Czech Embassy Guide 2026 – Why are Czech Embassies in the US so Different?

You can find a Czech Embassy almost in every country in the World. Why are Czech Embassies in the US so much different that in other countries? What are their specifics you should keep in mind, what are the pros and cons of applying for your visa through a Czech Embassy in the US? This and way more in this article – read on!

Czech Embassy – what (and who) is it for?

Before we dive deeper into the specifics of Czech Embassies in the US, let’s first discuss the basics – who is a Czech Embassy primarily for, what agendas a Czech Embassy usually takes care of and how is a Czech Embassy governed.

Czech Embassies generally have two main purposes:

Serve Czech citizens in the hosting country of the Czech Embassy. Czech Embassies are there to protect Czech citizens abroad and provide services for them. Both for tourists and for citizens who reside in that country long-term. This can be assistance in legal matters, replacing a lost passport or verifying/notarizing documents for their use in the Czech Republic.
Deepening diplomatic relations between the Czech Republic ad the hosting country. The consul (and their team) has the mission of presenting the Czech Republic in the best possible light both to the hosting government and the public to serve the best interest of the Czech Republic.

Any agenda related to the citizens of the hosting country (i.e. answering your questions about Czech visas or Czech citizenship, accepting your visa application) sits towards the end of Czech Embassy’s list of priorities.

Very important fact (that is tightly connected to the cons of dealing with a Czech Embassy later in the article) is that Czech Embassies are governed by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, although long-term visa and long-term residence permits are governed by the Czech Ministry of the Interior.

Czech Embassies – services for US citizens

Czech Embassies in the US can also serve US citizens as a place to submit their Czech visa or residence permit applications, or potentially their Czech Citizenship by Ancestry applications. Check all the available visa options here: Czech Republic visa for US citizens.

There are 4 Czech Embassies (or Consulates) in the US that accept visa applications. These 4 are responsible for all the states and their responsibility is divided like this:

Czech Embassy (Consulate) in Los Angeles

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and also American Samoa, Guam a Northern Mariana Islands.

Czech Embassy in Washington, DC

Alabama, Arkansas, District of Colombia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and also Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Antigua and Barbuda.

Czech Embassy (Consulate) in New York

Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont.

Czech Embassy (Consulate) in Chicago

Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin.

Important: If you are from the US and want to apply for some Czech visa or residence permit through a Czech Embassy in the US, you can only do it through the Embassy or Consulate responsible for the state where you live. If you try to submit your application through an incorrect Embassy, it will very likely not be accepted. As a US citizen though, you are not limited to submitting your application in the US – you can submit your visa or residence permit application through any Czech Embassy in the World as long as they accept visa applications.

Actually, majority of our clients submit their applications through the Czech Embassy in Dresden, Germany, or London, UK. Read more here: Moving to the Czech Republic from US – A Complete Guide for Americans.

INTERESTING FACT: We have worked with almost 1 500 Americans since 2012 and vast majority of them come from only a few states (mainly California, Florida, New York and Texas).

Czech Embassy Insider – Specifics of Czech Embassies in the US

Now, it is time to say that Czech Embassies in the US work in a pretty different way than Czech Embassies in any other country in the World.

For example, in basically all other Czech Embassies, in-person submission of your visa application is required. Czech Embassies in the US encourage you to not visit them in person and instead ask you to mail your application in. Although this might sound like and advantage, it can only be an advantage if you have your application prepared 150% correctly and starts and moon align.

For example, all documents must be originals (ideally with signs and stamps), all documents must be in Czech, application form must be signed etc. If you miss something, regardless of how small, your documents will be mailed back to you and not accepted.

One of our recent clients, Oakley, only came to use our services after his application had been rejected twice by the Czech Embassy in Washington, DC. Once because the documents he mailed were not originals (scans, photos, copies etc. are not accepted by Czech Embassies) and once because he sent the correct application fee in USD but meanwhile the exchange rate to CZK changed so the USD amount was no longer enough.

He had lost a few months of time and also the original employment offer he go since the employer did not want to wait any longer.

Applying for your Visa through a Czech Embassy in the US – Pros and Cons

Although the story of Oakley can be scary and discouraging, applying for your Czech visa or residence permit through some Czech Embassy in the US might also have some advantages. Let’s delve deeper into this topic now.

Pros of Applying for a Czech visa through a Czech Embassy in the US

applying at home turf – you know how things work, how to get things done, applying in the US might be less stressful than applying in Europe,
no risk of overstaying – if you apply for your Czech visa through some Czech Embassy in Europe, it does not change anything on your 90 days visa-free stay rules, so you have to be prepared to leave the Czech Republic and wait for your approval somewhere outside of Schengen,
low risk – if you have a low stake, no time sensitive application, applying in the US might be safer for you – since an approved visa must be collected from the same Embassy where you applied for it (you can not apply in the US and collect your visa in Germany for example), you will only move when/if you get approved. This means you do not sell your house to come to Czech Republic only to find out your visa was denied and you have to go back to the US.

Cons of Applying for a Czech visa through a Czech Embassy in the US

more complicated process – most Czech visa or residence permit applications require you to have accommodation booked in the Czech Republic for at least a year in advance. While this might be easy to solve if you are a student who is gonna stay in a dormitory, trying to find a place to rent for a family if you are not here might be pretty challenging.
longer approval times – as mentioned in the first part of this article, Czech Embassies fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while all long-term visa and residence permit decision are made by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI). That means that the Czech Embassy where you submit your application will not be making the decision about your application. The Embassy will only take the documents from you and then physically mail them back to the Czech Republic. Although sometimes this can be as fast as a week, sometimes it can take 3-4 weeks before someone even starts checking your application at the MOI.
in person vs mail submission – applying via mail is not at all possible in Europe or basically any other Czech Embassy in the World. So, although this might be seen as an advantage, if you want to apply in the US, we recommend you always try to get an in-person appointment. It is faster, easier to correct any mistakes and you speak with an actual person.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Get in Touch!

With 14 years of experience, around 24 000 clients from more than 120 countries in the world, we can answer all your questions and make your application smooth and enjoyable. We are actually so confident that we offer the APPROVED OR FREE guarantee as the only ones on the Czech market.