Moving to the Czech Republic from US – A Complete Guide for Americans

Thinking of moving to the Czech Republic from the US? Good news: it’s entirely doable. With the right planning, visa strategy and support, many Americans are successfully relocating to Prague and other parts of Czechia. At Move To Prague we assist hundreds of US clients each year—around 50 % of our new clients come from the US—and we’d love to help you too.

Let’s walk through the steps you’ll want to follow, the visa options open to Americans, typical timelines, and what to expect from your new life in Czechia.

1. Step 1: Define your goal – short-term vs long-term stay

Americans often move because they’re seeking more security, better quality of life, safer environment—and Czechia offers just that: low crime, universal health system, strong public transport, and stable society and economy.

Before you begin any paperwork though, ask yourself: Are you planning to live in Czech Republic for one year, five years, or ten+ years?

If it’s a 12 month project (gap year, experiencing European life style or a sabbatical) you’ll follow a different route than someone who intends to settle long-term and maybe apply for permanent residence. You will also need to plan differently (time-wise, money-wise) and potentially take different amounts of risks.

Good planning and preparation is 50% of success when moving to the Czech Republic from the US or any other country.

📩 If you’re unsure how long you plan to stay, contact us now for a free discussion—this initial clarity will massively improve your visa route.

2. Visa options for Americans

While the Czech Republic does not officially offer any golden visa or retirement visa, Americans moving to the Czech Republic can still choose from a variety of different visa and residence permit options.

Choosing the right one is closely tied to Step 1. If you plan on moving here for extended period of time (maybe even with your family), different visa options might be better for you than for a fresh graduate taking a gap year.

Well, what options do you have when moving to the Czech Republic from the US?

Freelance / Business / “Zivno” Visa

For a long-time, one of the most popular visa types among American citizens moving to the Czech Republic. Primarily used by English teachers but applies in other cases.

👉 Learn more in our Czech Freelance Visa (Business / Živno Visa) – Complete 2025 Guide.

Digital Nomad Visa

Introduced only in 2023, this visa is gaining a lot of popularity. Best suitable for IT or Marketing professionals with one major client or employer allowing them to work remotely. Monthly income requirement is roughly 70 000 CZK (≈ 3 500 USD) which is usually pretty easy to meet. Great choice if you want to keep your US employer and work remotely. One of the easiest and fastest visas to obtain in the Czech Republic – most of our clients get approved within 30-40 days.

👉 We have written a detailed 2025 guide for you: Czech Digital Nomad Visa: Full 2025 Guide.

Employee Card

Thanks to Americans being granted free access to Czech labor market in July 2024, this option became a bit easier for people moving to the Czech Republic from the US. Although it does not simplify your first application much (you still have to find a local, Czech, employer willing to help you through the process), it makes changing employers later as well as extending the employee card super easy. That makes it a perfect option if you plan on staying long-term.

👉 See our Czech Employee Card 2025: Complete Guide.

Student Visa

Czech Republic, and especially Prague offers a few University options where you can get a US diploma while studying in the Czech Republic – for example the University of New York in Prague or Anglo-American University. Although you will probably not save much money compared to studying in the US, you’ll study in the heart of Europe.

Another option that makes Czech Republic very attractive for international students – if you study a university program in Czech language (even as a foreigner), you study for free in the Czech Republic.

👉 Read more about this option in our Czech Republic Student Visa article.

Family Reunification Visa

All the above mentioned visa and residence permit types apply both to individuals moving to the Czech Republic from the US, and for the main applicant of a family moving here. The other family members (spouse, children) can apply for a family reunification visa. As long as the main application is solid (and approved), family members usually get approved as well.

3. Step 2: Map out a clear timeline

Czech immigration processes take time. When you’re moving to the Czech Republic from the US, the timeline is often a bit shorter than for applicants from some other regions, but it’s still something you need to plan for.

A big part of the process also depends on where you submit your application — meaning which Czech Embassy you decide to work with. U.S. citizens typically have two practical options, both with their own pros and cons:

applying at some Czech Embassy in the US
- advantages
  - you apply at your “home turf” – you speak the language and know your way around, which usually makes the process a bit less stressful,
  - you generally only come to the Czech Republic when you have been approved which means you know that you will be able to stay when you are actually making the move,
- disadvantages
  - when applying in the US, the process is more complicated and certainly takes longer – i.e. you will need to physically ship documents to the Czech Republic for translations, then the same documents must be shipped back to you so you can submit them to the Embassy, only for the Embassy to ship them right back to the Ministry of the Interior, just the shipping itself can take additional weeks or months in total,
  - getting some documents distantly (i.e. proof of accommodation) might be very difficult,
  - most Czech Embassies in the US prefer mail submission of your documents which might sound like an advantage (you do not have to travel to the Embassy) but in real life it usually creates more space for mistakes and further delays.
applying at some Embassy in Europe
- advantages
  - the process is usually smoother and faster, and offers more flexibility – in the US you can only apply at the Embassy/Consulate responsible for the state where you live, in Europe, you can choose any Embassy – in Dresden, London or Dublin (Vienna, Berlin, Bratislava etc. have not been accepting applications for a few years now),
- disadvantages
  - the main disadvantage is that you are limited by your 90 days visa-free stay (see Czech Republic Entry Requirements for US Citizens (“Tourist Visa”), which means that if your visa or residence permit is not approved before your 90 days run out, you have to leave the Schengen space and wait for the visa approval there.

Let’s now look at some realistic timelines based on working with about 2 000 Americans since 2012.

1. Planing + choosing the right visa type (individual)

The timeline here is not really quantifiable since it is very individual. Some people have been in touch with us for year before actually making the move happen. Some people have one consultation with us and we start working on the process a week after.

