Many people associate the Czech Republic with a quiet and calm life, hockey and ancient traditions associated with brewing beer. Indeed, life here is unhurried, the locals are friendly both towards tourists and settlers.
Migration policy does not provide for easy ways to obtain citizenship. Exceptions are possible if the applicant is a well-known scientist or high-class specialist, in whose arrival the authorities are interested. But for the rest, the cherished Czech passport is not an unattainable goal.
A little about the Czech Republic
Czech Republic (Česká republika) - a state in the central part of Europe. It shares borders with Germany, Slovakia, Poland and Austria. The capital is the city of Prague.
Population (more than 10 million people) lives in an area of about 79 thousand sq. km. Ethnic Czechs predominate (95%), many migrants from Ukraine, as well as Slovaks and Vietnamese. There are few former residents of China.
The climate is temperate, summer days are usually warm (plus 17-20 degrees), a lot of snow falls in winter, but the temperature is not very low (on average - from zero to minus 3 degrees).
The cuisine in the Czech Republic is based on numerous borrowings; hearty meat dishes and a variety of pastries are especially popular. Traditional beer is brewed in almost every village, each brewer has its own secrets, carefully hidden from competitors and passed on by word of mouth from generation to generation.
Moving features
It is difficult to obtain even a temporary residence permit; the Czech authorities are reluctant to issue it without good reason. This concerns Russians, citizens of Belarus and Ukrainians trying to leave here.
There are several reasons for obtaining a residence permit:
- Admission to local universities;
- Apparatus employed;
- Opening a business in the republic;
- Reunification with close relatives (including spouses, parents who have a disability and cannot serve themselves).
It should be noted that even after obtaining a permanent residence permit, real citizenship can be issued only after a few years.
Immigration methods
To start the procedure for obtaining a residence permit, you will have to collect a set of documents.
Important! If it is required to present certificates, diplomas and other certificates of education, then they must be certified by a notary. It is recommended that the translation be done directly in the republic and make sure that all seals are well readable.
To go to live in the Czech Republic, you will have to prepare:
- A valid international passport and two standard format photos;
- Certificate of availability of available living space. This can be a paper confirming the presence of a house / apartment in the republic, as well as an actual lease agreement;
- A document stating that there are no problems with law enforcement agencies within their country;
- Certificate of absence of debt obligations from the local tax authority and the state social security department;
- Up-to-date medical insurance;
- Securities that prove financial solvency (requires the presence on the accounts of both at least 280 thousand rubles.)
After 4-5 years of residence in the republic with the status of a residence permit, you can already start obtaining a permanent residence permit. Relationship with applicable laws will be critical.
In the absence of problems (we are also talking about the visa regime), you can count on permanent residence. To obtain this status, a set of documents should be prepared.
- Application form - it will simultaneously be an application for issuing a permanent residence card; (DOWNLOAD sample)
- A valid s / passport, as well as a copy of it, a standard set of photographs;
- Papers justifying the legality of the presence in the republic, there must be a real indication of the purpose of arrival in the Czech Republic;
- Confirmation (bank statements and so on) of financial capabilities and security of living. area;
- Certificates stating that there are no problems with the law, both at home and in the republic;
- Medical insurance;
- Passing a positive test for knowledge of the Czech language, local traditions (does not apply to prospective students). You can go to institutions (usually schools) that have permission to take such exams.
The list of securities in 2021 remained the same as in 2019. There are no special changes in the laws expected. Obtaining permanent residence gives a migrant almost the same privileges as a citizen of a given state, with the exception of only the right to vote.
In addition to participating in the presidential and parliamentary elections, the holder of a permanent residence permit can count on:
- Secondary and higher education for your own child;
- Access to all current vacancies on the same conditions as Czech citizens;
- Payment of all due social benefits, in particular, pensions and others, which are provided for by legislative norms;
- The right to medical care (including from the budget) for children for the period of study (up to 26 years old).
If a migrant has lived for more than 5 years with permanent residence, he has the right to become a Czech citizen and receive a national passport.
Immigration through employment
It is extremely difficult to get a job in the republic. The government cares about preserving jobs for its citizens, so non-residents of the Czech Republic rarely manage to find a job here. This is especially true for unskilled labor.
To get a job you will need:
- Good knowledge of the Czech language, and even better if the applicant also knows English and German;
- Diploma of education;
- A well-written resume;
- Detailed autobiography.
If the employer is ready to hire a foreigner, then he will have to contact the Ministry of Labor, confirm his intention and send an invitation to the applicant, with which it will be possible to apply for a visa.
The document must indicate:
- Name, address of the company;
- The position for which a foreigner is hired;
- Data of the head of the company.
After that, you can visit the embassy and continue the registration.
Investment and business as ways of immigration
Starting your own business in the country is a good option for foreigners. Local legislation provides for a very attractive business environment.
They are especially loyal to newly created firms. You can both found your own organization and start work, or invest in an existing (someone else's) business within the republic.
A soft tax policy, indulgences for new entrepreneurs, an almost zero level of corruption (in comparison with the Russian scale), the absence of frequent inspections by officials can allow even an average businessman to firmly settle here. But the degree of competition is quite high.
