Residence Permit and Visa

EU students are entitled (but not obliged) to apply for a short-term residence permit, either at the Czech embassy in their home country or at an immigration police office in the CR (but the Immigration Police recommend that students apply on the territory of the CR). Students who obtain this short-term residence permit are issued with a special card (known as a European Card) which officially states a short-term Czech address and can therefore be used for many transactions in which official proof of Czech address is necessary (opening a bank account, purchase of a mobile phone on a contract, getting any temporary job etc.) A short-term residence permit is issued for different periods depending on the purpose of the short-term residence, but for a maximum of 5 years. The authorities must deal with applications at the latest 180 days from the date of application (when you apply on the territory of the Czech Republic, it is 60 days).

Students need to present completed application form (purple form), travel document, certificate of health insurace, document confirming the purpose of the stay (acceptance letter in Czech and English versions), declaration of student that s/he will not apply for social wellfare benefit a 2 photographs.All documents must not be older than 180 days, with the exception of travel documents, registry data, and photographs of the foreigner if it corresponds to his/her present appearance.

All foreign-language documents must be officially translated into Czech.

Registration and short-term residence permits are free of charge.

Note please, according to the law if a student wants to undertake paid work of any kind, regular or casual, s/he must have a work permit.

Residents of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are treated in the same way as EU residents.

Students from non-EU or non-EFTA countries who wish to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days have to apply for a visa: http://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/immigration.aspx.

An application for a visa should be submitted to the Czech Embassy or Consulate in the student's country of origin in good time before arrival. Please be aware that the administration process can easily take 8 weeks or more. The price of the visa fee depends on country you come from. Even when you have the visa you are legally obliged to register with the Police Foreign Department within 3 days of your arrival. This obligation does not apply if the person providing accommodation submits the registration forms on your behalf.