in the country is work, business, study, family reunification, scientific research. Usually, a long-term visa is valid for six months, in the case of studying at a Czech educational institution, its maximum period is 1 year. A visa to the Czech Republic for 2 years cannot be issued, however, if it is necessary to stay in the country further, it can be extended for this period.
Transit visa
Preliminary processing of a transit visa is required in the following cases:
- a flight to a third country through the territory of the Czech Republic is planned for a time exceeding 24 hours from the moment of arrival at the Czech airport;
- during transit, it is planned to leave the territory of the airport, including if the flight to a third country is carried out from another airport;
- in addition to the airport in the Czech Republic, it is planned to transfer at another airport in the Schengen zone;
- a foreigner has a ticket to a third country with an open date;
- during transit, the foreigner must receive the baggage and re-register it.
Visa for tourism
For tourism purposes, foreigners are issued a short-term Schengen visa of category C. The same entry permit is issued to citizens for medical treatment in the Czech Republic, as well as to persons accompanying them.
To obtain a tourist visa, it is important to provide the consulate with documents confirming that the main purpose of the trip is travel: for example, a tourist voucher, confirmation of hotel booking, documents issued by a travel agency. In addition, it is compulsory to provide tickets for obtaining a visa in both directions (by plane, bus or train).
If a visa is requested for the purpose of undergoing a course of treatment, it is necessary to provide an official paper from a medical institution in the Czech Republic, which will also indicate the approximate cost of medical services.
In addition, it is important that the future patient, when contacting the consulate, should attach the recommendations of the attending physician to the main documents.
Business visa to the Czech Republic
A Schengen short-term business visa is issued on the basis of an official invitation from a Czech partner. The document must be certified by the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic for Foreigners or issued on the letterhead of the inviting organization / company. The visa is issued for the period requested for the implementation of business plans.
For the same purpose, a long-term visa can also be issued. It should be requested if a foreigner needs to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days in half a year. It can be issued by co-founders of companies registered in the Czech Republic, as well as private entrepreneurs.
Visa based on invitation
The main condition for obtaining a visitor visa is an invitation letter from a person residing in the Czech Republic, certified by the Aliens Police Department or by a notary. Citizens of the Czech Republic, citizens of other EU countries permanently residing in the territory of the Czech Republic, as well as citizens of the Russian Federation living in the Czech Republic on the basis of a long-term visa or residence permit can officially invite relatives or friends.
Employment visa in the Czech Republic
For employment on the territory of the Czech Republic, labor and Blue Cards are most often issued, but for seasonal work a work visa can be issued.
A Czech work visa can only be issued with an official permit from the Labor Office or a document confirming that such a permit is not required in this case.
A labor visa can be short-term (up to 90 days) and long-term (up to 180 days).
Visa based on study
In order to get an education in the Czech Republic, a long-term visa is issued. It can be issued both in the case of studies in short educational courses, and in the case of studies at a higher educational institution.
The maximum validity of a long-term study-based visa is one year. For those who plan to continue their studies, it is possible to extend a long-term visa.
In addition, at the end of the validity period of a long-term student visa, it is possible to obtain a temporary residence permit on the basis of obtaining an education.
The procedure for obtaining a visa to the Czech Republic
The procedure for obtaining Czech visas - both short-term and long-term - takes place in several stages. The step-by-step instructions for applying for a visa yourself are as follows:
- collect all the necessary documents in accordance with your type of visa, take a photo;
- make an appointment in advance to submit documents to the nearest consular department or visa center (please note that only Schengen visas are issued at visa centers, for long-term visas you need to contact the Embassy or the Consulate General of the Czech Republic);
- come on the appointed day with a full package of documents;
- pay the consular fee;
- bring additional documents if consular officers ask about you;
- wait for a notification from the consulate / visa center about the decision.