The period for "swinging" is long: about 3 years are allowed to work "by zero". However, in the remaining 2 years, the enterprise should begin to bring real income, otherwise the Czech law enforcement agencies will be interested in the businessman, there may be a suspicion of opening an office in order to obtain a residence permit in the republic.
Important! A visa for entrepreneurs does not oblige the owner to permanently reside in the Czech Republic. With this card, you can do business in any states of the Schengen zone, but regularly come to the republic.
Sometimes you will have to enter the country in order not to lose your residence permit card, and at the end of the specified period, proceed with the registration of permanent residence status.
The main piece of paper that will confirm for the employees of the Czech Ministry of Internal Affairs the need for a business person to stay for a long time in the country will be evidence that the migrant entrepreneur has attracted large capital to the local business.
This rule applies to both your own company and partnerships with existing firms and organizations.
Immigration through the acquisition of real estate
To purchase houses or apartments in the Czech Republic, you will have to open an account with a local bank, otherwise it is impossible to transfer money to the seller. It is best to search for real estate through official offices. This will greatly speed up the process.
In the case of a purchase, it will be possible to issue a multivisa for a period of 180 days... Moreover, it will be possible to renew it at the place of stay (up to two years). And after 5 years, it will be possible to try to obtain permanent residence, which differs from citizenship only in that it does not give the right to vote.
Immigration through education
Moving to the Czech Republic for education (usually higher education) is quite popular among Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians. The tuition fees are quite low, however there are some limitations.
A student visa does not provide an opportunity to work. Moreover, if a student studies in the republic for a long time, he can simultaneously obtain a work visa and start looking for work.
The main document that will be required for migration is the corresponding invitation from the selected university, which should contain all the information about the future student.
Important! The applicant will not be forced to take an exam in the Czech language, it is assumed that he will learn it during his studies.
When calculating the number of years lived in the country, student experience will be calculated as 2 to 1, that is, 4 years of study is equivalent to 2 years of residence. This is important when obtaining permanent residence.
Immigration through family reunification and marriage
When marrying a resident of the Republic, a spouse who is not a citizen of the country is entitled to a residence permit. Documents should be drawn up at the embassy of the state from where the citizen is moving. This applies to Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and other countries.
If before 2008 the authorities issued permanent residence at once, now, to reduce the number of fictitious marriages, only a residence permit is issued.
A permanent residence permit can be obtained only after three years of marriage, and you still have to convince the officials that the relationship of the spouses is strong and sincere.
If the move is carried out to relatives, for example, to children who have previously received a Czech passport, then you will have to prove that the moving parents are not able to take care of themselves on their own, for example, have a disability or are pensioners with a minimum income.
If the child migrates to his parents, then it will be necessary to go through the procedure for confirming the relationship.
Immigration for refugees
The Czech Republic sometimes accommodates those people who leave countries in which various armed conflicts are taking place. Some people have obtained refugee status for them. The number of those who in the past year (2019) received assistance in obtaining a residence permit is already several dozen people. More - about 790 persons - became holders of a "tolerance visa".
Vízum strpění - “tolerance visa” is given to those citizens who, for various reasons, are not able to go home.
Those who submitted a written request for refugee status can stay on the territory of refugee reservations, but at the same time they cannot officially work for the first 6 months, so this method of moving to the country is not very popular in terms of immigration.
Life in the Czech Republic after immigration
Pros:
- High standard of living in the republic;
- Developed infrastructure;
- There is practically no corruption (which is important for business) and crime;
- Free education, good medical care;
- Ability to travel freely across the EU;
- Excellent roads, easy operation of public transport;
- Sparing interest rates on loans;
- Mild climate.
Minuses:
- It is difficult to obtain a work visa;
- Some services and goods are more expensive than in Russia, expensive fuel;
- Few vacancies with decent salaries;
- Pensions are quite average, and the payment for housing and communal services is high;
- Constantly pass laws restricting the ability of foreigners to live and work on the territory of the republic;
- The interest accruing income on deposits is too low;
- There is no sea, so you have to visit other countries for recreation.
Sergey, 36 years old, IT specialist from the capital of the Czech Republic: In terms of salaries, the local society differs from the Russian - there is no significant difference between people in terms of income. The overwhelming majority of the republic's citizens belong to the middle class. Those products and services that only wealthy people can really afford in the Russian Federation are constantly used in the Czech Republic by the overwhelming majority of ordinary people. I also want to focus on a much lower level of aggression in the country, rudeness is also a great rarity. This is especially evident in the first 2-3 months after you moved here.
There are not so many Russians, Belarusians and citizens of Kazakhstan in the republic, and there are at least 100 thousand former citizens of Ukraine.
Russians are in no hurry to emigrate to the Czech Republic, this is largely due to the difficulties that arise during the paperwork. Emigration for entrepreneurs is complicated by the fact that it is quite difficult to get a high percentage of income when doing business here, the competition is too high. But the country is very attractive for studying in universities. After receiving a diploma, there is an opportunity to stay in the Czech Republic or find a job and immigrate to other EU countries.
