The Czech passport is a type of identity document that is issued by the Czech authorities to those who want to travel to foreign countries and who are Czech nationals. In other words, the document can only be obtained by persons who have the Czech citizenship (the right to having a Czech passport is available for all Czech nationals, regardless of the manner in which they have obtained their citizenship).
According to the applicable legislation, it must be known that Czech nationals living abroad, who still have the Czech citizenship, are also entitled to having a Czech passport and they can renew the document, upon expiration, at the Czech embassy operating in their region. If you are interested in obtaining a Czech passport, our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic can provide advice on the procedure.
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What are the Czech Republic passport requirements?
The procedures for obtaining a passport in the Czech Republic follow the EC Regulation No. 2252/2004. The regulation refers to the security measures taken for travel documents and the biometrics information that has to be included in such documents. The Czech passport that is currently issued by the local authorities represents a biometric passport, which became applicable in this country starting with 1st of September 2006.
It must be noted that the Czech Republic passport requirements stipulate that this travel document can be issued in the form of a biometric document for persons with an age above 5 years old. In the case of Czech citizens with an age between 5 and 15 years old, the validity of the international travel document will be of 5 years, while the validity for persons with an age above 15 years old will be of 10 years.
Persons moving to Czech Republic can also obtain a passport issued by the local authorities only after they have become permanent residents and have applied (and obtained) the Czech citizenship; our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic can present the procedures foreigners must complete when applying for the local citizenship.
What are the documents for the issuance of a Czech passport?
Persons applying for a travel document have to present a set of documents. The Czech Republic passport requirements are regulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the case of Czech citizens currently living in another jurisdiction. Below, you can find some of the documents that should be prepared for this procedure, but you can also request information from our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic:
• the Czech birth certificate, in the case of persons who were born as Czech nationals;
• the Czech marriage licenses, in the case of women who are married;
• standard photograph, as requested by the Czech immigration law;
• proof on the payment of the administrative fee for the issuance of the Czech passport;
• provided that the person needs to renew the travel document, the expired passport needs to be presented as well;
• the Czech Citizenship Certificate or identity document of the applicant.
What is the procedure for obtaining a Czech passport?
The Czech Republic passport requirements are imposed by the Ministry of Interior. However, the application itself is done through the Regional Authority that is responsible for the issuance of this document, in the place where the person has his or her registered address.
The application has to clearly state the legal process through which the applicant has the right of applying for Czech nationality and for the Czech passport or the exemptions that are granted for the particular situation of the applicant; our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic can present in-depth information on when a person can qualify for an exemption from the standard legal pathways of obtaining the citizenship and still have the right to apply for a Czech passport.
After the applicant submits the required document with the Regional Authorities, the representatives of the institution will complete the forms and they will sent the application to the Ministry of Interior, in a period of maximum 30 days since the applicant submitted the documents.
The Ministry of Interior is the sole institution that has a decision right on the issuance of the Czech nationality, in accordance with the Czech Republic passport requirements. Since the day when the Ministry receives the application, the decision can be issued in a period of 180 days.
Please mind that in the case of rejected applications, applicants will still have the right to apply for citizenship again, but only after a period of two years, calculated since the day when the Ministry of Interior issued the decision to reject the application. The application is also bound by the payment of processing fees, which are established in accordance with the Czech Republic passport requirements, as follows:
- the application for the Czech passport of an adult is charged with a fee of CZK 2,000;
- the above mentioned fee can be reduced to CZK 500 in special conditions, as per the rules of the Ministry of Interior;
- the application for Czech citizenship for a minor has a fee of CZK 500;
- the fee for minors can be reduced in special circumstances to CZK 100;
- the fee charged for asylum-seekers applying for citizenship is of CZK 500, and it can be reduced to CZK 100 in certain situations.
How to prepare for the Czech language exam
As per the rules of the Czech Republic passport requirements, persons who want to become citizens will have to prove that they have sufficient language skills. The examination will take place in accordance with the rules of the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies, the entity that will also conduct the examination.
You must know that the institute will charge a fee; when you will register for the examination, you have the possibility of completing this task online; the payment of the fee can be done in a period of 7 days after you have registered for the test. When applying for citizenship, you will have to pass two main types of tests – the one referring to your knowledge of the Czech language, and the part referring to the Czech lifestyle, history and administrative organization and institutions.
You must also verify the dates at which the tests are organized at the place where they are held. Although the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies handles all the tests, they will take place in different locations that are approved by the institution. In order to prepare for the test, you can also view on the online platforms approved by the local authorities various test models, that will you give an image on the basic requirements of the tests.
Can foreigners apply for dual citizenship in Czech Republic?
Although up until few years ago foreigners did not have the right to dual citizenship in Czech Republic, the law was modified and now foreigners applying for Czech citizenship can also retain their previous citizenship. The Czech Republic passport requirements were modified in 2014, when the national law was amended to allow dual citizenship.
The modification was made in order to align with the laws of the European Union (EU), which recognizes dual citizenship and which is a common legal right across most of the European states. Thus, if you plan on moving to Czech Republic for the purpose of becoming a citizen, you no longer have to worry about having to renounce on your current citizenship.
Still, if you become a citizen of Czech Republic, you might be required to renounce your current citizenship if the law on citizenship in your national country imposes this requirement. If you need further information on this matter, you can always rely on our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic for legal advice.
How can one become a Czech citizen?
As a person moving to Czech Republic on a permanent basis, a foreigner has the legal right of becoming a citizen. In order to become a citizen, the person must apply for a Certificate of Citizenship as stipulated by the Citizenship Act. Once this is completed, the person will also be entitled to a Czech passport. One can obtain the Czech citizenship in the following cases:
- the person can apply for the Czech citizenship if he or she has a Czech long term residence permit here for minimum 5 years;
- the citizenship can be obtained by those who have attended for at least 3 years classes held in the Czech language;
- persons with an age below 15 years can obtain the Czech citizenship if they have been living here for at least 10 years;
- Sections 17 and 18 of the Act stipulate the manner in which foreigners can apply for the Czech citizenship;
- the Citizenship Act No. 186 – 2013Sb was modified and came into force starting with 1st of January 2014.
Persons who are interested in becoming Czech citizens and obtaining the Czech passport can contact our lawyer for advice on the documents that must be submitted in this case. Our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic can offer more information on other aspects involved in this procedure that can be of interest for the applicant.
It is also necessary to know that those who are interested in the Czech Republic passport requirements have to know the Czech language in order to apply for a travel document, this being one of the main conditions, regardless of the country from where the person starts the application process. Our lawyer can also help in obtaining a Czech long term residence permit here.
A person can obtain Czech citizenship and then, the Czech passport, by any of the legal means prescribed by the law. For most of the foreigners, citizenship by naturalization will remain the main legal pathway.
A person is also entitled to citizenship by descent, in the case in which he or she has had a parent who, at the moment of the applicant’s birth, was a Czech national.
In this situation, there are other rules, as the person will not have to go through the steps for residency in Czech Republic issued on a permanent basis, that can then open the pathway to citizenship.
The applicant must provide documents that show there is a family tie (birth certificates are required). Sometimes, the applicant is not in the possession of the said document, and here, our team of lawyers can be of assistance.
