Canadian citizens and residents can travel to Czech Republic for a multitude of reasons – they can arrive here simply to visit the country. They can also immigrate to Czech Republic for short-term or long-term basis, for matters such as: employment, business and investment, reuniting with family members, participating in trainings, workshops, doing volunteer work and others.
Of course, one can arrive here under humanitarian grounds as well. For each of the reasons that a person would like or need to immigrate to Czech Republic, the national immigration law prescribes various categories of visas and Canadians arriving here will need to obtain such documents.
Table of Contents
What are the main categories of visas in Czech Republic?
Those who will move to Czech Republic are required to apply either for short-term stay visas, either for long-term stays visas. The first category refers to visas issued for stays of maximum 90 days, while the second category refers to stays longer than 90 days. Each category will imply specific steps and for the latter, additional immigration procedures.
Canadians who want to relocate to Czech Republic on a long-term basis will definitely have to apply for a visa, regardless of the purpose of the stay; for this, our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic remains at your disposal with in-depth advice and consultancy services for any of the visa types prescribed by the national law.
The short-term stay visa can be issued for any of the following grounds: visiting Czech Republic, sport, culture, tourism, study purposes, for business purposes or for research, but also for official, governmental matters. It can also be issued for employment purposes and other legal means allowed for those who will move to Czech Republic.
A long-term stay visa can be issued for almost all of the reasons presented above, but, regardless of the purpose of stay, the foreigner will have the obligation to apply for a residency permit. This is required for all foreigners who, at the time of arrival, know that they will stay at least 90 days in this country, but also for those who apply for an extension on their initial visa. We can also offer detailed information about how to immigrate to Czech Republic.
When you will apply for residency in Czech Republic, you will have to pay a processing fee for the issuance of the document. The cost of a residence permit card is of CZK 2,500.
Certain nationalities benefit from lower fee rates, but Canada is not included in this list (however, the list refers to the issuance of visas, not to the fees associated with the issuance of a residence card).
Is there a Czech visa for young Canadians?
Yes, young Canadians can arrive in Czech Republic though a visa option that is designed for young foreigners who can travel and work in this country. This is applicable under the Youth Mobility Visa program, but please mind that the program is open solely to persons who have the quality of Canadian citizens.
Even though Canadian permanent residents can generally apply for most of the Czech visas when immigrating to Czech Republic, this is not the case for this particular program. One of the requirement is to have a Canadian passport, and Canadian permanent residents are not entitled to Canadian passports, unless they apply for Canadian citizenship. Our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic has gathered few important information concerning this program, which can be analyzed in the list below:
- the age of the Canadian citizen must of minimum 18 years old and maximum 35;
- this visa grants the right to working and living in Czech Republic for a period of 12 months;
- the applicant must sign a health insurance policy recognized in Czech Republic that has a minimum value of EUR 60,000;
- the visa can be processed in a period of approximately 40-50 days and the maximum deadline for the issuance of a decision concerning the application is of 60 days;
- Canadians who will relocate to Czech Republic under this program must abide by the rules of the Act No. 326/1999, according to the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ottawa.
Important aspects of the Youth Mobility Program in Czech Republic
Numerous countries have a Youth Mobility Program and, although most of such programs provide similar rights and obligations, there can appear various differences which are regulated by the national law of each country. Such differences can refer to the age limit, the right to participate several times in the program, the types of activities one can develop and others.
According to the Czech Republic immigration law, Canadian applicants whose applications were positive can participate in this program a single time, but a second arrival under this Youth Mobility Program can be granted in specific conditions. Also, the duration of the program can’t be extended beyond the 12 months period.
Applications can be denied due to the fact that the quota established under the Czech Republic immigration law is completed for a financial year. However, if the application would have been a successful one in other conditions, the Canadian can receive the invitation to participate in the following year, without the need of completing a new application round. If you want to enter this program as a Canadian, we invite you to contact our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic who will offer you more information about how to immigrate to Czech Republic.
