Czech Partnership Visa - Eligibility & Basics - Who Can Apply and What This Visa Actually Is - FAQs

In this article we look into the basics of the Czech partnership visa and answer the most common questions such as How Long Do You Need to Live Together Before Applying? or Can I Get a Partnership Visa if My Partner Doesn't Have a Job? If you have any other questions, contact us, we reply within maximum 12 hours and will be happy to advise you or guide you through the whole process. 

What is a Partnership Visa in the Czech Republic?

"Partnership Visa" is an unofficial term for a Temporary Residence Permit for Distant Family Members of EU Citizens in the Czech Republic. Simply put, if you are a non-EU citizen and you are in a serious long-term relationship (unmarried) with an EU citizen, you can get a residence permit based on this relationship. We have written a detailed guide about this topic see this article: Czech Republic's Partnership Visa - Everything You Need To Know In 2026.

Can My Non-EU Partner Get a Partnership Visa?

Yes, if you meet the conditions. Firstly, Czech partnership visa is only meant for couples where one of you is an EU citizen. If both of you are non-EU citizens, the partnership visa unfortunately does not apply to you (see other family reunification options here). Second main requirement is that you must be in a "serious long-term relationship similar to a marriage". This means if your relationship is purely online (you have not met each other in real life) or if you have been together for less than a year, you chances of approval are low. 

Can You Bring Your Partner to Czech Republic Without Marriage?

 Answer to this question depends on a few factors. First is what are your nationalities. If both you and your partner are non-EU citizens, unfortunately the partnership visa does not apply in your case, and you can not bring your partner here long-term. You can potentially invite them for a short visit though, or go through some other family reunification route. If one of you is an EU citizen and the other is not, then the partnership visa might apply in your case and you could potentially bring your partner to the Czech Republic without marriage. How easy or complicated it will be depends on the nationality of your partner. If they are from one of the visa-free countries, it is completely doable! If they are from a country that needs a visa to even visit the Czech Republic for a day or two, it might require more effort. The reason for that is that in this case, your partner can only submit their partnership visa application if they get one specific type of a short-term visa. And some Embassies (i.e. the one in Manilla) are very reluctant to issue those. 

Can My Unmarried Partner Stay in the Czech Republic with Me?

This is exactly what the Czech partnership visa is meant for - allowing unmarried partners to stay together. You just must meet the conditions of the partnership visa. Primarily - one of you must be an EU citizen, you must have duly documented permanent partnership, and you must prove to have high enough monthly income. We describe all the requirements in details in this article: Czech Republic's Partnership Visa - Everything You Need To Know In 2026.

How Long Do You Need to Live Together Before Applying?

The Act No. 326/1999 Coll., Act on the Residence of Foreigners on the Territory of the Czech Republic does not specify how long you have to be together or how long you must live together before applying for a partnership visa. Section § 15a of this Act say that you qualify for the partnership visa if you "have a duly documented permanent partnership with a citizen of the European Union or a citizen of the Czech Republic registered for permanent residence in the territory". No further specification is provided in the law. At Move To Prague, we have worked hundreds of partnership visa cases and from our experience you should be together ideally for at least a year. You do not necessarily need to live together before submitting the application but you certainly have to when and after submitting the application. 

Can You Get a Partnership Visa Without Living Together First?

Living together prior application is not a requirement of the partnership visa. That being said, you must prove that you have been in a serious long-term relationship. If your relationship has been purely online, you have lived in two different countries and have not met in person until before submitting your application, it will very likely not work out. If you have been traveling together, visited each other's families, have a joint bank account together etc., your application can be approved even without actually living together before submitting the application. You deffinitelly must live together during the approval proces.  

Can I Get a Partnership Visa if My Partner Doesn't Have a Job?

Well, yes and no. Being able to prove high enough monthly income is one of the key requirements of the Czech partnership visa. Not being able to prove high enough monthly income is also one of the most common denial reason for couples who go through the process without professional guidance. The income though does not have to come from the applicant. If one of you does not have a job but the other one has, it might still work out. Your monthly income must be high enough for the "household" not separately for each of the partners. 

What's the Difference Between a Partnership Visa and Marriage Visa?

First difference is that partnership visa is only meant for couples where one of you is an EU citizen. If you are both non-EU citizens, applying for a partnership visa in unfortunately not an option and you will likely need to get married to get a visa based on your relationship. As for family members of EU citizens, they are generally divided into two categories - close and distant family members. Partnership visa is a Temporary Residence Permit for distant family members of EU citizens. It means, there is more complex paperwork required for the application and the partnership visa comes with less rights. If you are a married couple, you qualify as a close family member, which means less documentation required and more/stronger rights.

Is a Partnership Visa the Same as a Common-Law Visa?

Essentially yes. Czech partnership visa is meant for unmarried couples that can prove that they "have a duly documented permanent partnership with a citizen of the European Union or a citizen of the Czech Republic registered for permanent residence in the territory". One important details is though that the partnership visa only applies to couples where one of you is an EU citizen. If both of you are non-EU citizens, the partnership visa is unfortunately not an option in your case. 

Do I Need to Register My Partnership Before Applying?

It depends on what you mean by "registering partnership". If you mean getting officially married or getting registered partnership as a same sex couple in a county that does not allow marriage for same sex couples, it is not necessary but it could be very helpful. If you get married or registered as a same-sex couple, you will be qualified as a close family member of an EU citizen. That puts you into significantly stronger position than the distant family member. If you mean signing some statement or getting an official confirmation that you live in a same household as an unmarried couple, that will not qualify you as a close family member but it might still make your partnership visa application stronger. To sum it up, any official confirmation of you being a couple can be helpful. How much helpful depends on your specific situation.  

Can You Get a Partnership Visa If You're Separated?

On a theoretical level yes, in real life, not really. To qualify for the Czech partnership visa, you must "have a duly documented permanent partnership with a citizen of the European Union or a citizen of the Czech Republic". If you are separated and no longer together, you are not in a partnership anymore. That means you do not meet the basic requirement. From more practical perspective, part of the partnership visa approval process is also a visit from the Foreign Police. They come to your apartment unannounced to verify if you and your partner live together. If you don't it will be a reason to deny your application. 

Can My Partner Bring Children on a Partnership Visa?

Unfortunately, not really. Section § 15a of the Act No. 326/1999 Coll., Act on the Residence of Foreigners on the Territory of the Czech Republic only allows "a descendant (of an EU citizen) under the age of 21 or such a descendant of a spouse of a citizen of the European Union". If you are not married, the partnership visa unfortunately does not apply to children. 

If you have any other questions, contact us, we reply within maximum 12 hours and will be happy to advise you or guide you through the whole process. 

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