Czech Visa Application Guide – 2025

Who Needs a Visa to Enter the Czech Republic?

Whether you need a visa depends on your citizenship, length of stay, and purpose of visit.

You will need a visa if:

  • You are a non-EU / non-EEA / non-Swiss citizen.
  • You plan to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days.
  • You intend to work, study, do business, or join family.

You do not need a visa if:

  • You are an EU / EEA / Swiss citizen (but you may still need to register your stay).
  • You hold a valid Schengen visa and will stay under 90 days for permitted activities.

Types of Czech Visas

Short-Term Schengen Visa (Type C)

  • For visits up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
  • Purpose: tourism, business meetings, short training.
  • Valid across the Schengen Zone.

Long-Term Visa (Type D)

  • For stays over 90 days.
  • Common purposes:
    • Study
    • Business / Trade License
    • Family reunification
    • Cultural activities

Long-Term Residence Permits

  • For extended stays beyond one year.
  • Examples:
    • Employee Card (work + residence)
    • Blue Card (highly skilled work)
    • Entrepreneur residence
    • Family member residence permit

Step-by-Step Czech Visa Application Process

Step 1 – Identify Your Visa Type

Determine your purpose of stay and match it to the correct visa category.
See our dedicated guides:

Step 2 – Gather Required Documents

While each visa has specific requirements, most applications need:

  • Completed visa application form
  • Valid passport (with at least 2 blank pages and validity beyond your intended stay)
  • Passport-sized photos
  • Proof of accommodation in the Czech Republic
  • Proof of sufficient financial means
  • Health insurance
  • Purpose-specific documents (e.g., employment contract, school acceptance letter)
  • Criminal record extract (apostilled and translated into Czech)
  • Birth/marriage certificates if applicable (apostilled & translated)

Step 3 – Legalize & Translate Your Documents

  • Documents issued outside the Czech Republic usually require apostille or superlegalization.
    → See our Step-by-Step Apostille Guide.
  • All non-Czech documents must be translated by a court-appointed translator.
    → See our Document Translation & Legalization Guide.

Step 4 – Schedule Your Appointment

  • Applications are generally submitted in person at a Czech embassy or consulate in your home country.
  • Due to high demand, appointments may book months in advance — plan early.

Step 5 – Submit Your Application

  • Bring all required documents in original + one copy.
  • Pay the visa application fee in the accepted currency.
  • Biometric data (fingerprints, photo) will be taken for certain visa types.

Step 6 – Wait for Processing

  • Short-term visa: ~15 calendar days.
  • Long-term visa or residence permit: 60–120 days (some categories can take longer).
  • Tracking is available via the embassy or Ministry of the Interior.

Step 7 – Collect Your Visa or Residence Card

  • If approved, you will receive:
    • A visa sticker in your passport (short-term or long-term visa), or
    • Instructions to collect your biometric residence card in the Czech Republic.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting incomplete documents.
  • Forgetting legalization and translation steps.
  • Applying for the wrong visa category.
  • Underestimating processing time.
  • Using non-certified translators for Czech translations.

How PragueVisas.com Helps

We handle:

  • Determining the exact visa category for your needs.
  • Preparing and organizing your documents.
  • Arranging apostille/superlegalization + certified translations.
  • Booking embassy appointments.
  • Tracking your application status.
  • Communicating with Czech authorities on your behalf.

Processing Times & Fees (2025)

Visa Type

Average Processing Time

Fee Range*

Short-Term Schengen Visa (C)

15 days

€80–€120

Long-Term Visa (D)

60–120 days

CZK 2,500–CZK 5,000

Employee Card / Blue Card

60–120 days

CZK 2,500–CZK 5,000

*Fees vary by embassy and exchange rates.

FAQs

Can I apply for a Czech visa from inside the Czech Republic?
Only in very limited cases (e.g., family reunification, change of status). Most applicants must apply from abroad.

Do I need health insurance before arriving?
Yes, valid health insurance is required before a long-term visa or residence permit is issued.

Can I work on a long-term study visa?
Yes, but with restrictions — check our Student Visa Guide for details.

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Disclaimer, we do not sell or provide Visas, or residence permits.

Copyright © 2024 by Prauge Visas. All rights reserved.

Contact us using the form below:

  • Citizenship by descent
American moving to Czechia
Step 9 – Congratulations you have been Approved!

After your Czech citizenship by descent application is approved, you'll receive a certificate of citizenship and need to take the oath of allegiance within 12 months.

  1. Receive the Certificate of Citizenship:
  • You’ll receive a certificate confirming your Czech citizenship. 
  • This certificate can be picked up in person at the consular office after an appointment. 
  1. Take the Oath of Allegiance: 
  • You must take the oath of allegiance within 12 months of receiving the citizenship certificate.
  • This is a public, solemn event where you promise to be loyal to the Czech Republic and abide by its laws.
  • Children under 15 are exempt from taking the oath.
Step 8. Ready to request an interview appointment at the Czech Embassy

1. Upon receipt of your complete application packet, you can request an interview appointment at the Czech Embassy.

2. Bring your completed packet and passport.

3. At this Czech Embassy interview they will request a 2000CZK government fee for each applicant.

 Step 7 – We have received your documents.
  1. Upon receipt of your documents will make the arrangements to have the applicable documents notarized translated from their language of origin to Czech by a government authorized translator.
  2. We will create your declaration stating that you are not a Slovakian citizen.
  3. We will complete your Czech Application for Citizenship and any other family members applying.
  4. We will pay for the return international shipping for your completed document package.

