Permanent Residence Czech Republic

Permanent residence permit is the main goal for all foreigners living (and planning to stay) in the Czech Republic for long term. It can be a tricky thing to do on your own though, especially since Czech authorities usually do not speak much English and every person you encounter gives you different information. So we have written this article to explain who qualifies for the permanent residency, where and how to apply for it and also what are the general benefits of holding the Czech Permanent Residence Permit. Both for EU and non-EU citizens.

PLEASE MIND THAT THE MINIMUM REQUIRED INCOME HAS INCREASED FROM 1.4.2022! AND AGAIN FROM 1.7.2022. AND AGAIN FROM 1.11.2022. AND AGAIN FROM 1.1.2023. GET IN TOUCH FOR MORE DETAILS. 

Let's start with the easier situation:

Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic for EU citizens and their family members

Citizens of other EU countries do not officially need any residence permit to live, study, work or run business in the Czech Republic. Their only duty is to register themselves with the Foreign Police within 30 days after their arrival.

If they want/need though, they can apply for a Temporary Residence Certificate. Family members of EU citizens who are not EU citizens themselves, must apply for a Temporary Residence Permit for a Family Member of an EU citizen.

If they live here long enough and they are interested in that, they can also apply for Permanent Residence in the Czech Republic.

The following criteria must be met if an EU citizen wants to get the Permanent Residence in the Czech Republic:

• 5 years of residing in the Czech Republic (this is the most common way) or
• 2 years of residing in the Czech Republic if you have been a family member of a Czech citizen or another EU citizen with granted Permanent Residency in the Czech Republic, for at least one year.

To explain the option Nr. 2 - let's say, you are Italian and you have a German wife. If your wife already holds a Permanent Residence in the Czech Republic and you have been together for at least a year, you can apply for your Permanent Residence Permit after two years of residing in the Czech Republic (instead of "standard" five years). If your wife though does not have the Permanent Residency yet, you will still need to wait for five years to qualify (or for her to get her Permanent Residence).

Please Contact us if the above needs some more clarification.

What documents are required for a Czech Permanent Residence of an EU citizen?

The following documents will be required for the Permanent Residence application of an EU citizen and/or his family member.

• application form
• passport
• 1 passport sized photograph
• proof of you residing in the Czech Republic for at least five years
• proof of accommodation

Family member of an EU citizen would also need to prove the following:

• that he/she is a family member of an EU citizen
• that he has been a family member of an EU citizen for at least one year

The application for the Permanent Residence Permit must be submitted at the MOI branch responsible for the place of your residence. For addresses, opening hours, etc. please visit the website of the Ministry of the Interior.

Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic for non-EU citizens

There are several ways of obtaining the permanent residence permit as a citizen of non-EU country (i.e. kids born in the Czech Republic, people with Czech origins, EU Bue Card holders, etc.) but we are focusing on the most common case - gaining the Permanent Residence Permit after five years of a continuous stay in the Czech Republic.

Obtaining the Czech Permanent Residence Permit is a bit more complicated for foreigners who are not EU citizens or their family members. The main difference is that citizens of non-EU countries must (besides the above mentioned documents) pass a Czech language exam.

What documents are required for a Czech Permanent Residence of a non-EU citizen?

The following documents will be required for the Permanent Residence application of a citizen of a non-EU country:

• application form
• passport
• 1 passport sized photograph
• proof of you residing in the Czech Republic for at least five years
• proof of accommodation
• proof of sufficient income
• Czech language exam

Additionaly:

• Criminal Background Check

The application must be submitted at the MOI branch responsible for the place of your residence. Please see details in the EU section above.

There are couple couple important topics that we will cover in some following blog posts, i.e.:

• what is the required monthly income
• how and where to pass the language exam
• what is the level of Czech required
• what is counted into the 5 years of continuous stay (are holidays counted?, etc.)

Until we cover these topics, fill in the form on this page or go to the general Contacts and book a free consultation with us. We have worked with couple thousand clients since we started Move To Prague back in 2012 and we'll be happy to help you as well 😊 Get your permanent residence permit with us!

Move To Prague relocation services - your experts in Permanent Residence applications