The Czech Republic or Czechia is part of what used to be Czechoslovakia and has seen a series of breakups and reclaims since its time of inception in 1918. Today Czechia is a landlocked country in Central Europe sharing borders with Poland, Austria, Slovakia, and Germany. The central location provides Czechia access to a vibrant and wealthy customer base from its neighboring countries. The history, culture, business opportunities, and breathtaking landscape attract a myriad of tourists and investors from around the world to the Czech Republic.
Czechia is a member of Schengen states, thus all regulations applicable for a Schengen visa are applicable here too. Any violation of these regulations will most of the time lead to the rejection of the visa application. Applicants must be aware of and comply with these regulations to maximize their chance of success.
Criminal record
A person recorded in his/her home country as a criminal or accomplice to a crime, or the same has been suspected of a crime in any of Member States where Czechia is a member too, will be refused a visa.
Similarly, a person wanted by Interpol or the law enforcement agencies of his/her home country falls in the category of a national threat and hence will be refused entry into the country.
False documents or misrepresentation
Documents are said to be faulty if they are not verified by the issuing authority. Such documents are either forged or obtained illegally. Misrepresentation is when the documents are genuine, verified, and obtained legally, however, they do not belong to the person who has submitted them. Both acts will not only lead to rejection but also raise legal consequences.
Purpose of visit and stay
The applicant must furnish his/her purpose of visit to the country and his/her subsequent stay therein. Failing to do so will make the visa-issuing authorities suspicious and the application will be denied as a result.
The purpose of the visit may be education, healthcare, employment, business, family reunion, etc. Whatever the reason may be, it should be clearly and carefully articulated in the application and communicated in the final interview.
Invalid passport
An invalid passport is in poor shape physically (torn, soiled, tattered, etc.) or has already expired or neared the date, or has insufficient blank pages. The Czech Republic laws necessitate that the passport must be valid for at least 3 months from the time of application. Similarly, the law requires at least 2 separate blank pages on the passport to be considered for processing.
Travel itinerary
Similar to the purpose of the visit, an applicant must also clearly communicate the complete itinerary of their travel, including accommodations, sight tours, meetings, etc. Failing that may lead to a refusal.
Letter of reference
Schengen countries require all visa applications to be accompanied by a letter of reference authored by the citizen of the country for which the visa is being applied. A letter is deemed unsatisfactory if: the letter is not on a formal letterhead, the letter is 3 or more months old, from the date of application, or it is not properly signed and stamped by the author.
Financial merit
Proof that the applicant is financially capable of bearing traveling, lodging, and boarding expenses. The proof may be bank statements, salary slips, income statements, etc. The proof must be provided at the time of application so the authorities can be satisfied with this account.
Language of the documents
Most probably an applicant’s documents are in the national language of their home country. Submitting these documents is of no use to the Czechian authorities as they may not understand them. It is wise to get the documents translated into the Czech language.
Travel insurance
All Schengen states require that the applicant has health insurance coverage. The insurance coverage must extend throughout the applicant’s stay and provides services in the Schengen region.
Unfavorable visa situations
Despite the fact that all requirements for a visa are met, certain situations may force the governments to refuse visas. Such a case was the recent Covid 19 pandemic, where the entire world came to a standstill. When the countries opened their borders, added and enhanced terms were put in place to ensure that only the healthy folk may enter the country. Visa applications were rejected due to non-vaccination, unsatisfactory tests, lack of additional finances required for the quarantine period, etc.
Similarly, global phenomena such as terrorism may force the authorities to upgrade/change the visa policy; the change may affect the outcome of the application.