Where to submit documents
To obtain a Czech visa, you can apply to the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Moscow, the General Consulate of the Czech Republic in Yekaterinburg or St. Petersburg, or to one of the VFS Global visa centers located in major Russian cities.
| Institution | Contact Information | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Embassy of the Czech Republic in Moscow | st. Yu. Fuchik, 12/14 phone: +7 495 276 07 01 74952760702 | Mon. - Fri; submission of applications by appointment from 9.00 to 12.00, issuance of passports - from 13.00 to 15.30 |
| Consulate General of the Czech Republic in St. Petersburg | st. Tverskaya, 5 phone: +7 812 271 04 59 | Mon. - Fri. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Yekaterinburg | st. Gogol, 15 phone: + 7 343 379 47 62 | Mon.from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa Application Center in Moscow | st. Suschevsky Val, 31, building 2 phone: +7 499 703 49 72 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa Application Center in Rostov-on-Don | st. Trolleybusnaya, 24/2 V, 2nd floor phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa Application Center in Novosibirsk | st. Chelyuskintsev, 15 phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa center in Kazan | st. Paris Commune, building 8 phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa center in Samara | st. Michurina, 78, office 2, 2nd floor (BC Millennium) phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa Application Center in Nizhny Novgorod | st. Shcherbakova, 15, 1st floor phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa center in Krasnoyarsk | st. Maerchaka, 16 phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa Application Center in Irkutsk | st. Sverdlova, 10, 2nd floor phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa center in Ufa | st. Chernyshevsky, 82, office 301 phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa Application Center in Vladivostok | Okeansky prospect, 17, office 601 phone: +8 423 265 25 46 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa center in Khabarovsk | st. Istomina, 22A phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa center in Krasnodar | st. Academician Pavlova, 64 phone +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa center in Omsk | st. Frunze, 1, building 4, office 713 phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa center in Perm | st. Chernyshevsky, 28 phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa Application Center in Saratov | st. Vavilova, 38/114, office 2A phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa Application Center in Smolensk | st. Nikolaeva, 20 phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Voronezh Visa Application Center | st. Voroshilov, 16 phone +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
| Visa Application Center in Novorossiysk | st. Karl Marx, 49 phone: +7 499 703 49 72, +7 499 704 55 61 | Mon. from 9.00 to 16.00 |
List of main documents
The list of documents for a visa to the Czech Republic is as follows:
- foreign passport (plus a copy of the page with the applicant's personal data). The validity of the document must be at least 3 months longer than the validity of the visa. In addition, a passport cannot be issued earlier than 10 years before the moment of applying for a visa;
- application form signed by the applicant. Maybe for a Schengen or long-term visa - it all depends on the purpose of the trip, samples can be downloaded on the official website of the Embassy of the Czech Republic;
- photo 3.5x4.5 cm;
- a document confirming a sufficient amount of financial resources (for example, a certificate from the place of work about a salary or a bank statement);
- a document confirming the availability of housing for the period of stay in the Czech Republic (hotel reservation, invitation with indication of the temporary residence address, lease agreement or documents for real estate);
- medical insurance - the amount of coverage must be at least 30,000 euros (in the case of a double-entry visa, the insurance must be valid for both trips).
Before submitting documents, it is advisable to carefully study the requirements for a photo for a visa:
- photo must be in color, of good quality;
- background - white, light blue or light gray;
- the photograph must match the appearance of the foreigner at the time of application;
- a photo in which a foreigner is looking over his shoulder, turned to the side or tilted his head is not accepted;
- facial expression should be neutral, mouth closed, eyes open, hair should not cover the face;
- the photo should not contain glare and light reflections;
- there must be a distance of at least 2 mm from the top edge of the photo to the crown of the head, at least 13 mm from the eyes to the chin;
- Retouched photos are not accepted.
List of additional documents
Depending on the purpose of the trip, the following additional documents will be required for obtaining a Czech visa:
| Purpose of stay | Additional documents |
|---|---|
| Transit | a ticket to a third country, visa or other permission to enter a third country (if required) |
| Tourist | hotel booking confirmation / travel voucher, round trip tickets |
| Business | a document confirming the registration of a company in the Commercial Register / invitation from an organization or company to a business meeting |
| Guest | invitation from a private person living in the Czech Republic |
| Working | official work permit from the Labor Office of the Czech Republic / confirmation of the absence of the need to issue this permit, work contract |
| Training | invitation to study at an educational institution in the Czech Republic |
The following documents are required from underage applicants to apply for a visa:
- birth certificate (copy);
- a copy of the parent's Czech visa (if his visa was issued earlier);
- written consent of the parent or other legal representative for the child to travel abroad (if the child travels to the Czech Republic without parents, then the consent of both the mother and the father is required; if the child is traveling with only one parent, the consent of the second is required).
