The Czech Republic is famous for its picturesque historical architecture, museums and theaters. But getting permission to visit it for citizens of countries outside the Schengen area is not always easy. If you have relatives or friends in this country, then the easiest and most convenient way is a visitor visa to the Czech Republic.
What is a visitor visa
A visitor visa is issued if you are going to visit the Czech Republic on a private visit, that is, with the aim of visiting relatives or meeting friends. An occasion for a visit can be an anniversary, a family holiday, any cultural event, or a joint vacation.
If you want to take part in sports competitions, seminars, scientific symposia, exhibitions or concerts that are held in the Czech Republic, or in various events as part of a business trip, then a visa is also issued on the basis of an official invitation from the host.
A visitor visa allows you to visit not only the Czech Republic, but also other countries of the Schengen area. According to Czech law, the inviter is financially and legally responsible for his guests.
Who can send an invitation
An invitation to the Czech Republic can be sent to you by relatives, friends and acquaintances, as well as representatives of various organizations and legal entities registered in the Czech Republic.
The category of close relatives in the Czech Republic includes only parents, children, spouses, natural grandparents. Brothers and sisters are equated with friends and acquaintances.
An invitation can be sent:
- an applicant over 18 years old or a legal entity;
- a citizen of the Czech Republic or another EEC country;
- a foreigner who lives in the Czech Republic on the basis of a residence permit or permanent residence, or has a Schengen visa.
In the latter case, the planned duration of the guest's stay in the country cannot be more than the validity period of the inviting person's visa.
Relationship or acquaintance with the guest must be confirmed. This will require documents proving kinship, certificates from a common place of work or rest, joint photographs.
Invitations can be official (from legal entities) or informal (from individuals). Official invitations are issued on a special form.
Russian citizens who live in the Czech Republic on the basis of a long-term visa or residence permit are allowed to draw up a handwritten private invitation for relatives or friends.
It must be certified by a notary and the Aliens Police.
There are two options for invitations, which differ in the obligations of the host.
- In the first case, the inviter provides the guest with accommodation and money. In this case, he must bring a certificate from the bank about the state of his account. The required amount is determined in accordance with the age of the guests (the norms of expenses for children under 18 years old are slightly lower than for adults) and the length of their stay in the Czech Republic. In this case, the guest will not need to submit a certificate of their own income and have, upon entry, the amount specified by the Czech laws necessary to access the country.
- In the second option, the host provides the guest only with accommodation. It can be accommodation in an inviting apartment or renting a hotel for a guest. In this case, when applying for a Schengen visa, the guest must confirm that he is able to provide for himself during his stay in the Czech Republic.
How to issue an invitation to the Czech Republic
If you want to visit relatives and friends living in the Czech Republic, you will need an official invitation. Based on this document, a Schengen visa can be issued by invitation.
You must send in advance to the receiving party the documents that are needed when issuing an invitation in the Czech Republic: a copy of your passport, data on the place of birth (country and city are recorded on the basis of a copy of the birth certificate), information on permanent residence (you need a copy of the page of the internal passport with a mark on registration). It is also necessary to indicate the duration of the trip.
The inviter draws up an invitation (pozvání) at the police department for foreigners and provides a package of documents:
- identification,
- a notarized copy of the document of relationship with the invitee (for example, a birth certificate),
- a bank statement or a check from an ATM on the availability of funds in the bank account for the maintenance of the guest,
- if the inviter is not a citizen of the Czech Republic - documents that confirm his legality of stay in this country (passport, visa, permanent residence card or residence permit),
- Revenue stamps, which are purchased at the post office. The cost of stamps for one invitation form is 300 kroons. There is no additional charge for children enrolled in the adult form.
Filling out the invitation form
The invitation is issued on a special form. You need to fill in the columns in Latin script, in block letters, neatly and legibly.
The form contains the data of the legal or natural person who issues the invitation, and the time for which it is issued.
- Information about the citizenship of the invitee is indicated by a letter code (for example, RUS - Russia). If there are several guests, then a separate form is required for each visitor over 15 years old.
