At Move To Prague, we’ve seen it all, and after working with clients for over twelve years, we’ve identified the top mistakes that people make when applying for a Czech visa or residence permit.
1. Starting the Visa or Residence Process Too Late
One of the most common mistakes is underestimating the time needed for the visa process. Czech immigration can be notoriously slow, especially during peak seasons. Preparing all necessary documents alone can take 1-2 months. Once you’ve gathered everything, securing an appointment at an embassy might take even longer—anywhere from two weeks to a few months (depending on the Embassy you apply at).
After submitting your application, the approval process can take anything in between one and four months (depending on they visa or residence permit you are applying for), sometimes even longer. Altogether, you could be looking at a timeline of four to six months or more. Starting late can jeopardize your entire plan, so early preparation is key.
2. Assuming the Visa or Residence Permit Process Is Simple
Many people think they can handle the visa process on their own, only to find themselves overwhelmed. Those who succeed on their own usually have extensive research, prior experience, or just sheer luck. If you attempt to navigate this complicated process without expert help, even a small mistake can lead to a snowball effect of issues. We’ve had clients who initially worked with incompetent agencies or tried to do it all themselves, only to come to us when things went wrong.
Even though we are happy to help anytime, sometimes the trouble you got yourself into can already be that complicated that even us can not do much.
If you are considering using an agency to help you with your visa or residence permit process, commit to it from the beginning, not only when you hit a road block.
You do not have to use our services (even though we will serve you best if you do) but we would certainly recommend making sure that whatever agency you use, they are competent. Check their reviews to see what people appreciate about them. Do not make the whole decision based on that though. It is equally important to see if they have an experience with clients in your situation since the same process can be completely different for different nationalities. Even people of the same nationality can go through completely different processes depending on the visa or residence permits they apply for, the season of the year or the Embassy they apply at.
If someone got a business visa for an English teacher from the US, it does not mean they will be able to get a business visa for an IT professional from the US, and certainly not that they will be able to get a business visa for a teacher from South Africa living in Dubai.
We have worked with over 19 000 people from more than 100 countries in the last 12 years and there are still things that surprise us.
3. Relying on Social Media for Advice about your Czech Visa or Czech Residence Permit Application
Social media platforms like Facebook are full of well-meaning advice, but often from individuals with minimal experience. Every visa case is unique, and what worked for one person might not work for another due to different circumstances such as the year or season. Trusting such advice can lead to costly mistakes. For a reliable and tailored approach, it’s better to consult professionals who have dealt with a wide variety of cases.
We do not say social media should not be used when looking for advice at all. You should look at it for what it is though – an opinion of a very small group of people using one platform. When you ask for advice on social media, you usually get advice from people who only went through the process themselves or maybe talked about it with a few friends. There are around 1 million foreigners living in the Czech Republic in 2024. If you get advice from 10 people on Facebook, it might not apply to the remaining 999 990 cases.
Even we with 19 000 cases behind us still only cover a small portion of the different situation. Take advice on social media more like a pointer in some direction but still get an opinion or help of an expert if you want to avoid trouble.
4. Missing Crucial Details
Embassy procedures can vary significantly depending on the location. For instance, in Dresden, you can email anytime to schedule an appointment, whereas in India, you must book on a specific day and time, and spots fill up within seconds. In some countries, it’s a lottery system. For different Embassies the e-mail must have different structure and different attachments.
The proof of your accommodation has to be signed directly by the owner of the property, but one signature is fine even if there are more owners of the property. The proof of business address, on the other hand, must be signed by majority of owners so one signature might not be enough.
Some translations can be done with whoever speaks the language, some must be done by an official Czech court-approved translator.
Missing any of these details can delay your visa or residence permit application or even prevent you from getting approved altogether. Unfortunately, embassies and the Ministry of the Interior are not always there to help you navigate these complexities; they won’t provide detailed guidance.
Even though it has improved a lot within the last 12 years, they can still only provide general advice and that is also given the specific person you speak with is in good mood that day. We’ve seen people turned away for having the wrong form, with no further explanation given and/or yelled at for various reasons.
Good news is, all the above mistakes are avoidable. By working with Move To Prague, you can ensure that your visa process is smooth, efficient, and stress-free. Let us handle the details so you can focus on your exciting move to the Czech Republic.
