Czech Permanent Residence Permit for Family Members of EU Citizens

In this article, we explain how the permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic works for family members of EU citizens. We explain the qualification criteria, process and required documents to obtain Czech permanent residence permit, the benefits it brings to it’s holder and all related rules you should know about.

Who is a family member of an EU citizen

EU Citizen + EU Citizen

Although an EU citizen can technically be a family member of another EU citizen (i.e. a French citizen married to a Spanish citizen), this article focuses primarily on situations where one of you is an EU citizen and the other is a non-EU citizen. If you are both EU citizens, the standard Permanent Residence Permit in Czech Republic For EU Citizens rules apply to you.

EU Citizen + Non-EU Citizen

Non-EU family members of EU citizens are divided into two categories with different permanent residence permit rules.

Dividing family members of EU citizens into these two categories is actually very important from the perspective of getting the Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic. Close family members of EU citizens generally go through a simplified process with less documentation needed, compared to distant family members.

Close Family Members of EU Citizens

Close family members are primarily:

spouses,
registered partners (same sex marriage),
children below 21,
parent in some very limited cases.

Distant Family Members of EU Citizens

Distant family members are in most cases:

unmarried long-term partners.

Czech Permanent Residence Permit for CLOSE Family Members of EU Citizens

Permanent Residence Permit for Close Family Members of EU Citizens usually follows the Temporary Residence Permit for Close Family Members of EU Citizens. You can generally apply for the Permanent Residence Permit after:

5 years of continuous stay in the Czech Republic regardless of the nationality or status of your spouse,
2 years of continuous stay in the Czech Republic if you have been a close family member of a Czech citizen or an EU citizen already holding Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic, for at least 1 year.

Real life examples:

You are a non-EU citizen, your spouse is a French citizen. You both moved to the Czech Republic 5 years ago. In this case you can only apply for your permanent residence permit after 5 years of living here.
You are a non-EU citizen, your spouse is a French citizen. Your spouse has been living in the Czech Republic already for five years and got their permanent residence permit. You were frequently visiting but only now decided to move to the Czech Republic full time. In this case, you will be able to apply for the permanent residence after two years of having the Temporary one.
You are a non-EU citizen who has been here under the partnership visa with your Czech partner for a year. Then you got married and switch from being a distant family member to a close one. In this case, you can apply for the permanent residence permit after 2 years of living in the Czech Republic while at the same time it has been more than 1 year from the wedding.

If you are unsure about your situation and if you already qualify for the permanent residence permit, Contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss your situation and advise.

Process of getting Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic as a Close Family Member of an EU Citizen

Getting the Czech Permanent Residence Permit as a close family member is relatively straightforward compared to being a distant family member. Especially if your spouse is a Czech Citizen, you might be able to handle this on your own since it is very similar to obtaining the initial Temporary Residence Permit.

If you do not want to deal with Czech bureaucracy on your own though, or you want to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible, we are here to help.

1. Collect all the required documents

You need the following documents for the permanent residence permit application:

application form,
passport + valid residence permit,
2 passport sized photos,
proof of accommodation,
proof of meeting the conditions:
- 2 or 5 years of continuous stay (usually your Temporary Residency is enough),
- being a close family member of an EU citizen (marriage certificate),
administrative fee.

If you work with us, we also ask you to sign a Power of Attorney so we can represent you in front of the Ministry of the Interior.

2. Submit your application

The permanent residence permit application must be submitted in person, to the Ministry of the Interior responsible for the place of your residence. Although most MOI branches allow walk-ins to some extent, it is always better to book an appointment in advance so you do not spend a few hours waiting in the line.

Keep in mind that submitting your permanent residence permit application does not give you the right to reside in the Czech Republic so if your Temporary Residence Permit is expiring soon, you have to apply for it’s extension as well!

3. Wait for decision

The MOI officially has 60 days to make the decision (and often stick to it for close family members), it can take longer. The MOI can request additional documentation or information, the Foreign Police might visit your apartment or house, they might invite you for an interview. All these delayed the approval process.

Also, even when you get approved, you will still need at least about a month to finish the process (see further points).

