The Republic of Czechia, dearly known as Czechia, is a beautiful country landlocked between Austria, Slovakia, Germany, and Poland. Previously known as Bohemia, the country is pre-historic and ancient, which is evident in its rich and refined culture, and day-to-day activities. In 2006, the World Bank included Czechia in the list of developed nations. Czechia has a promising and flourishing economy with a significant contribution to world iron, steel, minerals, oil, timber, and wool, markets which the country exports. The total exports of the country stand at a whopping US$ 198B as of 2019. 

People from around the world aspire to visit, immigrate or permanently relocate to Czechia due to its environment, ease of living, the standard of life, security, economy, and central location in Europe. If you happen to be among the aspirants, there are a few fundamental things and necessary steps you must understand and acquaint yourself with. This article is aimed at providing the readers with the understanding and details of the process leading to relocating to Czechia.

Types of visa & immigration process

Whether you are a holiday traveler, a job seeker, a student, or planning to immigrate to Czechia for good; If you are a non-EU resident you will require a visa to enter the country. For travelers, a 90-day validity Schengen visa is advised, for stays beyond 90 days, a long-term visa has to be obtained. Likewise, if a person plans to stay more than a year but is not sure whether to relocate in the future, he/she has to obtain a long-term resident permit. Lastly, those seeking permanent residence need to acquire a residence permit. 

Note that all visas have their requirements which may vary, depending on the type, political situation, government policies, etc. However, the few very basic requirements for all visa types are:

• Valid passport
• Completed application form
• Purpose of visit & stay
• Criminal record check
• Medical insurance
• Bank statements/income statements

As the title of the article suggests, our aim here is to inform readers regarding the process and steps involved to relocate to Czechia, hence we will maintain our focus on that.

Long-term visa

For reasons such as medical treatment, participating in sporting events, family reunions, education, etc. where the applicant has to stay in the country for one year and a little longer, this type of visa is issued. 

It is mandatory for the applicant to establish beyond doubt his/her purpose of visit, a clean social record, sufficient finances, accommodation, and a valid reason to stay inside the country for the requested period.

Self-employed visa (Zivno)

People who are self-employed and wish to live in Czechia for more than a year may apply for this visa. The application is a two-step procedure i) the applicant obtains a long-stay visa based on business or self-employment, this visa will be good for a year. And ii) before the 12-month period expires, re-apply for the long-term resident permit; the resident permit will further allow the applicant to stay in the country for 2 more years. 

You may be wondering why not apply for the long-term resident permit directly instead of taking this long path? Well, the answer is that by obtaining a visa based on self-employment, you will need to register your business on the Zivnostensky list. And while the extra step may seem to be tiresome at first, being listed on this Zivno list surely leads to easier and near-guaranteed issuance of residency permits. 

The European Union Blue card.

The EU Blue Card allows the holder to work and reside in Czechia for 4 years.  This program is primarily for highly skilled, or qualified professionals. In order to be illegible for this program, an employment/work contract or job offer letter is compulsory. While applying for the EU Blue card it is essential to have a contract for work/employment which is valid for a minimum of one year. 

Long-term permanent residence permit

Regardless of the nature of your temporary long-term residence permit, in order to be illegible for permanent residency status, one must have spent five years uninterrupted in the country. A fee of EUR 100, is required to be submitted along with a completed application for PR. Other important documents are:

• Passport 
• Proof of income
• Updated bank statement
• Income statements for the last 3 years
• Evidence of accommodation
• Czech language assessment certificate