The procedure through which foreigners can immigrate to Czech Republic will depend on the country of origin of such persons. Here, two categories will appear: persons who are citizens of the member-states of the European (EU) and persons who arrive from non-EU countries. Both categories will be able to apply for the Czech citizenship.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Entry visa requirement (from EU) | No |
| Entry visa requirement (outside EU) | Yes, but there are visa exemptions for some non-EU states for short-term stays |
| Types of visas available | – studies, – work, – business, – family reunification, – sports, – culture and others |
| Time frame for obtaining work visa (approx.) | 60 -120 days |
| Validity of the temporary residence permit | 1 year (certificates of temporary residence for EU citizens are available for 10 years) |
| Time frame for obtaining permanent residence (approx.) | 30 days |
| Investor Visa Availability | Yes |
| Sponsorship requirement | Yes, for specific types of visas (employment, family reunification) |
| Time frame for obtaining citizenship | 10 years |
| Citizenship/Residency by investment scheme availability | Yes |
| Tax benefits for expats | – non-residents are taxed only for the income obtained in Czech Republic – foreign residents are taxed just like Czech nationals |
| Visa issuance fees | EUR 45 (for children between 6 to 11 years old), EUR 90 for the majority of foreign adult applicants, EUR 35 for certain foreign nationals (from countries such as North Macedonia, Montenegro, Japan) |
| Fee charged for the issuance of a residence permit | CZK 2,500 |
| Institution in charge with the immigration formalities | Immigration services in Czech Republic are provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
| Right to appeal a visa refusal (yes/no) | Yes |
| When can a person make an appeal? | In a period of maximum 15 days since the visa refusal was issued. |
| Fee exemption for the issuance of a residence permit (yes/no) | No |
| When can a foreigner be exempted from fee payment? | For visa applications, foreigners can be exempted in the following cases: – based on their age (minors below 6 years old); – based on nationality (for example Moldavians, Armenians, Ukrainians, etc. do not have to pay a processing fee for the issuance of a long-term visa); – based on the purpose of the visa and nationality (Turkish nationals who have obtained a scholarship do not pay a visa processing fee); – based on family ties (family members of EU nationals are exempt from paying the Schengen visa fees); – other situations (diplomats, young foreigners with an age below 25 years old who arrive here for seminars, cultural events, etc.). |
| How long does it take to obtain a business visa? | Around 15 business days |
| Registration obligations | Foreigners must report their residency within 3 days after their arrival (applicable to those who arrive here under a Schengen visa or under a visa free regime, who do not stay in a commercial accomodation). |
| What happens in case of overstaying a visa? | Foreigners can be fined with CZK 5,000 (the rules of the Alient Act will apply). |
| Ways to acquire citizenship | – by naturalization; – by descent; – by declaration; – for special merit |
| Requirements for citizenship by naturalization | Citizenship by naturalization is available for foreign nationals who have been living in Czech Republic for 10 years, and who are permanent residents. They must know the Czech language at a B1 level and prove they are integrated in the Czech society. |
| Fees for citizenship application | CZK 2,000 for adults and CZK 500 for minors |
| Residency rights for refugees | Refugees will receive temporary or long-term residency and they will have the same rights as those granted to other categories of residents (to work, to rent/own a home, enroll children in the public school system, benefit from medical services, etc.). |
| Law on immigration in Czech Republic | Law on the Residence of Foreigners, Asylum Act, the Czech Citizenship Act, etc . |
The documents one has to prepare for in order to migrate to Czech Republic will depend based on the purpose of arrival; our immigration lawyers in Czech Republic can inform on such papers.
Even though the procedure can be handled by the applicant, it is better to obtain legal advice from a specialist in the field, who has extensive knowledge of the applicable law and who can provide up-to-date and reliable information.
You can rely on our immigration lawyers in Czech Republic if you need to move to Prague, for example, for work purposes or for any other reason that is regulated under the Czech law. Our attorney can offer legal advice and representation to all foreign individuals.
Foreigners can also request information on the legal steps one should follow when immigrating to Czech Republic for business purposes. Some of the basic immigration services foreigners can receive are presented below:
• obtaining residence permits for short-term basis or obtaining permanent residence permits;
• assisting foreigners in employment matters in Czech Republic (applying for Blue Cards, assisting in intra-company transfers or general work permits);
• assisting foreign investors in obtaining a Czech long-term residence permit for business purposes;
• providing legal advice on family reunification programs addressed to EU or non-EU persons;
• obtaining a visa for Czech Republic and applying for the Czech citizenship.
When we refer to the issuance of a temporary residence permit, it must be observed that foreigners who arrive from EU member states do not have to obtain this document, but if they want to have it, they can easily apply with the Czech authorities.
The document is necessary in the case of those who will migrate in Czech Republic for a period longer than 90 days and it is mandatory for citizens outside the EU. In the case of persons who want to immigrate to Czech Republic on a long-term basis, they can apply for a long-term residence permit that can be requested for numerous legal grounds (employment, business, etc.).
One can obtain it for family reunification or visiting friends, for study purposes, participating in scientific research, investment activities, to name a few.
Please mind that the application procedure can last approximately 90 days and our immigration lawyers in Czech Republic can present in-depth information on the steps the applicant should expect when applying for this type of document.
Foreigners who want to move to Czech Republic by obtaining this document or another type of work permit should be aware that the European law applies a mechanism that prioritizes persons based on their nationality. The non-EU nationals will first have to wait for the prioritizing system to be completed in the country of interest.
