LONG-TERM VISA TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC, RESIDENCE PERMIT AND PERMANENT RESIDENCE - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

Higher education in the Czech Republic is free of charge, as long as it is in the Czech language. Due to the availability of education, the number of students wishing to obtain a diploma in the Czech Republic has increased.

Submission of documents is several months in advance and is done by e-mail. Therefore, you should start preparing for a study visa to the Czech Republic in advance - optimally a year in advance. The Czech Republic is a wonderful country not only for studying, but also for living. Therefore, students from the CIS do not experience culture shock when moving and easily adapt to the new environment. Many students consider entering university as the first step to obtaining European citizenship.

If you are thinking about moving to the Czech Republic, it is very likely that you have already encountered new and sometimes incomprehensible terminology: visas, residence permits, residence permits and so on.

Let's look into this topic in more detail.

In this article, we will consider moving to the Czech Republic for the purpose of studying at university, as well as how after graduation you can stay to live in this country. In other cases, the procedure may be different.

Highlights

When studying informational articles and legal documents related to migration issues, it is often possible to meet the term "third-country nationals", which include citizens of the former USSR countries. You should not be frightened before the time that your home country in the Czech Republic is considered a "third world country". In fact, it is just a neutral term from the field of migration policy.

A third world citizen is a citizen of a country that is not a member of the European Union and is not a citizen of any of the following countries: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

The concept of "third world" was coined by French anthropologist and demographer Alfred Sauvy in 1952. It can be found in his article "Three Worlds, One Planet" in L'Observatour magazine in the August 14 issue of the same year.

Depending on your nationality determines the migration rules that will apply in your case.

There are only three grounds on which foreigners (in this case students and graduates of Czech universities) can live in the Czech Republic for longer than 3 months:

• Long-term visa (for stays longer than 90 days but up to 12 months);
• Residence permit (for stays longer than 3 months);
• Permanent residence (for permanent stay in the country, the document is issued for 10 years with the possibility of further extension).

Let's talk more about each type of document.

Long-term visa

If you want to study in the Czech Republic for more than 3 months, you will need a student visa to the Czech Republic. There are 2 types of visas: long-term visa and long-term residence permit for the purpose of study. There is no fundamental difference for a student between these documents. As mentioned above, a long-term visa is a permit to stay in the country for more than 90 days, but less than a year. You can get it only if you have a valid purpose for long-term stay in the country.

Anyone studying at a Czech university is eligible for this type of visa. Depending on your institution and program, you will receive a long-term visa, which will state the purpose of your visit as "study" or "other". Both types of long-term visas give you the right to reside in the country and require virtually the same set of documents.

As a rule, students of universities and language courses from universities live in the Czech Republic on a long-term visa with the purpose of visit "study". Students of accredited language courses study on a long-term visa with the purpose of visit "other".

The school provides confirmation of enrollment in the preparatory program and of the reservation of a place in the student residence for the entire period of study. The school sends the originals in Czech language by express mail to the student's home address.

The enrollment confirmation will include the dates of the language course, the name of the institution and the student's details.

Among the main advantages of the "other" visa is the possibility to legally work in parallel with studies. Staying on an "other" visa carries more weight when applying for a residence permit.

To obtain a long term visa you will need:

• A green application form;
• A passport valid for at least 3 months beyond the expiration date of the long-term visa;
• 1 photograph;
• Accommodation contract: this can be a contract with a hostel, with an apartment landlord or a proof of residence issued by the landlord or hostel;
• Confirmation of study from the university (when applying, indicate the period for which the confirmation of study was issued, this is the main document for obtaining a visa);
• Confirmation of the availability of funds on the account, the required amount of which is calculated according to a special formula, which is summarized as follows: (15*(subsistence minimum))+((number of months of residence - 1)*2*(subsistence minimum)).
• In 2022, it will be necessary to have an income of 12,861 kroner.
• Living wage amounts (in kroner, monthly): per person - 4,250,-Kč,
• Thus, a student who plans to live in the Czech Republic from 1.1.2023 to 30.06.2023 (6 months) needs to have the sum of (15*4250)+(5*2*4250)=106,250 CZK. If staying for one year: (15 * 4250) + (11 * 2 * 4250) = 63,750 + 93,500 = CZK 157,250.
• Comprehensive health insurance;
• Parental permission to travel (for students under 18 years of age);
• Certificate of no criminal record (original with wet stamp).

You can switch from visa to residence permit without leaving the Czech Republic if you plan to continue your studies (even if you want to change the educational institution). You can do this not earlier than 90 days and not later than 14 days before the visa expires.

Residence permit

This type of visa is also referred to as a "long-term stay" visa. It is very important to distinguish between a long-term visa and a residence permit.

For the first time, a residence permit is granted for one year. To extend it, it is necessary to apply to the police station with a corresponding application 15 days (or earlier) before the expiration date. The validity of the visa will be extended for another two years, provided that you have valid reasons for staying in the Czech Republic. After five years of residence in the country, you will be able to apply for permanent residence, and after ten years - full citizenship.