Production time and cost of a Czech visa
The term for consideration of a visa with a short-term purpose (category C) in the general procedure is 5 working days. If an entry permit is issued through one of the visa centers located not in Moscow, St. Petersburg or Yekaterinburg (where the embassy and consulates are located), then the total period for processing documents for a Schengen visa lasts 7 days, since the sending of documents takes two days.
You can also apply for an express visa, the result of which will be known within three days after the submission of documents, but it should be borne in mind that an urgent visa can be issued only in Moscow, St. Petersburg or Yekaterinburg.
The production time may differ depending on the need to check the information provided by the Czech authorities.
On average, issuing a long-term visa to the Czech Republic takes 30 days. In some cases, consideration of documents can take up to three months, most often it concerns work and student visas.
The cost of obtaining Czech visas depends on several factors. Firstly, the type of visa matters, secondly, the institution through which it is issued (consulate or visa center), and, thirdly, the applicant's belonging to the preferential categories.
The cost of obtaining a visa to the Czech Republic and additional services at the consulate is indicated in the table below:
| Visa type and additional consular services | Price |
|---|---|
| Schengen | 35 euros |
| Schengen Express | 70 euros |
| Long term | 2500 CZK |
| Verification of signature | 250 CZK |
| Translation certification (one page) | 300 CZK |
| Certified copy (one page) | 300 CZK |
Services, the cost of which is indicated in the Czech national currency, are paid in euros at the current exchange rate.
At the visa center, payment is made in rubles, an additional service fee of 25 euros is paid.
Children under 6 years old, people with disabilities, as well as one accompanying person (if necessary) are exempt from paying the consular fee. In case of applying for a visa through the VFS Global Visa Application Center, the above categories of persons pay a service fee of 12 euros.
How to find out the status of the application
In case of submitting documents through the VFS Global visa center, the readiness of the visa can be specified in the section "Information on the status of your application." To do this, you must enter the registration number issued when submitting documents, and your last name. If you apply directly to the embassy or consulate, you will be informed about the approximate date of visa readiness.
What to do in case of refusal
In accordance with Article 32 of the EU Visa Code, an applicant who has received a refusal to issue a visa must be notified of the reason for this decision in writing.
The reasons for refusal can be the following:
- insufficiently complete package of documents;
- forgery of documents;
- false data in the submitted papers;
- incorrectly completed documents;
- violation of visa rules during previous trips to the countries of the Schengen area;
- unpaid administrative penalties in the home country;
- violation of the laws of the Czech Republic or another country of the Schengen agreement during previous trips.
In case of refusal of a visa, a foreigner has the right, within 15 days from the date of receipt of a written notification of non-issuance, to submit an application for consideration of the reasons for this decision. The application must be sent to the same embassy / consulate that issued the refusal.
The application must contain the following information about the applicant:
- name and surname;
- Date and place of birth;
- citizenship;
- series and number of the foreign passport;
- arguments proving that the refusal decision was inappropriate.
In the same way, a foreigner has the right to learn about the cancellation of a Czech visa (declaration of a visa invalid) or about its cancellation. Foreign citizens should be aware that in such cases they have the right to submit an application for consideration of this decision.
Entry to the Czech Republic on a visa of another Schengen state
Entry to the Czech Republic on a visa from another country is possible, but it must be issued by the consulate of a country belonging to the Schengen area. If you intend to enter the Czech Republic on a Schengen visa of another country, you will need to explain to the migration officials at the border that the main country of stay is the one that issued you the visa, but entering the Czech Republic first turned out to be either more profitable or more convenient. To do this, it is advisable to have documents proving this fact with you, for example, a confirmation of a hotel reservation or an invitation.
Finally
Both for Russians and Belarusians, as well as for citizens of Kazakhstan and other CIS countries wishing to travel to Prague or another city in the Czech Republic, a Czech visa is required. Depending on the grounds for its issuance, the requirements for the preparation of documents differ.
A Schengen visa can be issued at the Embassy or Consulate General of the Czech Republic, as well as at one of the VFS Global visa centers, while a long-term visa can only be issued at the embassy or consulate.
In addition, in regional visa centers, an urgent visa cannot be issued in three days - this can be done only in those cities that have an embassy or consulate (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg), since in this case the sending of documents is not required to another city.
The prices for visa processing also differ. So, when contacting the embassy / consulate, only the consular fee must be paid, while when contacting the visa center, the applicant is additionally charged a service fee. In addition, the visa fee for an express visa is twice as expensive as applying for a visa in the usual way.
