France is a member state of the European Union (EU), as is Czech Republic. More importantly, both countries are members of the Schengen area, which allows the citizens of such countries to cross the borders without any borders formalities. This means that French citizens who will move to Czech Republic do not need to take any particular measures when arriving in this country.
However, certain procedures do apply to EU nationals, French included, in specific cases. For example, they can apply for a short-term residence permit in this country, although the requirement is not compulsory. French citizens can also apply for a permanent residence permit in Czech Republic, if they want to relocate here on a permanent basis.
French persons who want to apply for the Czech citizenship will have to comply with additional legal measures, which can be presented at length by our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic, who can also provide in-depth information on the family reunification procedures available in this country. Our team can help your family immigrate to Czech Republic.
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Do French people need a temporary residence certificate in Czech Republic?
From a legal point of view, French citizens moving to Czech Republic for a short period of time do not need to have a temporary residence permit. This is not a compulsory requirement when relocating here, but having this type of permit can provide certain benefits if one will immigrate to Czech Republic.
If the French citizen has decided to obtain a certificate for temporary residence in this country, which is issued when the person knows that the stay will last longer than three months, the foreigner should submit an application with the Ministry of Interior containing documents such as: an identity document, a document showing the reason for which the person wants to move to Czech Republic, a photograph, a medical insurance (but in most of the cases is not required) and a proof on the person’s residential address in Czech Republic.
Another important criterion refers to the age of the applicant. In Czech Republic, the law distinguishes between those who are 18 years old at the moment of the application and those who are minors and for each category, different procedures will need to be completed.
In Czech Republic, when applying for citizenship, foreigners must also make a proof of having sufficient knowledge of the Czech language. For most of the applicants, it is required to provide documents of attending at least three years of school which was taught in the Czech language (depending on the age of the applicant and the time spent here, one can provide documents from different types of schools, such as secondary schools).
Can French persons obtain a Czech permanent residence card?
Yes, all EU citizens, French people included, as well as persons from outside the Community, are allowed to apply for a permanent residence permit, if specific requirements are met, one of them being the duration of stay in Czech Republic. Thus, the right of obtaining the permanent residency in this country can be granted after living here for at least 5 years, calculated from the moment when the application is made.
The application, containing a set of documents, must be filed in person with the Ministry of Interior. The applicant must present his or her identity document, the document which attests the fact that the person has been living in Czech Republic for the requested amount of time, two photographs and the proof of the residential address. Citizens of the EU do not need to meet any language requirements, as opposed to non-EU citizens applying for the same document.
The Czech Republic immigration law stipulates that permanent residency can also be obtained in only two years. Thus, French citizens can obtain the permanent residency in this country after living here on a continuous basis and if they are a family member of a Czech citizen or of another EU citizen who has obtained his permanent residency in Czech Republic.
The application procedure follows the same steps mentioned above, with the difference that the person must add to the file documents presenting his or her family relation with the Czech resident. Our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic can offer more information on the steps available in this case and the procedure of how to immigrate to Czech Republic.
What are the trends on net migration in Czech Republic?
Net migration calculates the number of persons who have immigrated to Czech Republic by subtracting the number of Czech residents who have emigrated to other countries. As a general rule, over the years, Czech Republic received more persons than the ones who left the country, but the net migration values were also negative in specific periods of time. The data on net migration is presented below:
• in 2006, the net migration value was of 34,720 persons (immigrants accounted for 68,183 persons);
• the country registered negative net migration values in 2010, 2011 and 2012, when more people emigrated from the country than the ones who arrived here;
• the highest net migration value was registered in 2007 (immigration: 104,445, emigration: 20,500, net migration: 83,945 persons);
• the positive net migration was achieved in 2013, with a net migration of 4,230 persons;
• the relatively reduced net migration trend was maintained for the following 2 years and in 2016, the net migration accounted for 25,219 persons.
How can French persons obtain Czech citizenship?
Persons moving to Czech Republic from France are entitled to apply for Czech citizenship. The procedure can be completed only in certain situations – for instance, by getting married with a Czech national or be being related to a Czech citizen. One also has the possibility of becoming a Czech national if they are born on the Czech territory.
Of course, another legal option through which persons who relocate from France to Czech Republic can obtain citizenship here is by becoming a permanent resident and complying with additional legal requirements. Please mind that being a permanent resident is not the same with being a Czech national.
Although both legal statuses provide similar advantages, a permanent resident will not have a Czech passport, not will he or she be able to vote in this country or to work in specific governmental functions. Other than these, both situations provide the same rights and obligations (the right to purchasing a property, being registered with the Czech social system, the obligation to pay taxes, etc.).
The legal framework through which a foreigner can gain access to Czech citizenship is prescribed by the Citizenship Act, which was last amended through the Act No. 186/2013 Coll. The law applicable in this sense stipulates the time since moving to Czech Republic is of importance when a French person or another foreigner can become entitled to apply for citizenship (and here, one can comply with different periods – of 3 years, of 5 or of 10).
Those who will relocate to Czech Republic on a permanent basis, with the purpose of becoming Czech citizens will also have to show basic knowledge on the Czech society, history and the constitutional system applicable here. Those who were enrolled in local educational institutions for at least three years will simply have to provide documents issued by the respective institutions and no other requirements will have to be completed with regards to this matter.
The basic requirements presented above are just few of the conditions foreigners have to comply with. For more information on this subject, our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic remains at your disposal and can help you receive the necessary legal advice on citizenship matters applicable to your particular situation.
French persons, related to Czech nationals
In the case in which you will relocate from France to Czech Republic for citizenship reasons and you are related to a Czech national, the procedure of obtaining the citizenship will be different that the standard procedure, which is by becoming a permanent resident.
Thus, when moving to Czech Republic for this purpose, you will have to provide documents that show your ancestry with a Czech national, who must also meet specific requirements. You should also know that the Czech citizenship law did not allow foreigners dual citizenship when applying for nationality in Czech Republic, but this has been amended in 2013.
This means that if you are a French citizen and you are interested in maintaining your citizenship, you will be able to do so, while requesting the right to Czech citizenship as well. In order to qualify for citizenship by descent, you need to provide information on your Czech relative, who was born in Czech Republic and who did not leave the territory prior to 1918.
Given that Czech Republic was previously part of the country known as Czechoslovakia, comprised of both Czech and Slovak nationals, you must also prove that your Czech national relative, though which you can gain your Czech citizenship, has never been a Slovak national or has never become a Slovak citizen.
Provided that your Czech relative was a Czechoslovakian citizen up until 31st of December 1992, you will be entitled to request the Czech citizenship by descent; you can address to our immigration lawyer in Czech Republic for advice on this procedure.
You can address to our team if you want to know the legal steps you must follow in order to acquire Czech citizenship by descent.
As a national of another country, please know that when you will apply for Czech nationality, you will have the right to retain both nationalities, following the amendments of the law, which now allows dual citizenship (in the past, successful applicants had to renounce their initial citizenship).
Persons interested in obtaining more details on how to immigrate to Czech Republic are invited to contact our lawyer. Our law firm can present any other information that can be of help for those moving to Czech Republic and can also advise French businessmen who want to start a company here.
Please contact our immigration lawyer if you need additional information on how to apply for a residence permit in Czech Republic as a French national and what procedures you must follow.
Our immigration lawyer is also ready to assist you in the process of obtaining citizenship based on the legal pathway you qualify for. You can also contact us if you want to relocate here with family members who are EU or non-EU nationals.
