Long-stay visas

Employees, students and spouses

If you want to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days and need a visa, you will have to apply for a special long-stay-visa (povolení k dlouhodobému pobytu).

Applicants for a long-stay visa are personally required to submit the application form together with other required documents to a Czech diplomatic mission. It is important to remember that you cannot apply for your visa in the Czech Republic itself! You may apply in your home country or in any embassy close to the Czech Republic.

Long-stay visas are available for:

• employees
• students
• businesspeople
• self-employed people
• a dependant of someone who fits in one of the above categories

All the above named groups need to hand in

• application form - completed and signed by the applicant
• passport
• 2 recent passport-sized photographs
• proof of accommodation in the Czech Republic
• a Czech criminal history record (which can be applied for at the embassy along with the visa)

The proof of accommodation may be the hardest part in the application process. You may ask your employer or university to help you with that. A notarised statement from the owner saying that he will provide a place to stay serves as proof of accommodation.

Another option is to submit the original or a notarised copy of the rental contract. For more information see the Certification of Documents section.

Depending on the purpose of the stay there are further documents to be added to the above.

• Employees: For employees, a work permit acquired by the prospective employer at the local employment office is needed. In some cases, the reference number of the application and the name of the applicant are enough.
• Students: Students will have to add a university confirmation letter to their visa application.
• Business: For business-related visas, confirmation from an individual person or a commercial company registered in the Czech Republic is needed. Self-employed people need to have a trade licence.

Proof of sufficient funds and health insurance

You will also need proof of sufficient funds to finance your stay in the Czech Republic. The amount of money you need depends on the purpose of your stay and was between 88,800 and 120,000 CZK per year in 2005.

When picking up your visa, you will also need to provide a proof of international health insurance cover.

Validity of visas

Every visa, regardless of its purpose, is issued for a period of one year. To renew your visa you need to apply three months before the expiry date of the visa. The latest date for a renewal is 14 days before the expiry date.