Obtaining a residence permit in the Czech Republic gives foreign citizens many advantages, since this country is a member of the European Union and attracts immigrants with its high living standards. However, to obtain a residence permit in the Czech Republic, you must have serious documented reasons. Moreover, the list of required documents differs in each individual case.
What gives a residence permit in the Czech Republic
The main advantages of obtaining a residence permit in the Czech Republic for Russians and citizens of other CIS countries are:
- obtaining guaranteed social and health insurance;
- the possibility of free movement in the countries of the Schengen zone without the need for a visa;
- the opportunity to work in other countries of the European Union;
- the closest location of the Czech Republic to Russia of all EU countries;
- high standard of living and wages;
- the opportunity to obtain permanent resident status after 5 years of residence on a long-term residence permit.
Reasons for issuing a residence permit
To obtain a residence permit in the Czech Republic, you must have a good reason, which are:
- starting your own business or investing;
- family reunification;
- getting an education;
- research activities.
At the same time, on the basis of employment in the Czech Republic, they do not issue a residence permit, but an Employee Card or a Blue Card.
It is also impossible to obtain a residence permit in the Czech Republic through real estate, since the purchase itself is not a sufficient basis for issuing a residence permit. At the same time, when applying for a residence permit on any of the grounds, the applicant is required to provide a document on the provision of housing, however, instead of documents for the ownership of real estate, it is sufficient to provide a lease agreement.
Starting or running a business
An application for a long-term residence permit on the basis of a business can only be submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs if you are already in the Czech Republic on a visa for more than 90 days for the same purpose.
The main document on the basis of which this type of residence permit is issued is confirmation of the applicant's company being entered into the commercial register or other relevant list. The term for consideration of documents is 60 days.
A residence permit can also be obtained on the basis of investments in the country's economy.
The long-term investment permit is intended for entrepreneurs who intend to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days and invest, as well as directors of commercial companies with a detailed business plan.
You can apply for long-term residence for investment purposes at the consulate in your country of residence or in your home country. If you are already living in the Czech Republic on a long-term visa or long-term residence permit for another purpose, you can submit your application directly to the office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The deadline for making a decision on a long-term stay for investment purposes is 30 days from the date of application; in particularly difficult cases, this period is extended to 60 days.
Employment
The residence permit for employment, as well as the Green Card are not issued from June 24, 2021. These types of permits have been replaced by the Employee Card. The Employee Card also replaces the long-term visa.
Employee Card is a relatively new type of permit for long-term stay in the Czech Republic longer than 90 days, which is a plastic card with biometric data. The main reason for its issuance is employment.
A foreigner intending to receive an Employee Card must meet the following requirements:
- reside in the territory of the Czech Republic;
- work at the place declared when the card was issued;
- to work at the place for which the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for asylum and migration has issued a permit (due to a change of employer, change of profession, additional work).
Most often, the card is issued for the duration of the employment contract between the employer and the employee, but no longer than 2 years. After the expiration of the card, its extension is possible.
The employee card is intended for foreign citizens of all countries of the world, with the exception of citizens of the member states of the Schengen area, as well as members of their families who are citizens of other states, but who have a residence permit in the Czech Republic on the basis of family reunification or those who have applied for it ...
An employee card can be issued for all types of work activities, regardless of the level of required professional qualifications.
However, a vacancy for which a card application can be made must come from the Central Job Register.
With the consent of the employer, vacancies can be published on the Internet portal of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, where you can find them.
Thus, the Employee Card is always associated with the specific job for which it was issued, or with the job for which the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior has given its consent due to a change in employer or type of activity.
The deadline for making a decision on an application for an Employee Card is 60 days, or 90 days in special cases if the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior has contacted the Employment Agency of the Czech Republic (regional branch or Prague branch) to confirm the request.
On the basis of employment in the Czech Republic, you can also get a Blue Card - “Blue Card”, which gives its holders the right to live in the country on a long-term basis. In this case, foreign employees are invited to perform highly qualified work in accordance with §42 of the Law on Residence of Foreign Citizens. Moreover, a foreigner must have a higher education received more than three years ago.
Studies
If you intend to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 3 months and this applies to education in accordance with §64 of the Law on Residence of Foreign Citizens, you have the right to submit a corresponding application to the embassy. An exception is education in elementary school, high school or conservatory, which is carried out as part of an exchange program or training for a fee.
An application for a long-term residence permit for education can be submitted in the Czech Republic at the office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, if you are already in the country on a long-term visa for the same purpose, or at the Czech consulate in your home country.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs issues a long-term residence permit with a limited period of validity:
- for the period necessary to achieve the goal requiring stay in the Czech Republic, less than 1 year;
- for 1 year with the possibility of renewal.
If a long-term residence permit in the Czech Republic was issued for the purpose of obtaining education at a higher vocational school or higher education institution, it can be renewed several times, but for no more than 2 years.
If this permit was issued for the purpose of free vocational training, it can only be renewed for a period corresponding to the period specified in the training agreement with the host organization. Otherwise, the period of validity of this permit is not extended.
The term for consideration of documents for issuing a residence permit based on training is 60 days.
Family reunification
An application for long-term residence for the purpose of family reunification can be submitted by a foreign citizen who is:
- the spouse or spouse of a foreign citizen who has a long-term or permanent residence permit;
- a minor child or a dependent of a foreign citizen who has a long-term or permanent residence permit;
- a minor child or a dependent of the spouse / spouse of a foreign citizen who has a long-term or permanent residence permit;
- a minor child adopted by a foreign citizen holding a long-term or permanent residence permit, or the child of his / her spouse or spouse in accordance with a decision taken by the competent authority, or a minor child who is in the foster family of a foreign citizen holding a long-term or permanent residence permit or his / her spouse; the guardian of the minor or the spouse (s) of the guardian is a foreign citizen holding a long-term or permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic who will take care of the minor in the Czech Republic;
- one of the parents of minor children who have been granted asylum under a special legal regulation; if such minor children do not have parents, then any other relative in a direct ascending line can obtain a residence permit; if there are no relatives, then the application is submitted by the guardian;
- a foreign citizen over 65 years of age or a foreign citizen, regardless of age, who objectively cannot take care of himself due to his health condition, if it comes to family reunification with a parent or child who has a long-term or permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic.