The net steps are way more easier to estimate.

2. Collecting all required documents (1-3 months)

Although this might also be pretty individual depending on your specific situation (i.e. if you spent more than 6 months in some country other than the US in the last 3 years, you might need to provide criminal check from that country) and visa type (some visa or residence permit types require more preparation than others), we usually count with 1-2 months of preparation if you plan on applying from Europe. If you plan on applying from the US, add one extra month just for shipping documents back and forth.

3. Submitting your application (2-4 weeks)

Czech Embassies are generally not walk-ins. Than means you need to schedule your visa submission appointment in advance. How much in advance depends on the rules and capacity of the particular Embassy. Most Embassies in Europe offer appointments in 2-4 weeks window. While you can potentially request the appointment date while still collecting your documents, you should not cancel the appointment later (say because you did not manage to get all the documents together in time), so this step should be well timed.

4. Waiting for approval (1-4 months)

Different visa applications have different approval times. The quickest is generally the Digital Nomad Visa with most of our clients being approved within 30-40 days. Other visas/residence permit can take anything between 2 weeks to 4 months depending on a few factors, with majority of people being approved within around 60 days. Applying outside of Europe usually makes the approval process take longer.

5. After approval (1 – 4 weeks)

What happens after you get approved vey much depends in the type of visa or residence permit you applied for. In case of some visas, it can be as simple as getting a local health insurance (see the best options here) and collecting the visa from the Embassy. In some cases (i.e. business visa), there might be extra additional steps needed such as registering with the Foreign Police, activating your trade license and registering with social security, health care and income tax systems. For all residence permits, you will need to get your fingerprints taken and your actual residence card (looks like a driver’s license) issued.

So from start of working on moving to the Czech Republic as a US citizen to being settled you’re looking at 3-6 months minimum in most cases.

Having this mapped out keeps you focused, prevents delays, and helps you budget realistically. With Move To Prague’s support you can reduce delays and avoid common pitfalls. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.

4. Practical tips & lesser-known issues

Budget realistically
International relocation can be costly. The below items are what you should generally count with:
- finishing your affairs in the US – although this is usually where people get money for their move (i.e. selling their house and/or a car), there might be some costs related to that as well,
- flight tickets,
- moving physical goods – most of our clients do not move to Prague with their furniture or cars but if that is something you want to do, you should count with the cost,
- immigration assistance and documents – we always recommend using an experienced immigration adviser or a lawyer (read about the difference here) for your first application (even if not us) since the first application is the most crucial one that can either open or close the door to the Czech Republic for you and it is not worth the risk of being denied after you have moved whole your life here,
- temporary housing – unless you find a place to live online, prior your move (possible but pretty unlikely), you will need to spend at least about 1-2 weeks in a temporary place to have enough time to look for a long-term rental,
- moving into an apartment – moving into an apartment in the Czech Republic generally costs you 3-4 monthly rents – 1 month rent for the first month, 1-2 monthly rents for the security deposit, 1 monthly rent as commission to a real estate agent (see our Renting a Flat in Prague – The Ultimate Guide for Expats for more details).
- minor expenses – there are usually also minor expenses you should count with such as monthly transportation pass, internet/phone/data deposit, a few household items, some clothes etc.
- bank balance – for most visa applications and some residence permit applications, you also must maintain high enough balance in your bank account (the highest is 8 000 USD per person for the business visa) during the whole processing time, which means you should have that amount on top of the costs mentioned above.

Get (local) friends – while staying in an “expat bubble” can be convenient at first and can really help you in the beginnings of your life in Prague, getting local friends will prove super helpful in the long run. There are many meet-ups happening in Prague every week, there is always some market where people are having drinks and enjoying themselves (and let you join and speak with them), people always go out. If you try a bit, you’ll find local friends with no problems.
Start learning Czech right away – what we have been seeing happening again and again since we started in 2012 are people coming here “just for a year” who end up staying for a decade or longer. It is really easy to fall in love with Prague or the Czech Republic in general. What you do not want to happen though is to find yourself ten years in not speaking any Czech because it was always “just one more year, so no need to learn the language”. Learn a new word a day and you’ll see how your life in Prague changes.
International taxes – if you are moving to the Czech Republic from the US, you will need to deal with international taxes sooner or later. Although there is an agreement between the Czech Republic and the US preventing double taxation, if you own assets in the US and you potentially earn money here as well (Business Visa, Digital Nomad Visa, Employee Card, Blue Card) it is better to speak with a professional Tax Advisor.
Bank accounts
At the moment, most Czech banks require US citizens to already hold a valid visa or a residence permit to open a bank account in the Czech Republic.

7. Why work with Move To Prague?

We have assisted over a thousand of US clients with their relocation to the Czech Republic since 2012 and have a 99 % overall approval rate. The rest of our clients come from over 120 different countries so we can manage even complex relocation processes with different nationalities involved.
We offer flat-hunting services, visa management, relocation coordination, and post-arrival support which means we can take care of all your needs under one roof.
We provide an “Approved or Free” guarantee – if your application gets denied, we either refund you or help you submit a new application for free.

📩 Contact us today for a free consultation → let’s map out your move from the US to the Czech Republic.

8. Final thoughts

“Moving to the Czech Republic from the US” isn’t just a dream—it’s a feasible plan. With clarity, realistic planning, and expert support, you can make it happen. Whether you’re chasing a more relaxed life, a safer environment, or international career opportunity: Czechia can deliver.

Start this journey with confidence—contact us and we’ll handle the roadmap so you can focus on your new life.

MOVE TO PRAGUE – AMAZING EXPERIENCE. EVERY TIME.