- If children under the age of 15 go to the Czech Republic, entered in the parent's passport, then their data is entered in the adult invitation form. Up to three children can be enrolled in one form. But if the child has his own passport, then a separate invitation is issued for him, regardless of age.
- Next, the address where the guest will live in the Czech Republic is indicated. The check marks indicate the ownership of the housing: whether it is the property of the host party, or the inviting party rents it.
- At the top of the form there are columns that determine the material responsibility of the inviter in relation to the guest. This is an important aspect that should be clarified even before the invitation is issued. In accordance with the agreement, the applicant ticks the required box.
Since 2021, the police for foreigners in Prague and Karlovy Vary issue invitations not on paper forms, but in electronic form on office computers right at the department. After waiting for your turn, in the office of the police officer, you will fill out an application form on the computer - the same as below.
The invitation is considered and approved by the police within 4-7 days.
Documents other than invitation
After the inviter has drawn up the invitation, he must send it by mail to the guest. In addition, the following documents are also sent:
- copy of your passport or international passport; in the case of a private invitation - an additional copy of the residence permit in the Czech Republic;
- a certified copy of the relationship document (if necessary);
- if the trip is paid for by the inviting party - a sponsorship letter, written in free form, with a copy of the inviter's passport or other identity card (page with passport data and photograph).
- original medical insurance, if it was issued in the Czech Republic.
Health insurance in the amount of at least 30 thousand euros is a prerequisite for obtaining a Schengen visa. An insurance policy can be obtained both in Russia and in the Czech Republic, but in the Czech Republic it is usually cheaper.
How to apply for a visa to the Czech Republic by invitation
To begin with, let's clarify that from September 2021 all applicants for a Schengen visa over 12 years old must undergo a fingerprinting procedure. Fingerprints are taken every five years. It is necessary to undergo fingerprinting before submitting documents for a visa at the Czech Visa Application Center.
Documents for visa processing
To apply for a visa by invitation, you must prepare the following list of documents:
Application form filled in Latin letters. The application form can be obtained free of charge at the Visa Application Center, or you can download the form from the website and print it out. The website of the Embassy of the Czech Republic has samples of filling out visa applications.
- A passport with a validity period that exceeds the validity of the visa by at least 3 months (original and photocopy of the first page with a photograph). The passport must be issued no earlier than 10 years before the date of application for the visa.
- One color photograph measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
- A copy of the page with the photo and the page with the registration of the civil passport.
- Original invitation received from the Czech Republic.
- A copy of the passport of the inviting person.
- Sponsorship letter if the inviter assumes the cost of living and maintaining the guest.
- If the applicant pays for the trip himself - confirmation of his financial solvency (certificate of salary or certificate from the bank about the state of the account).
- Medical insurance in the amount of at least 30 thousand euros.
- Confirmation of booking tickets for a plane, train or bus in both directions or a driver's license and technical passport for the car (if you are going to travel to the Czech Republic by private car).
- Receipt of payment of visa fee.
For minors citizens of the Russian Federation (under 18), you must also have:
- Birth certificate.
- A copy of the parents' Schengen visa, if they already have it.
- Parental consent to travel. If a minor travels to the Czech Republic accompanied by only one of the parents, a notarized consent for his trip from the second parent is required. If a minor travels on his own, he must have a notarized consent for his departure from his father and mother.
If a child under 15 years old who does not have his own passport is sent on a trip, then he must be entered in the passport of the parents and his color photograph must be pasted into the document. A visa for a child is not issued without a photograph.
The correctness and accuracy of the data you submit to the visa application center can play a decisive role in the issuance of your visa.
Visa processing time and validity
A Schengen visa is issued within 10-15 days. You can clarify the deadlines at the visa center where you are submitting documents. In cities where there is a Consulate General of the Czech Republic (Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg), this will take from 5 to 7 working days.
A visitor visa is issued for up to 90 days.
Russian citizens are allowed to stay in the Czech Republic for no more than 90 days within 6 months. Even if you have a multiple entry visa, this rule must be followed.
Staying in the Czech Republic for 180 days is allowed only for reunification with close relatives: a spouse, a minor child or an elderly single parent.