Reminder: The only additional cost you will incur is the notarized translations because it is billed by page. It is $28 per page for English/Germanic languages and $54 for all other languages.

Step 6 - Shipping

Please ship all of these documents to us in Prague:

Owner: Dominik Poloch

Address: Žitomírská 744/26, Praha 10, 101 00

Czech Mobile: +420 731 935 993

dominik.poloch@praguevisas.com
 
Shipping carrier: DHL is preferred.

Step 5 – You will begin gathering your Documents for final submission.

Treatment of Documents in order of preference:

*Always keep the original documents in your possession. Do obtain replacements in this order of preference whenever possible.

** Any document supplied at application will not be returned and doesn’t apply towards future/other applications. Get extras if anticipating that another family member will apply in the future.

***Apostille is a method of certifying a document for use in another country. For countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention, it is sufficient to legalize the documents with the corresponding Apostille.

1. Obtain a duplicate of the original, it is effectively an additional original and have it apostilled, then we will have it notarized translated into Czech. If not possible, then... Go to #2

2. Have the original apostilled and then obtain a certified copy. We will have it notarized translated into Czech. If not possible, then... Go to #3

3. Obtain a certified copy of the original and have it apostilled. We will have it notarized translated into Czech.

4. Get enough copies for any/all of these documents for the additional family members to use as well.

Step 4 – Document analysis

Email us as much as this documentation as you can:

Documents required if you are applying for a line of descendant from a parent:

  1. a landscape color copy your passport
  2. a copy of your birth certificate
  3. The birth certificates, marriage certificate, divorce certificate, name change certificate, death certificate of your parents when applicable
  4. Proof showing that the parents have lost their Czech or Czechoslovakian citizenship

Documents required if you are applying for a line of descent from a grandparent:

  1. a landscape color copy your passport
  2. a copy of your birth certificate
  3. The birth certificates, marriage certificate, divorce certificate, name change certificate, death certificate of your parents when applicable
  4. The birth certificates, marriage certificate, divorce certificate, name change certificate, death certificate of your grandparents when applicable
  5. Proof showing that the parents or the grandparents have lost their Czech or Czechoslovakian citizenship

Email to office@PragueVisas.com

We will begin your document analysis in the next few business days and send you a written response by email.

Step 3 – Becoming our client

CLICK HERE: Purchase Citizenship by Descent package for $579

FAQs:

How long does this process take?

The timeframe is reliant upon your initial document collection and the research of missing documentation. Please allow for ample opportunity for research, document preparation, and flexibility in case of unexpected challenges.

In general, the granting of the citizenship certificate takes around 3 to 6 months.

How much does it cost?

Our fees are $349 plus the actual bill for the Czech notarized translations. This depends on the language, and they charge per page. You will incur the cost of international shipping the Czech Republic. We suggest DHL. You may experience various cost of obtaining duplicate originals of documents and their respective apostilles. We offer a discounted price of $99 for each additional family member that is submitted at the same time as the original applicant. At this Czech Embassy interview they will request a 2000CZK government fee for each applicant.

What is an apostille?

An apostille is a form of authentication that simplifies the process of legalizing public documents for use in other countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty. It certifies the authenticity of the signature, seal, and position of the official who executed, issued, or certified a public document, enabling it to be recognized as valid in another country.

How do I obtain missing documents in Czechia?

If you would like us to research and obtain missing documentation in the Czech Republic archives, we bill at $30.00 per hour. We do our best to minimize the hours billed, but the Czech archives are not nationalized and they are antiquated. A retainer may be requested.   

Step 2 – We have emailed your preliminary results for qualification. We have developed a step-by-step process to create a pathway for Citizenship by Descent. Here is what our services include:

1. Upon receipt of your emailed documents, we will begin our review process. We will produce a written analysis of what documents are missing, the condition of each document, and how each document must be “treated”. Treated is term that refers to Apostilling, Czech Notarized Translations by a Government authorized entity, and the type of duplication accepted.

2. We offer guidance and referrals for document discovery. Discovery is the obtaining of any missing required documents from various archives.

3. We will make a final determination of eligibility and send you our written analysis results by email.

4. You will ship us the duplicate apostilled originals for notarized translation.

5. After receipt of your duplicate originals with Apostille, we have them notarized translated by a Czech Government authorized entity here in Prague.

6. We will create and provide your declaration.

7. We will complete your Czech Application for Citizenship.

8. We will pay for the international shipping for your completed document package.

9. The only additional cost you will incur is the notarized translations because they are billed per page. It is $28 per page for English/Germanic languages and $54 for all other languages.

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Step 1 – Curious if you eligible for Czech Citizenship by Descent?

We have a simplified process to help answer your questions. Determining actual eligibility is a complicated process, but let’s start by seeing if you pre-qualify by answering a few questions.

Identify the relative, parent or grandparent, not great grandparent that will be the person the line of descent is traced to.

Example: USA citizen Applicant> USA citizen Parent> Czech-American Grandparent (Czech Ancestor)

Applicant

Parent

GrandParent (if applicable)

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Effective Date: 11th of February 2025

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Prague Visas s.r.o.
Na Folimance 2155/15, Vinohrady (Praha 2), 120 00 Praha
Email: compliance@praguevisas.com