In this article, we explain everything related to extending your stay in the Czech Republic as a non-EU citizen. From Visa Extensions, to Residence Permit Extensions to switching from a Long-Term Visa to a Long-Term Residence Permit.
Visa Extensions
Technically speaking, the term visa extension refers to the extension of a long term visa. Because long term visas in the Czech Republic can only be issued for a maximum period of one year, this type of extension is infrequent. The only time a long term visa can be extended is if the visa was issued for less than a year, and you want to extend it to the full year term. For example, say you got a long term visa for ten months and you want to extend your visa for the remaining two months of the year. In most cases, long term visas are issued for 8-12 months so there is no point in extending them. When asking about visa extensions, people are usually referring to switching from a long-term visa to a long-term residence permit under the same purpose of stay, or extending a residence permit. This article will explain the difference between these types of extensions and how to obtain them.
Extending your long term visa
To extend your long term visa for the remainder of the 12 months, you have to go to the ministry of the interior of the Czech Republic before the visa expires. The application must be submitted in person, and you must bring all the required documents to the ministry on your first visit. This means that the application can not be mailed and you can not submit half the needed documentation and bring the others in later. If you do not submit all of the required documents with an application, the application will not be accepted.
Switching from a long term visa to a long-term residents permit under the same purpose of stay
To switch from a long-term visa to a long-term residence permit, you also have to go to the ministry of the interior of the Czech Republic. You must submit this application in person before your current visa expires, but you do not need to submit all of the required documents with your application. If you don’t submit all of your documents when you turn in the application, you will receive a letter from the ministry of interior stating the documents you are missing and the deadline you have to turn them in. Generally speaking, you can submit a residence permit application incomplete which is a big difference between that and a long-term visa application.
Extending a residence permit
Extending a residence permit under the same purpose of stay is the easiest type of extension. You are not required to submit the application in person, meaning it can be mailed to the ministry of interior. You must make sure to deliver the application before the expiration of the original permit. Once the ministry receives the application, they will respond with any additional information they need or with the extension acceptance.
If you have any questions or would like to get some help with your visa extension in the Czech Republic, fill in the form below or on the side and we’ll be in touch with you shortly 🙂
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