Long-term residence is intended for foreign students who intend to reside in the Czech Republic for more than 3 months. You cannot apply from your home country for a residence permit for the purpose of "other". This can only be done in the Czech Republic, after arrival on the basis of a long-term visa. If you are a university student, you can apply for both a long-term visa and a residence permit.

What is the difference between a residence permit and a long-term visa? First of all, a long-term residence permit is a separate document, namely a plastic card with your personal and biometric data (fingerprints). On the territory of the Czech Republic it is a document that certifies your identity. For traveling abroad, you must also have a passport.

A residence permit also gives you free access to the labor market for the whole period of its validity. Having a residence permit for the purpose of study is one of the requirements for the subsequent application for a work visa, which will be available to you after you graduate from a higher education institution in the Czech Republic.

When applying for a residence permit in the Czech Republic, you must enclose special postage stamps worth CZK 2,500 with your application form; you can buy them at the post office. If you are applying at home, you will just have to pay the fee at the Czech Consulate or Embassy.

"Kolky" translates to "postage stamps." They can be seen as proof of payment of the fee. Each stamp has its price written on it. You need to buy 2500 crowns worth of stamps, so you will be sold two stamps for 1000 crowns and one for 500 crowns.

The list of documents required to apply for a residence permit is otherwise the same as for a long-term visa.

Permanent residence (permanent residence)

In fact, for most foreigners, obtaining permanent residence in the Czech Republic is the ultimate goal. Most of them do not want to lose contact with their homeland. A permanent residence in the Czech Republic provides free movement in the Schengen area, plus as a citizen of your country you have the right to visa-free entry to the historical homeland and all countries with which the country of your citizenship has an agreement on visa-free travel. In the Czech Republic, your rights after obtaining a permanent residence permit are not much different from the rights of ordinary citizens of the Czech Republic.

Permanent residence permit for foreigners is issued after five years of continuous residence in the country. Time spent on business trips and vacations outside the country is not included in this period of time.

It is worth noting that long-term stay in the country for the purpose of study is counted only half, that is, a year of study you will be counted.

You can apply for a residence permit if you have lived in the country for at least five continuous years, you have not broken the law during your stay and you have the means to live in the Czech Republic.

Before you apply for a residence permit, you must have a stable monthly income, as this is what you will need to demonstrate to the Ministry of Interior. This can be either a salary or business income.

For one person, according to current data, the amount should not be lower than the following: 4250 (subsistence minimum) + 9001 (minimum housing costs) = CZK 13,251.

You must enclose a completed application form with your application. All documents submitted with the application form must be in Czech or translated into Czech and notarized.

The following documents are required for the application for a residence permit:

• A valid passport;
• A document proving that you have fulfilled the condition of five years of continuous temporary residence in the Czech Republic;
• 2 photographs;
• A document confirming the availability of housing in the Czech Republic;
• A document proving that you have money for living in the Czech Republic;
• Confirmation of passing the Czech language exam for permanent residence;
• Certificate of no criminal record.

The residence permit card is issued for 10 years. You can renew it for every 10 years thereafter. But it will be revoked if you stay outside the Czech Republic longer than six years and if you stay outside the EU longer than one year.

The residence permit will also be revoked if you provide false information or commit a criminal offense.

It is worth noting

It is important to remember that each of the types of long-term residence in the country (except for permanent residence) is based on a specific purpose of stay, and therefore it must be fulfilled during the entire period of authorization. That is, even if you have an approved residence permit until 31.08, but you were expelled from the university on 1.07, your residence permit may be revoked on the grounds that you are no longer studying and have no reason to stay in the country.

It is also very important to keep track of the validity of your visa and to request an extension in time. A long-term visa or residence permit can be extended at least 14 days before the expiration date. A later application can only be made in exceptional cases. Therefore, if you miss the deadline, it will mean a forced return to your country and the need to submit a new application through the Embassy of the Czech Republic.

All changes must be notified to the Department of Residence and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic (hereinafter referred to as "OAMP") in a timely manner. Change of residence must be notified within 30 days after the move. A change of surname, matrimonial status, change of data in the passport, new passport, new citizenship, change of data in the residence permit must be notified to OAMP within 3 working days. Failure to comply with this obligation does not directly jeopardize the validity of your residence permit, but you may receive a fine of up to CZK 3000.

You can change the purpose of your stay in the country.

There are, however, a number of restrictions. For example, you cannot change your residence permit for study purposes to a residence permit for business purposes before you have lived in the country for 5 years. But if you apply for a nine-month visa for the purpose of finding a job after graduating from a university in the Czech Republic, then after the expiration of its validity you can apply for a business visa, even if you have not lived in the country for 5 years. There are many nuances, so we recommend consulting a good lawyer when changing your purpose of stay.

There are a lot of nuances to moving to the Czech Republic, which should be taken into account. Before moving, it is worth studying the legal side of the issue very carefully, so that by ignorance not to get into trouble.

You can prepare to enter a Czech university with minimal expenses and get a residence permit after arriving in the Czech Republic after taking Prague Education Center preparatory courses. At our school, students can not only prepare according to proven programs, but also assemble a preparatory course like a designer, customizing the program to suit themselves. Choose the best course and move to the Czech Republic to enroll in the university of your dreams.