British Citizen Married to a Czech Citizen? What Visa Options do you Have?

Short summary: British citizens married to Czech citizens can apply for a Temporary Residence Permit as close family members of an EU citizen. This residence permit grants them many rights including residential rights, employment rights, up to five years of validity or faster path to permanent residence permit. Experienced immigration experts from MOVE TO PRAGUE bring you everything you need to know as a UK citizen married to a Czech citizen in this article. 

The article is divided into the following sections:

1. What British citizens qualify as close family members of an EU citizen
2. Benefits of being married to an EU citizen
3. Temporary residence permit - required documents
4. Temporary residence permit - application process
5. How Move To Prague helps British citizens get their residency easier
6. Frequently asked questions

1. What British citizens qualify as Close Family Members of an EU citizen

As mentioned in the short summary above, the temporary residence permit grants a lot of benefits to its holders. Because of that, there are also pretty strict rules to who qualifies as a close family member of a Czech (or generally an EU) citizen. 

We are listing the most common scenarios below:

• a spouse of a Czech citizen - similar rules apply to spouses of other EU citizens (non-Czech) officially residing at the territory of the Czech Republic, and also to British citizens residing in the Czech Republic who got their residence certificates pre-Brexit. To make this a little more clear, find the typical cases below:
  • British citizen + Czech citizen,
  • British citizen + French citizen who legally resides in the Czech Republic,
  • British citizen + a British citizen residing in the Czech Republic pre-Brexit and holding an Article 50 residence permit.
  • Note: Same sex couples also qualify as long as they can present a marriage certificate or it's equivalent - i.e. certificate of registered partnership.
• child of the above - children of the EU citizen (if they do not have EU citizenship) as well as children of the spouse qualify until they reach 21 years of age. A few examples again: 
  • you and your child are British citizens, your wife is a Czech citizen,
  • you are both Czech and British citizen but your child is only a British citizen. 
  • Note: Potentially even grandchildren of EU citizens can qualify although it is not very common in real life.
• parents (or other close relatives) - this is the trickiest option since the Immigration Act specifies that only offsprings or ancestors who "is or immediately before his/her entrance in the Czech Republic was dependent on the support or primary care (satisfaction of essential needs) of the EU citizen or the EU citizen’s spouse" qualify. To make it a bit easier to understand:
  • if you were living in the UK with your parents and were taking care of them on daily basis, you are now moving to the Czech Republic with your spouse and you want to bring your parents with you (since they are dependent on your daily care), it might work,
  • if you are already living in the Czech Republic and then decide to bring your parents, that is likely not gonna work out since they are clearly not dependent on your daily care.

If you are not sure if you qualify as a close family member of an EU citizen, contact us for a free consultation and evaluation of your case. 

2. Benefits of being married to an EU citizen

While all the options mentioned in section 1 are technically possible and we have experienced them in our daily practice, the most common scenario is spouses (alternatively with children) moving together. So, what benefits does being married to a Czech (EU) citizen actually bring? 

• submitting your application in the Czech Republic, at the MOI, not through an Embassy,
• being able to stay in the Czech Republic during the whole approval process - these first two points might sound less important than they actually are. Basically all other visa or residence permit applications must be submitted through a Czech Embassy (i.e. in London). Also, the fact that you submitted your application does not allow you to stay in the Czech Republic and wait for the decision. The Temporary Residence Permit is one of the very few situations when you can submit your application in the Czech Republic and stay here regardless of how many of the 90 days visa-free stay you still have left. 
• free access to Czech labor market - although British citizens have free access to Czech labor market thanks to the Government Regulation No. 158/2024 Coll., being married to a Czech citizen ensures you will have free access to Czech labor market even if the Regulation is changed or discontinued. 
• access to Czech public health care - if you are a British citizen married to a Czech citizen, you can potentially access the Czech public health care system even if you do not work in the Czech Republic.
• up to five years of validity - if you have "exercised the right of free movement" (generally meaning you lived in some other (EU) country together and are now moving to the Czech Republic together), you can get the Temporary Residence Permit for up to 5 years. If you have not, you can get it for 3 years which is still more than for most other visa (1 year) or residence permit (2 years) types.
• faster path to Permanent Residence Permit and Czech citizenship - as a close family member of a Czech citizen, you can apply for a Permanent Residence Permit after just two years of living in the Czech Republic. This also shortens your way to Czech citizenship from 10 years to roughly 7 (you can apply for Czech citizenship after having the Permanent Residency for at least 5 years). 

The are other benefits of being married to a Czech citizen but the above are the most practical ones. 

3. Temporary Residence Permit - what documents are required from a British citizen

So, at this point, you already know you qualify as a close family member of an EU citizen. You also know what benefits you get as a spouse of Czech citizen. 

Let's now look into what documentation is needed for the Temporary Residence Permit.

