VISA

EU nationals

Nationals of EU/EEA countries and Switzerland have the same legal status in the Czech Republic as Czech nationals. There is no need to get any residence permit or work permit. From the practical point of view, it is good to distinguish between short-term stays, where contracts for short-term work (DPP or DPČ) are concluded, and long-term stays, where regular long-term employment contracts are concluded.

If you come from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you are obliged to comply with the “Reporting duty” if you intend to stay in the Czech Republic for over 30 days. For more details, see Section “After arrival”.

Nationals of EU/EEA countries and Switzerland can temporarily stay in the Czech Republic without any special permit, solely on the basis of a travel document or an identity card. If they intend to stay in the Czech Republic for longer than 3 months, they can apply for a registration certificate or a permanent residence permit.

Registration certificate 

Issued at request of an EU national who intends to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 3 months. The certificate is not required, it is up to you whether or not you apply for it.

Permanent residency permit

EU nationals can apply for permanent residence permits after 5 years of continuous residence in the Czech Republic.

Nationals of non-EU countries

Short-term stay – Schengen visa (not longer than 90 days)

A short-term stay is a stay not exceeding 90 days within any of 180 consecutive days (note: the length of stay is calculated according to the entry and exit stamps into the relevant travel document made at the border-crossing point). For the purposes of such short-term stays, European legislation divides third countries into those whose citizens must hold a visa, and those whose citizens are exempt from such conditions for entry and short-term stay in the members states where the common visa policy applies.

The visa application must be submitted personally at a Czech embassy and all documents must be completed in Czech or officially translated into Czech. For more details, see Section “Before arrival”.

Long-term stay (more than 90 days)

The visa application needs to be submitted at a Czech embassy in the country of origin of the relevant person or in the country where he/she resides, and the deadline for evaluation of the application is 60 days from the date of submission.

All documents submitted must be originals or official copies and must be in the Czech language or officially translated into Czech. Moreover, an apostille or legalisation must be attached to any documents issued by foreign public authorities. Official translations can usually be obtained at the embassy.

Useful links and guides

Ministry of the Interior

Czech embassies

Please note!
Researchers including their family members applying for a long-term residence permit with the purpose of scientific research should be given an appointment at the Czech Embassy within 14 days. If not, the university or research centre can send a complain to MoFA CR: VO@mzv.cz
If the application is not treated within a legal deadline, the university or research centre can ask for the reason at the MoI CR: opu@mvcr.cz.

BEFORE ARRIVAL

All foreign nationals

Taxes

If you work in the Czech Republic only, your tax residence will be determined in accordance with the respective treaty for the avoidance of double taxation. If a bilateral treaty has not been concluded and you stay in the Czech Republic for over 183 days, you will be considered a tax resident of the Czech Republic.

Social security a health insurance

You will be required to pay health and social insurance from your salary unless you have other income outside the CR. If you also work outside the CR, you will be required to fill in the A1 form and declare in which country you will pay your health and social insurance.

EU nationals

Health travel insurance

Although not required, we recommend that you take out a travel insurance to cover the time between the date of your arrival in the CR and the date when your employment starts.

Nationals of non-EU countries

Short-term stay

You will have to submit:

  • Application form (also called the black-and-white application)

  • Travel document (passport)

  • Your photograph (2x)

  • A document that declares the purpose of your journey, for example: invitation letter with a brief description of your agenda and the date of start and end of the journey,

  • A document that proves your relationship with the hosting institution under labour law, etc. These documents can be issued by a member of our HR staff.

  • Proof of accommodation or proof of sufficient amount of money that can cover your accommodation (e.g. document certifying that you will stay at a dormitory).

  • A document proving sufficient financial funds for both food and journey for the estimated length of your stay and for your trip back to your country or a third country (e.g. copy of an international credit card, copy of an employment or other contract that indicates your income).

  • Information that proves your intention to leave the Czech Republic/Schengen Area before the expiry of your visa (e.g. ticket or flight ticket reservation, proof of funds, proof of employment, proof of ownership of property, proof of family or work connection, etc.).