Thus, the said country must first make sure that the citizens and the permanent residents of that country have access to the respective job opportunity. In the case in which they are not qualified for the position, then the next category will follow.
The same applies if they are not interested in the respective job vacancy. EU citizens are then prioritized and if this fails to provide any positive results, non-EU citizens will have the right to apply for the job.
This system is known as Labor Market Test, and it is applied as per the Czech immigration law; our immigration lawyers in Czech Republic can provide further details. The EU Blue Card is available for a period of 2 years at an EU level, but each country can have its own rules.
For instance, the Czech Republic immigration law stipulates that the document can be issued for the duration of the employment contract plus 3 extra months, but that the overall validity of the document can’t be of more than 3 years. For 2025, the minimum gross salary per month that allows a foreigner to qualify for the it is CZK 69,248 (starting with 1st of May 2025).
In order to migrate to Czech Republic by using this document, foreigners are required to pay a fee of EUR 92; the renewal of the document costs EUR 92, while the replacement of the Blue Card costs EUR 142.
One should know that this visa is mainly intended for those interested in visiting the country, while employment is the secondary reason for moving to Czech Republic for a determined period of time; the same applies to the right of staying here. The visa can’t be used for the issuance of a Czech long term residence permit.
There is also an age requirement – only persons with an age between 18 to 35 years old can apply for the Czech Republic working holiday visa. The age requirement can range based on the nationality of the applicant. The applicants must be, of course, the holders of passports issued by the authorities in the country of nationality.
The Czech Republic immigration law prescribes three main types of residence permits. One of the permits foreigners can obtain is the temporary residence permit that can be obtained by all foreigners, including EU and non-EU nationals.
The document can be obtained in the case of foreigners who will live here for a period of minimum 90 days. The other residency document is the long-term residence permit, issued for those who want to stay here for a period of approximately 1-2 years.
The third type of residence permit that is available in Czech Republic is the permanent residence permit. This offers the right of living in Czech Republic on a permanent basis. The document is available for EU and non-EU persons. This document can be obtained after a period of staying here for minimum 5 years.
Foreigners who want to move to Czech Republic for the purpose of developing a business activity have the opportunity of applying for a business visa. The document is issued as a long-term visa and this will grant the right to live in this country for a period of minimum 90 days.
Those who want to obtain this type of visa will have to address to a Czech consulate or embassy working in their near vicinity, as these are the sole institutions entitled to process the applications. The visa processing can take approximately 90 days; the visa processing can be extended to maximum 120.
This can happen because the applicant did not complete all the required documents or due to various institutional delays. This is why is very important to have your documents reviewed by our immigration lawyers in Czech Republic prior to submitting them. Below, you can find a short presentation on how to immigrate to Czech Republic:
When preparing the application file, you should submit the following:
Depending on the nationality of the applicant, other compulsory documents may be required. For instance, the citizens of several countries, such as Kenya, Nigeria, Moldavia or Uzbekistan have to submit medical documents attesting that they are TBC and syphilis free.
This legal requirement is solely for few nationalities and you can request more details on the full list of countries that must respect this requirement from our Czech Republic immigration lawyer.
Foreigners can also immigrate to Czech Republic for investment purposes. In this case, they need to observe the immigration rules concerning this legal ground of relocation, which implies the issuance of a visa for investments (which is different from a business visa).
According to the Business and Investment Development Agency, foreign investors may apply for a long-term residence visa, issued for the purpose of carrying out an investment activity, provided that the investment is considered a significant one.
Significant investment, as per the Czech Republic immigration laws, refers to any project carried out in Czech Republic in which foreign businessmen can inject a capital of at least CZK 75 million. There is also a clause concerning the creation of new jobs through the respective project – thus, investors must be able to create at least 20 new jobs in Czech Republic.
This visa can be obtained by a variety of investors – they can be natural persons, the representatives of foreign legal entities, business partners, etc.
Foreigners can arrive here for family reunification programs as well, and for this, they will need to apply for a family visa. In order to be able to receive the document, the applicant is required to provide evidence on the family ties of persons who are currently living in Czech Republic.
If you need to obtain this visa type, we invite you to contact our immigration lawyers in Czech Republic, who can provide more details on the following documents:
There are different legal pathways that can open the opportunity of becoming a Czech citizen; such pathways are prescribed by the national law. Some of the most common way to become a citizen is through naturalization, which is the process by which foreigners first gain permanent residency, which will then open the way to citizenship.
Citizenship rules and framework is prescribed by the Act No. 186/2013 Coll. (the Czech Citizenship Act). Our immigration lawyers in Czech Republic can present the legal steps that you have to take in order to become a Czech national, and below, we invite you to read a short presentation regarding the persons who are entitled to receive citizenship.
Persons who have been living on a continuous basis in Czech Republic as holders of permanent residency cards for minimum 5 years and persons who have been living here under a permanent residence permit for 3 years, as long as the holder of the permit is a citizen of any EU member state or EEA, will be allowed to start the citizenship process.
The number of foreigners immigrating to Czech Republic increased at a steady rate in the last decade. However, starting with the end of 2023, the migration numbers declined. According to the Czech Statistical Office (CSO), the situation of foreigners living in Czech Republic is the following:
More information on the services foreigners can receive when immigrating to Czech Republic can be obtained from our lawyer. You can also receive full assistance on the issuance of the Czech citizenship.
We invite foreign clients to address our team for in-depth legal counselling on any of the legal matters that have been presented in this article. You can rely on us for professional services, which include counselling, gathering of paperwork, submission of files, maintaining the connection with the competent institutions and on-going legal assistance on the immigration formalities.