How to track your visa status
When applying for a visa at the consulates, you are usually informed in advance of the day when the visa will be ready, and this deadline is respected. When applying through visa centers, the degree of visa readiness can be specified on the website of the center whose services you use. To do this, you will need to fill out a special form, in which you enter the number of the receipt received when submitting documents to the center, and your personal data.
Visa status can also be found by phone. In order not to become a victim of fraudsters, apply for a visa only to certified centers, a list of which can be found on the embassy's website.
How much does a visa cost
The costs of obtaining a Schengen visa are formed from two main components - consular and service fees. The consular fee is 35 euros, and if you want to issue an urgent visa within 3 days, this amount increases to 70 euros. An urgent visa can be made only at consulates; this service is not provided at regional visa centers.
When applying for a visa for children under 6 years old and a long-term visa (more than 90 days) for children under 15 years old, the consular fee is not charged. The visa fee is also not paid by persons who are children, spouses, parents (guardians), grandparents or grandchildren for the host country. To do this, the inviting party must documentary proof of their relationship by notarized copies of the relevant documents in the Czech Republic.
Service fee for a visa to the Czech Republic (payment for the services of a visa center) - 25 euros.
Consular and service fees are paid in rubles at the current euro / ruble exchange rate on the day of payment.
Certification of all copies of documents and translation from Russian into Czech (or from Czech into Russian) costs 300 CZK (11.5 euros) per page. Certification of a signature costs CZK 250 (€ 9.6).
Payment is accepted at the cash desk of the consular department or visa center in euros at the current exchange rate, exclusively in cash. Banknotes must be clean and not wrinkled. Inappropriate banknotes and euro cents will not be accepted.
It will also be necessary to purchase health insurance for the Schengen countries. You can choose from various tariff plans (economy, comfort, premium). The cost of insurance depends on the period for which you are leaving: 10, 14, 30 or 90 days. Health insurance costs range from 9 to 53 euros.
If you are traveling by car, you will definitely need to take out the Green Card international transport insurance. It will cost an average of 2,700 rubles for 14 days, 5,160 rubles for 30 days or 13,520 rubles for 90 days.
In addition, you will spend 250-400 rubles for making a photo for a Schengen visa and up to 50-100 rubles for photocopies of documents.
Where to apply for a visa in Russia
You can independently obtain a visa to the Czech Republic at the consulates located in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, or at Czech visa service centers in other cities.
| Town | Address |
|---|---|
| Moscow (Czech Embassy, consular section) Moscow, Czech Republic Visa Application Center | st. Fucik, 12/14 st. Suschevsky Val, 31, building 2 |
| St. Petersburg, Consulate General of the Czech Republic | st. Tverskaya, 5 |
| Yekaterinburg, Consulate General of the Czech Republic | st. Gogol, 15 |
| Novosibirsk | st. Chelyuskintsev, 15 |
| Vladivostok | Okeansky prospect, 17, office 601 |
| Kazan | st. Paris Commune, 8 |
| Samara | st. Michurina, 78, office 2, floor 2, business center "Millennium" |
| Nizhny Novgorod | st. Shcherbakova, 15, floor 1 |
| Krasnoyarsk | st. Maerchaka, 16 |
| Irkutsk | st. Sverdlova, 10, 2nd floor |
| Ufa | st. Chernyshevsky, 82, office 301 |
| Khabarovsk | st. Istomina, 22a |
| Omsk | st. Frunze, 1, building 4, office 713 |
| Permian | st. Chernyshevsky, 28 |
| Saratov | st. Vavilova, 38/114, office 2a |
| Rostov-on-Don | st. Trolleybusnaya, 24 / 2v, 2nd floor |
Refusal to issue a visa
You may be denied a visa if you or your close relatives have a criminal record, an outstanding criminal record, or a proven link to organized crime. You will not be allowed to enter the Czech Republic if there are errors in the application form or if you have not submitted all the required documents.
Conclusion
A visitor visa is one of the most reliable and inexpensive ways to get to the Czech Republic. You can apply for a visa in 5-15 days for a stay in the Czech Republic up to 90 days by paying a consular fee of 35 euros (regular) or 70 euros (express). Consultations on visa documents can be obtained on the website of the Czech Embassy.
