Great news! After a year of closed borders, the Czech Republic will start accepting tourists again! That also means that all of you who have been waiting to move here, have the chance now. We strongly recommend using this opportunity since the borders will most likely close again in Autumn 2021 with another COVID wave coming.
What visa options are available in the Czech Republic?
If you want to move to the Czech Republic for longer than 90 days, you must apply for a long-term visa or long-term residence permit. Either of those must have some official purpose of stay. We are listing all the official purposes of stay given by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic below.
Business Visa
People call it different names such as zivno visa, freelance visa, self-employed visa but all those names refer to the same thing – a long-term visa where the purpose of your stay is to earn money as a freelancer or a business owner. This option is most suitable for English Teachers but we have done other cases as well – software developers, architects, marketing speacialists, online store owners, travel agents, tour guides, a model, a tattoo artist and some other professions.
If you want to read more about this topic, go to our article here: https://movetoprague.com/zivno-visa-czech-republic/.
Family Reunification Visa
If you are the main applicant (either applying for your visa or already holding one), you can kind of easily bring your spouse or children with you, under the long-term visa with the Family Reunification purpose of stay.
We describe this option in details in our article here: https://movetoprague.com/family-reunification-visa.
Employee Card (employment type of visa)
This is a great option for you since everything (big part of the immigration process, your social security, health insurance, income tax etc.) is taken care of by your Czech employer. The only downside is that you need to find an employer willing to help you with everything.
We describe this process in our article here: https://movetoprague.com/employee-card-everything-you-need-to-know/.
Student Visa
If you want to study an acreditted program of some Czech University, you can apply for a Student Visa. The student Visa is one of the most mystical types of visa there is. On one hand, students get so many exceptions and so many processes are way easier for them than for any other applicants. We have seen really badly prepared application (that badly that they would never work for any other purpose of stay) being approved.
On the other hand, there are so many different rules (starting from the definition of studies to big differences between paid and unpaind internships to free entry to the labour market, Albright Programs etc.) that the student visa application can easily become one of the most confusing and complicated of all.
We describe this process in our article here: https://movetoprague.com/czech-republic-student-visa/.
Job Seeker Visa
Unfortunately, Job Seeker Visa in the Czech Republic does not work the same way as in other EU countries. This type of visa is not meant for people who want to come to the Czech Republic to look for a job, but only for student who are graduating from a Czech University and plan on extending their stay in CZE.
We describe this type of visa here: https://movetoprague.com/job-seeker-visa-czech-republic/
Cultural Visa
This is meant for artist which have been offered a job by some official Czech cultural institution such as the National Theatre, National Ballet etc. We have mainly worked with Opera singers on getting this type visas.
Other Visa
If you do not fall under any other category mentined above, you can apply for so called “Other” purpose of stay. That basically means that you have to convince the MOI that your purpose of stay is good enough for them to grant you with a visa. We mainly use this option for students of non-acreditted courses and programs (i.e. private or language schools). It used to be a way for retired people as well but that is no longer possible.
If you have any questions, contact us – it is super easy (forms everywhere on the website, chat on the right, e-mail, phone, Facebook, Instagram, …), we react fast and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have! Get in touch and finally Move To Prague 🙂