  • Travel health insurance covering the time until your employment starts. You can take out the travel health insurance with a private insurance company in a Schengen country or the country of your origin but the policy must be officially translated to Czech.

  • Application fee of CZK 1,500 (revenue stamps)

Long-term stay

You will have to submit:

  • Application form (also called the green application). The original can be picked at an embassy, a Foreign Police station and the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy.

  • Hosting agreement - submit the original document; this document is issued by the university to people who already have a university degree. A hosting agreement is not concluded in lieu of an employment contract, which will be concluded once you obtain your visa. The hosting agreement will be issued by a member of our HR staff and the original copy will be sent via mail.

  • University´s written commitment - submit the original document; this document is a compulsory attachment to the hosting agreement, whereby the university undertakes to cover any costs related to the stay of an employee after the termination of his/her residence permit, including the costs related to the journey from the country of stay, if arising within six months from the date of expiry of the hosting agreement and if paid from public funds. The commitment will be issued by a member of our HR staff and the original copy will be sent via mail.

  • Travel health insurance for the period of two months from the date of departure to the Czech Republic, regardless the date when your employment begins. You can take out the travel health insurance with a private insurance company in a Schengen country or the country of your origin but the policy must be officially translated to Czech.

  • Extract from the criminal record from your country of origin (incl. official Czech translation) or from all the countries where you were staying for more than 6 months in the last 3 years (incl. official Czech translation).

  • Travel document (passport)

  • Your photograph (2x)

  • Proof of accommodation for the duration of your stay

  • Application fee of CZK 2,500 

  • In special cases - a medical report proving that you do not suffer from any serious illness; a Czech embassy can only ask for a medical report if there is a reasonable suspicion that you suffer from a serious illness.

AFTER ARRIVAL

All foreign nationals

Bank account

You need to open a current account (not applicable for short-term work contracts – DPP and DPČ).

Social security number

You need to send a scan of your passport to the Rectorate payroll office to get your SSN from the Social Security Administration. This is not applicable for short-term work contracts (DPP, DPČ) with income not higher than CZK 10,000 per month.

EU nationals

Reporting duty

If you intend to stay in the CR for over 30 days, you have to report to the Foreign Police in your area within 30 days of arrival to the Czech Republic. This duty does not apply if the person providing accommodation to you submits the registration forms on your behalf. You will need to fill in a short personal questionnaire and submit the necessary documents: passport, employment contract, accommodation contract.

Foreign Police – Residence Department in Brno
Address: Cejl 62b, 602 00 Brno
Phone: +420 974 628 131
Office hours: MON and WED: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., TUE and THU: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Nationals of non-EU countries

Short-term stay

Reporting duty

You must report to the Foreign Police in your area within 3 days of arrival the Czech Republic. You will need to fill in a short personal questionnaire and submit the necessary documents: passport, employment contract, accommodation contract.

Foreign Police – Residence Department in Brno
Address: Cejl 62b, 602 00 Brno
Phone: +420 974 628 131
Office hours: MON and WED: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., TUE and THU: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.


Long-term stay

Residence permit

The applicant is obliged to report to the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy (OAMP) of the Ministry of the Interior within 3 business days after arrival to the Czech Republic to fulfil the reporting duty and to provide the biometric data necessary for issuing a residence card. We recommend arranging an appointment by phone (+420 974 801 801) or online in advance.

1. Reporting duty – the applicant has to submit a proof of accommodation usually issued by dormitories.

2. Biometric data – including facial image and fingerprints serving to verify the authenticity of the residence card and confirm the identity of its holder. Biometric data are compulsory for residence permits for third-country nationals residing in the CR based on a long-term or permanent residence permit. The above does not apply to third-country nationals residing in the CR based on a long-term visa who are not applying for a long-term or permanent residence permit. The OAMP will issue a long-term residence card for you within the following 3 weeks. To pick up the residence card, you have to come to the OAMP in person within 60 days. We recommend arranging an appointment by phone in advance.

