Visa Requirements of the Czech Republic

The process of dealing with the Czech bureaucracy may at first seem intimidating and even somewhat ridiculous. However, the reality is that the system is no more complex than any other country in Europe or the World for that matter. If you doubt this, just ask a Czech what they went through to get a short-term visa into the UK or the United States.

VISA

A foreign national coming to the Czech Republic needs the respective visa to enter the Czech Republic, except for the prevailing exemptions from the visa obligation (e.g. for a short-term stay of citizens of EU countries, USA, Japan). Visas permitting a foreign national to enter and stay in the Czech Republic are in principle granted solely by Czech embassies or consulates outside the Czech Republic.

In principal, two kinds of short-term visa may be issued for a temporary short stay:

Transit visa:

Granted for transit through and up to a five-day stay in the Czech Republic for each individual trip; may only be granted at a border crossing in connection with the foreign national's air transport, for example when unfavourable weather prevents flights;

90-day visa:

This visa permits a stay in the Czech Republic for a period of up to 90 days. The visa is granted by the Czech embassy or consulate outside the Czech Republic. The application must be accompanied by a valid passport, 1 photograph, proof of financial coverage for the whole stay in the Czech Republic or a confirmed letter of invitation by a Czech citizen or company. The application is processed within 30 days. Contact us for more specific information related to your situation.

Over 90-day visa

Granted for long-term stays. This visa permits residence in the Czech Republic for purposes requiring a stay longer than 90 days and is granted particularly for the purposes of employment, business, studies, medical treatment, joining family, etc. The visa is granted by the Czech embassy or consulate outside the Czech Republic. The application must be accompanied by a valid passport, a document confirming the purpose of the stay (for employment, a confirmed copy of the work permit must to be attached), proof of financial means for the period of stay, a document confirming the accommodation arrangements, an extract of the Criminal Record of the Czech Republic as well as of the country of current residence, and 2 photographs. The application is processed within 120 days. Contact us for more specific information related to your situation.

WORK PERMIT REGULATIONS

If the employer wishes to engage foreign nationals in his business activities in the Czech Republic, it is necessary to obtain a work permit for these employees. The work permit application process is a two-step process that is governed by the Act on Employment No. 1/1991 Coll. as subsequently amended. The applications are processed and the permits are granted by the respective district Labour Office according to the location of the future employment (plant or office).

First, the employer needs to obtain a Permit to Employ Foreign Nationals. One application for all vacancies to be filled by foreign nationals needs to be submitted by the employer to the competent district Labour Office, accompanied by a certified copy of the extract from Commercial Register, drafts of future labour contracts and a 2000 CZK stamp. After the Permit to Employ Foreign Nationals has been granted, individual employees can apply for their work permits, either by themselves or by proxy (power of attorney
is needed in case the employees are represented by a third party, e.g. the employer). The Work Permit application must be accompanied by a photocopy of their passport (personal details page), officially translated and certified certificates of qualification, a copy of the Permit to Employ Foreign Nationals and a 500 CZK stamp. Each employee must fill in a separate application. The district Labour Office will then issue the work permit that is always granted for a specific job and location only, and valid up to 1 year. The whole procedure usually takes about 2-3 weeks. For more information on the work permit application process, Contact us for more specific information related to your situation.

Both the work permit and the long-term visa are granted for a maximum of one year. However, three months before their expiration, it is possible to arrange an extension for another year in the Czech Republic.