4. Biometrics

Once you get approved, you have to book an appointment for the biometrics – fingerprinting, photos and digitalizing your signature. This must be booked through the phone booking line and depending on the brach of the MOI, the soonest available appointments might be a week to a few weeks away.

5. Collection of the residence card

When you are at the biometrics appointment, you usually also get a date to collect your actual residence. It is usually scheduled 2-3 weeks from the biometrics but it again depends on the branch of the MOI, it varies. When you are getting the card, make sure all your details are correctly printed there.

Czech Permanent Residence Permit for DISTANT Family Members of EU Citizens

Permanent Residence Permit for Distant Family Members of EU Citizens in the Czech Republic usually follows the “Partnership Visa”. You can generally apply for the Permanent Residence Permit after 5 years of continuous stay in the Czech Republic.

If your first residence permit in the Czech Republic was the partnership visa, you have to keep extending it until you reach the five years requirement so you can apply for the permanent residence permit.

If you previously stayed here under some long-term visas and/or long-term residence permits, you recently switched to the partnership visa and you have continuously been here for more than 5 years altogether, all your previous stays count.

For example, you came here under the business visa (1 year), you then got the business residence permit (2 years), then switched to the employee card (2 years) and have just now switched to the partnership visa, all your previous stay count (1 year + 2 years + 2 years) and you can apply for the permanent residence right away.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When you are under the Temporary Residence Permit (does not matter if as close or distant family member), your permanent residence permit will always be based on your relationship. You can not apply independently on your partner.

IMPORTANT NOTE 2: Permanent residence permit application does not give you the right to stay in the Czech Republic – you can not get the Bridging Visa in this case. If your current partnership visa is expiring soon and you do not have the decision about your permanent residence permit yet, you have to extend the partnership visa as well.

Process of getting Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic as a Distant Family Member of an EU Citizen

The whole process of obtaining the Permanent Residence Permit as a distant family member is very similar to the process of close family member. There are just two significant difference among the required documents:

proof of relationship – close family members (spouses) basically just show their marriage certificate, distant family members must prove that they have been in a serious long-term relationship similar to marriage. The means providing basically the same set of documents as for the “partnership visa” application – statements, photos, travels, hotel bookings, joint lease agreement and bank account etc.
proof of income – close family members do not have to prove income or funds at all, distant family members must prove that they have been making enough money on monthly basis. What “enough” means and how to prove it depends on couple factors – contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss your specific situation.

The rest of the process is basically the same – submission, waiting, biometrics and card collection.

Benefits of Applying for the Permanent Residence Permit as a family member of an EU citizen

There are generally two types of benefits – application benefits and after approval benefits.

Application Benefits

no need to pass Czech language exam – both close and distant family members of EU citizens are exempt of the A2 language exam when applying for their Czech permanent residence permit,
simplified documentation for close family members – as a close family member of an EU citizen, you do not need to pass the language exam, you do not need to prove and funds or monthly income, and proving your purpose of stay is as simple as showing your marriage certificate.

After Approval benefits

permanent status – as the name suggests, Czech permanent residence permit allows you to reside in the Czech Republic permanently, indefinitely. Although it can be revoked (or canceled by yourself), it does not really happen much in real life.
10 years of card validity – the permanent residence permit card has a validity of 10 years so unless you move to a new house, or lose the card, you do not really need to worry about it for a long period of time.
no purpose of stay, no conditions – all your previous visas or residence permit were always tied to some purpose of stay (studies, employment, business or your relationship), that does not apply for the permanent residence permit though – you do not have to be employed, study or even be with your partner anymore to keep the permanent residence permit.
ability to vote in some elections – if you live in the Czech Republic long-term you might want to be able to influence who runs the country and how. With the permanent residence permit you can, even if just locally.
ability to live outside of the Czech Republic for up to 2 years – and still be able to keep the Czech permanent residence permit.

IMPORTANT: While holding permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic you still have to report changes such as a new passport, new residence address, change in marital status and/or in your name to the MOI. You also must always carry your passport (along with the permanent residence permit card) when traveling.

If you want to take this a step further, you can apply for Czech Citizenship after 5 years of having the permanent residence permit or after 10 years of living in the Czech Republic.

Any questions? Any assistance needed? Contact us and we’ll be happy to take care of everything for you!

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