Department of Asylum and Migration Policy (OAMP)

Address: Tuřanka 1554/115b, 627 00 Brno
Phone: +420 974 801 801 (MON - THU: 8:00 a.m. - 4 p.m. and FRI: 8 a.m. - 12 a.m.)
Office hours: MON and WED 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., TUE and THU 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., FRI on appointment only

DURING THE STAY

EU nationals

You are obliged to report any change of your surname, marital status, and the data contained in your residence card. If you do not have a residence card, these changes are to be reported to the Foreign Police. If you have a residence permit/certificate, report the changes to the MoI.

Nationals of non-EU countries

Adaptation - integration courses

Every foreign national who, as of 1 January 2021, is issued a long-term residence permit for the territory of the Czech Republic and also every foreign national who is issued a permanent residence permit after this date without the precondition of previous authorised stay in the territory is obliged to take the adaptation and integration course within one year of the date of collecting their residence permit.

THE ADAPTATION AND INTEGRATION COURSE is a course during which foreign nationals will be acquainted with the rights and obligations connected with their stay in the territory of the Czech Republic, with the fundamental values of the Czech Republic, with everyday life, culture and customs prevailing in the Czech Republic. Course participants will also be provided information on organisations and institutions that provide advisory services to foreign nationals free of charge. For details, go to: http://www.vitejtevcr.cz/

The obligation to take the adaptation and integration course applies to every foreign national who has been issued a long-term residence permit for the territory. Specifically, the course must be taken and completed by every foreign national who has been issued:

  • a long-term residence permit for the territory
  • a long-term residence permit for the territory due to a change in purpose of stay
  • a permanent residence permit for the territory for the child of a foreign national who holds a permanent residence permit for the territory of the Czech Republic and if the reason for the application is family reunification of such foreign nationals in the territory
Foreign nationals who have already taken this course or who have been issued a long-term residence permit or a permanent residence permit  before 1 January 2021 are not obliged to take the adaptation and integration course, under condition that their permit was valid as at 1 January 2021. The obligation to take the adaptation and integration course does not apply also to foreign nationals residing in the territory of the Czech Republic on the basis of:
  • a long-term residence permit for the purpose of study (residence purpose code “21”, “22”, “23” and “30”) and others.
For more details, please, see here.


Reporting changes

If you are not a national of EU/EEA/Switzerland, you are particularly required to report any changes in your name/surname, marital status, information indicated in your passport or ID documents, residence permit etc. within 3 business days.

Reporting a change in the place of residence – within 30 business days:

  1. if you have a long-term visa, then this duty only applies in the event that this change in your place of residence will last for over 30 days.

  2. if you have a long-term residence or permanent residence permit, then this duty only applies in the event that such a change in your place of residence will last for over 180 days.

Reporting loss, destruction, damage or theft of documents

within 3 days of the date of the event. If this happens in the Czech Republic, you should report it to the authority which issued the document. If this happens elsewhere, you should report it to a Czech embassy. If you later find or obtain a document that was previously reported lost or stolen, you must report this too.

Reporting loss or theft of travel documents

This must be reported immediately to the police.

Extension of visa/residence permit

90 days before the expiration of visa or 120 days before the expiration of residence permit, it´s possible to apply for the extension of these documents. The deadline is the last day of validity of current visa/residence permit. The application and all submitted documents are the same as at the Embassy.

BEFORE DEPARTURE

All foreign nationals

  • Close your bank account and inform the HR about the number of your foreign bank account for the last payment / settlement

  • Get confirmation of insurance

  • Get confirmation of participation in the pension system

  • Tax reimbursement (if relevant)

  • Report the end of stay of foreigner in Brno (waste collection fee)

Nationals of non-EU countries

  • Handing in the residence documents at a Ministry of the Interior office (OAMP) 3 days before leaving the Czech Republic at the latest, with the exception of visa and travel documents if these were issued for the purpose of travelling out of the country. You are required to hand the documents to the authority who issued it.

 

 

Responsibility: Ing. Veronika Ulrichová