The Czech Republic is one of the most attractive countries in terms of tourism. There are low prices, many attractions and beautiful cities, excellent service. However, in order to travel around this country without any problems, Russian citizens will need a tourist visa to the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic is part of the Schengen zone, which means that the holder of a Czech visa will be able to visit 25 other European states with it. But in order to take advantage of this opportunity, you must correctly issue an entry permit.
Types of tourist visas to the Czech Republic
In 2021, tourists from Russia will be able to visit the Czech Republic only if they have a visa. Since the Czech Republic is a signer of the Schengen Agreement, a Schengen visa is required to enter its territory. There are several types of such visas: transit category A, short-term category C and long-term national visa category D.
Tourist visas are categorized as short-term visas. Such a document allows the traveler to stay in the country for 90 days in half a year and is issued for a maximum of five years.
In turn, short-term tourist Schengen visas are of two types:
- Single entry - this type of permit entitles the citizens of the Russian Federation to one entry into the Czech Republic and stay in the country for the period specified in the document. At the same time, it usually provides for +15 days to the requested period of stay in the country in case a person had to delay the flight and extend the tour. However, this does not apply to the conditions of stay on the territory of another country.
- Multiple entry visas. A tourist who has received such a visa can freely enter the Schengen countries many times and travel until he gets bored. However, this can only be done during the validity period of the visa. In addition, the length of stay remains standard - 90/180 days.
It is not so easy to obtain a visa that gives the right to repeatedly cross the borders - it is issued only if the tourist can prove such a necessity.
How to get a visa to the Czech Republic: step by step instructions
Russian citizens can apply for a visa in two ways:
- on one's own;
- through an intermediary (travel agency, visa center).
And you yourself decide which of the options suits you best. Let's consider each of them in more detail and first figure out how to draw up documents yourself. Self-registration includes the following steps:
- Finding a place where you will live while traveling in the Czech Republic. If you plan to stay in several hotels, you need to get a confirmation of the room reservation in each of them. If you have nowhere to live, you will not be allowed into the country.
- Booking tickets for travel in transport, which you will use to get to the Czech Republic and back. For example, it can be booking tickets for a train, plane, bus or other means of transport. It is advisable to have round trip tickets. At the same time, there is one caveat: the dates on the tickets and the hotel reservation must be the same - it is impossible for the return ticket to be booked on the 8th, and the hotel paid before the 5th.
- Registration of medical insurance. The policy can be obtained from any insurance company. However, you should make sure that the insurance covers the entire period of stay in the country, and the amount of coverage per person is from 30 thousand euros.
- Collection of documents (a detailed list is given below).
- Submission of documents. Papers are accepted at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Moscow at the address: Yu. Fucik street, 12/14, building 6, on weekdays from 9.00 to 16.00. However, in order to get an appointment at the embassy or consulate, you must first make an appointment by phone (495) 504-36-54.
In addition, you can make an appointment by filling out a virtual form on the website of the visa service centers of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Moscow or other cities of the country. It should be borne in mind that the visa center will only help you to obtain a short-term visa. And one more nuance: it is impossible to issue an express visa in the regional center.
- Obtaining a passport with a visa. It is not necessary to pick up the documents in person - you can pay for the courier's services. In case of refusal to issue a visa, you should receive a notification from the consular service about the rejection of your application with an indication of the reason.
The second option for obtaining a visa is exactly the same, but all the necessary procedures are carried out for you by an intermediary. This is very convenient, especially if you have purchased a ticket and are going on a trip through a travel agency.
However, this option is only suitable for those who do not require a personal presence when submitting documents. For example, if tourists have previously received a Schengen visa and submitted biometric data. They do not need to re-pass the fingerprinting procedure, since fingerprints are valid for 5 years, so their personal presence is not necessary.
The procedure for obtaining a visa through an intermediary includes the following steps:
- Signing a power of attorney at a notary.
- Obtaining all the necessary documents from the applicant: a completed visa application form, certificates, forms and other papers.
- Representative submission of documents to the visa center. He must have a power of attorney and a passport with him.
- Obtaining ready-made documents.
The services of an intermediary are certainly convenient, but by no means free. Therefore, you should clarify the amount of remuneration in advance with your representative.
What documents need to be provided
An applicant preparing an application for a Schengen visa must know exactly what documents are needed for this. The list of required papers includes:
- International passport - the original and a copy of the first page are submitted. Please note that the document must be valid longer than the validity of the visa (at least for a couple of months). If a visa is issued after a person has changed his surname, the passport must be changed within a month. If children are included in the document, you need to attach their photos.