An application for a long-term residence permit for family reunification in the Czech Republic can be submitted by a foreign citizen who, prior to entering the country, resided in another EU member state as a family member of an EU Blue Card holder. A foreign citizen is required to submit an application within 1 month after entering the Czech Republic.
You can apply for a residence permit for family reunification at the Czech embassy in your home country.
If you are already in the Czech Republic on the basis of a visa for more than 90 days or a long-term residence permit issued for another purpose, you can apply to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Czech Republic.
Residence permit based on family reunification is issued subject to one of the following conditions:
- the foreign citizen with whom the applicant is to be reunited holds a long-term or permanent residence permit and has lived in the Czech Republic for at least 15 months; with regard to the reunification of spouses, each of them must be at least 20 years old;
- the foreign citizen with whom the applicant is to be reunited has lived in the Czech Republic for at least six months and is an Employee Card holder;
- the spouse with whom the applicant is to be reunited is a refugee and their marriage was contracted prior to their arrival in the Czech Republic;
- the minor with whom the applicant is to be reunited is a refugee;
- the foreign citizen with whom the applicant must be reunited is the holder of the EU Blue Card, ICT Card (card for employees redirected to work in the Schengen area from third countries) or the holder of a long-term residence permit based on investment.
Registration procedure
To obtain a residence permit, a foreign citizen must meet several mandatory requirements:
- stay on the territory of the Czech Republic on a long-term visa;
- intend to reside in the Czech Republic for more than one year inclusively with a visa;
- after receiving a residence permit, the basis on which it was issued must remain unchanged (exceptions may be in the case of the issuance of the “Blue Card”, Employee Card, for family members and scientists).
If a foreigner meets all of the above requirements, he must prepare a package of documents in accordance with the basis for issuing a residence permit and apply to the authorized bodies for its registration. When submitting documents, you must pay an administrative fee, which is 1500 CZK, for applicants under 15 years old - 700 CZK.
If a positive decision is made for the issuance of a residence permit card, an additional 1,000 CZK must be paid, for applicants under 15 years of age - 300 CZK.
Required documents
The list of required documents may differ depending on the basis for issuing a residence permit. In this case, in each case, a main package will be required, consisting of the following securities:
- application for a long-term residence permit / Employee Card / Blue Card (the forms can be downloaded from the official website of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic);
- international passport;
- a document confirming the availability of housing in the Czech Republic (a document on the ownership of real estate or a lease);
- 1 photograph;
- a document confirming a sufficient amount of funds in accordance with your case (for example, a bank statement);
- medical certificate confirming compliance with the conditions established by the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of infectious diseases;
- police clearance certificate (not required for applicants under 15 years of age);
- medical insurance;
- a document confirming the basis for issuing a residence permit.
Depending on the basis for issuing a residence permit, some additional papers are required to be attached to the main package of documents, as indicated in the table below:
| Base | Additional documents |
|---|---|
| Education | a document confirming the parents' consent to the child's departure and residence in the Czech Republic; document confirming the applicant's enrollment in an educational institution |
| Business | a document confirming the absence of debts issued by the Financial Security Department, the Financial Department, the Customs Department, and the Medical Insurance Company; document confirming that the company has no debts; company registration document in the Commercial Register |
| Work | work contract or preliminary agreement between the employee and the employer for employment in the future; documents confirming the qualifications of the applicant for obtaining the desired vacancy (diploma of completed education, driver's license for a driver's vacancy, etc.) |
| Family reunification | a document confirming the relationship between the applicant and a person in the Czech Republic (marriage certificate, birth certificate); a document confirming parental consent to the child's departure and residence in the Czech Republic |
Where to register
If you are already on the territory of the Czech Republic on a long-term visa, then for obtaining a residence permit, you should contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the Department of Asylum and Migration Affairs. You can download a map with the addresses of branches throughout the Czech Republic and specifically in Prague by following the link. You should also apply here for an extension of a residence permit, a long-term visa and a permit for permanent residence (permanent residence permit).
An application for a long-term residence permit without the precondition of staying on a visa can also be submitted to the Embassy of the Czech Republic in the home country or country of permanent residence.
If the purpose of obtaining a residence permit is to obtain an education, conduct scientific research, reunite with a family, obtain a Blue Card, Employee Card or ICT, you can apply to the consular departments of the embassies. Residents of other EU member states can apply there as well.
Registration of residence permit for pensioners
When applying for a residence permit for pensioners, there are no special requirements: people who are retired must apply under general conditions.At the same time, being on pension itself cannot be the basis for issuing a residence permit - you must have a serious reason (most often it is family reunification or business).
The Czech Republic and Russia have signed an agreement on pension provision, according to which a pensioner is entitled to a pension in accordance with the period of work in the territory of the Czech Republic.
Finally
Immigration to the Czech Republic for Russians and citizens of other CIS countries is possible by obtaining a residence permit both in the territory of the Czech Republic itself and in the consular department of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in the home country or country of permanent residence (with the exception of such a basis as business).
To obtain a card that gives the right to long-term residence in the country, you must prepare the documents required in accordance with your case, and contact the office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (in the Czech Republic) or the consulate. Notification of the decision made should come in 30-60 days.