• application form - nothing too complicated there, 
• passport - passport must be valid (ideally for at least another year) and must have a few blank pages (for your bridging visa),
• 2 passport sized photos,
• proof of accommodation - a lot of our British clients already own a flat or a house in the Czech Republic in which case we get an extract from the land registry showing the ownership. If you are renting, you can use your lease agreement or ask your landlord to sign a proof of accommodation form,
• documents on the purpose of your stay - this primarily means your marriage certificate. If it is a British marriage certificate (or generally non-Czech), it must be apostilled and translated to Czech language by a sworn translator. If you are married to a Czech citizen though, they are obliged to report the marriage to Czech authorities and obtain a Czech marriage certificate. 
• health insurance - this is where it gets a little tricky - you can potentially use your GHIC if it is gonna be active after you move to the Czech Republic, you can also get a Czech private health insurance. In some cases, you can also use a Czech public health insurance card (EHIC).
• admin fee - this is 200 CZK paid at the MOI when submitting your application. 
• Power of Attorney - if you use our service to make sure your application goes well, we prepare a Power of Attorney for you that allows us to act on your behalf in front of the MOI and represent you in the dealings. 

We often get asked about birth certificates and criminal checks from the UK. You do not need either of these for your temporary residence permit application. Birth certificates are only needed for children applying. Criminal check is not needed at all. 

That being said, if you plan a permanent move to the Czech Republic, it is a good idea to bring both (both need to be apostilled). While the birth certificate is not needed for your Temporary Residence application, it will be needed for Czech citizenship application if you decide to go for it. The criminal check might be needed to set up a business in the Czech Republic or for some job applications. 

4. How to submit your application as a British citizen

We have worked with hundreds of couples (around 70 of them involving British citizens) and most of them follow the same structure:

1. Prepare documents you need from the UK. We usually start working with our clients about a month prior their arrival so we can make sure everything will be ready. 
2. Come to the Czech Republic using your 90 days visa-free stay. Keep in mind the 90 days are 90 days in the last 180 consecutive days. You have to submit your application while still having some of the 90 days left.
3. Collect all documents, book an appointment and go submit your application. As Move To Prague provides comprehensive immigration services, we see your case from more angles. Usually first comes securing a long-term accommodation. The address of your apartment decides what branch of the MOI you have to book your submission appointment with. So until you have your accommodation sorted, further steps can not happen.
4. Get a bridge visa and wait. If you submit your application legally (within the 90 days) and with all relevant documentation, you can request something called a bridge or a bridging visa. This visa is issued directly at the MOI when submitting your Temporary Residence application. It confirms your legal status in the Czech Republic and even allows you to travel if needed. During the processing, you should expect Foreign Police to come visit you and check if you really live together as a couple. The MOI can also invite you for an interview and/or request additional documentation. The official approval time is 60 days and in our experience, if you have been married for a few year, the MOI usually does not take longer. 
5. Get your biometric card. Once you get approved, you have to go to the MOI at least two more times. Once to get your biometrics done (fingerprinting, photos, signature), and once to collect the actual residence permit card. 

5. How MOVE TO PRAGUE helps British citizens obtain the Temporary Residence Permit

Let us make one thing clear - you can go through the process on your own. The immigration law does not require legal representation. The process is also generally not super complicated. 

Clients who hire us do not hire us because they could not do it on their own. They hire us because they do not want to do it on their own. 

Although the Temporary Residence Permit process is relatively straightforward when you are married to a Czech citizen, there is still space for mistakes. There are also appointments to be scheduled and attended to. All of them in Czech. Timelines to stick to. 

When you hire our services, we:

• do a consultation with you where we set the road map and timelines,
• fill in the application form,
• make sure you have all the other required documents in the required form and within the legal deadlines,
• schedule all appointments with the MOI (submission, biometrics, collection) and accompany you to all of them (applies in Prague),
• assist you during the whole approval process - prepare you for the Foreign Police visit, handle and additional documentation the MOI requests, send urgency letters if the process takes longer than it should etc.,
• explain all your rights and obligations under the Temporary Residence Permit (i.e. reporting changes). 

You basically just pay one fixed fee and whatever needs to get done, we get done so you can focus on things that excite you more than immigration. Contact us for a free consultation. 

6. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I live in Czech Republic if I marry a Czech citizen?

As a British citizen married to a Czech citizen, you can apply for a Temporary Residence Permit as a close family member of an EU citizen. This is one of the strongest residence permit you can get in Czech immigration. 

What benefits do I get as a British spouse of a Czech citizen?

Having been married to a Czech citizen grants you a low of rights and benefits. Among others - free access to Czech labor market, access to Czech health care, up to five years of residence permit validity, ability to apply for a Czech permanent residence permit after 2 and for Czech citizenship after 7 years.

How long does it take to get Czech citizenship through marriage?

If you are married to a Czech citizen, you can get the Temporary Residence Permit as a close family member. You can then apply for Permanent Residence Permit after 2 years of living in the Czech Republic. Citizenship can be applied for after 5 years of holding the Permanent Residence Permit. This means you will be able to apply for Czech citizenship roughly after 7-8 years. The Permanent Residence Permit approval takes some time which you need to add to the total.  

How long is the Temporary Residence Permit valid for and can it be extended?

The Temporary Residence Permit can be given to you for 5 years if you executed the right of free movement (meaning you lived in some other - EU - country and are now moving to the Czech Republic together). If you have not executed this right, you can still get the Temporary Residence Permit for 3 years. In both cases, you can repeatedly extend it for the same time (i.e. 3 or 5 years) or switch to the Permanent Residence Permit.

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