- Application form - you can get it at the consulate or visa center. Download the form here. The questionnaire should be completed in legible Latin letters.
- Color photograph (one). Photo size 3.5 x 4 cm, on a white background.
- Medical insurance - for the entire period of the tour with coverage of at least 30 thousand euros per person.
- Passport of a citizen of Russia - you need to make scanned copies of pages with photos and registration.
- Documents confirming the veracity of the specified purpose of travel - for example, hotel reservations.
- Documents proving your financial stability. This can be a bank statement about the current state of the account at the time of the trip. It must be certified by the seal of the bank and the signature of the employee of the financial institution. Help from work is fine too. If the trip is paid for by another person, you must provide a sponsorship letter. If the sponsor is a relative, this fact also needs to be confirmed.
- Tickets for travel or driver's license - depending on the type of transport you will be using to get to the Czech Republic.
If a minor child is traveling with adults, he will need the following papers to apply for a visa:
- Copy of birth certificate.
- Schengen visa of one or both parents (if everyone is traveling), a copy of the document being issued.
- If a minor is traveling alone, you need to obtain a notary-certified permission from both parents.
- Certificate from the educational institution.
Children under the age of twelve are not required to provide fingerprints.
It should be borne in mind that the list of required documents may be adjusted depending on the circumstances of the trip.
How much does a Czech visa cost and how long does it take to get it?
To begin with, let's clarify how much the Schengen registration costs:
- 35 euros - standard visa fee for the usual procedure of paperwork;
- 70 euros - express visa, which is issued urgently;
- free - for children under six years old traveling with their parents;
- a long-term visa will cost 2500 kroons, but long-term tourist visas are very rare.
In addition, when applying for a visa for Russians through visa centers, you will have to pay for additional services - about a thousand rubles.
It is better to apply for a visa in advance. The minimum period is three months before the trip to the Czech Republic.
Terms of consideration of documents for a visa to the Czech Republic:
- standard visa: papers are reviewed within five days (working days, excluding weekends). The maximum period during which a decision on the issuance of a visa can be made is 30 days;
- express visa: the standard period during which you can receive confirmation of the issuance of a visa is three working days. Again, not counting the weekend.
- long-term visa: documents are considered within 120 days from the date of application.
How to check the readiness of the visa
Today it is much easier for tourists to track the status of their visa processing. To do this, they can use the website of the visa center accredited by the Embassy of the Czech Republic. To get information on this resource you need:
- go to the VFS Global website;
- at the top of the page, find the tab "Information about the status of your application";
- enter the registration number of the application;
- indicate the surname for which the visa is issued;
- enter the text shown in the picture (captcha);
- click on "Confirm" or "Reset" if you made a mistake.
As a result, a page with the current status of the application will appear.
What to do in case of visa refusal
If you have received a refusal to issue a visa, there are grounds for that. Most often, a visa is denied for the following reasons:
- the applicant initially indicated incorrect information;
- there is no reason to travel (the purpose of the trip has not been confirmed);
- an incomplete package of documents is presented;
- the applicant has little money. The required amount is calculated at the rate of 1100 CZK per day per adult. That is, if you intend to stay in the Czech Republic for all 90 days, the cost of the trip will be more than 38 thousand kroons. If you do not have such an amount, your visa application may be refused. An exception is children: for them, the amount is halved;
- no health insurance;
- if earlier the visa was already denied or the tourist violated the visa regime.
If you receive a refusal, you should not panic - this decision can be challenged by filing an appeal with the Czech embassy. After that, they should call you back and offer solutions to the problem.
In what cases can a tourist visa be extended
If the tourist liked the Czech Republic so much that he wanted to stay there longer, he will have to solve the problem of extending the visa. Moreover, this must be done immediately, since delaying the deadline threatens that you will never again be allowed to obtain permission to visit Schengen.
The consulates of the Czech Republic allow you to send documents for renewal remotely, so you will not need to return home. However, there is one drawback - this service is paid and takes time. To extend a tourist visa, you first need to make an application and make a payment: for one person you have to pay from 150 euros, for two people - 270 euros, from four to ten people - 500 euros.
Finally
If you want your trip to Prague to be remembered not by paperwork, but by the magnificent views of the old city, the visa must be issued correctly. Today, in order to make tourist travel more accessible, this process is simplified as much as possible.
The Czech Republic is an excellent entry point to the Schengen area, from where it is easy to travel to other European countries, so sometimes a visa may be refused. But if you provided reliable information, collected all the documents and paid all the fees, you have nothing to worry about - all you have to do is go to pack your bags.
