All about Visa

To help you with the visa process, we created this guide for you. Please note that all the official information regarding visas/permits, residency and legal obligations of foreigners in Czechia can be found on the official web portal of the Ministry of the Interior and you should refer to it as well. The portal provides information about how to extend a residence or report changes, and it allows you to book an appointment at the Ministry of the Interior. It also contains a special “Forms and Documents” section with the printable version of various documents.

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Jump down directly to visa step by step

EU and EFTA nationals

If you are a citizen of an EU or an EFTA country (+ Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein) you do not need to apply for a visa. It is enough for you to register with the Czech Immigration Police within 30 days of your arrival (this is a legal requirement). How to do it? See here!

You are also entitled (but not obliged) to apply for a Temporary Residence Permit (a card stating your address in Czechia). For further information, please see the Ministry of the Interior official website.

Non-EU nationals

Please note that the information below are general and may vary depending on your country of citizenship. Always make sure to check what applies to you.

The responsibility for obtaining the legal stay is up to each student. At the International Office, we are happy to help where we can, but please note that our options are limited and you need to apply for the visa/permit yourself. We have no influence over the approval process and the Ministry of the Interior will not give us updates on individual students’ cases.

Visa for non-EU nationals

Unfortunately, the length of the process may vary depending on the country where you apply for the visa/permit. We want to give our students a realistic idea of the actual process timeline and heed this information while considering the application deadlines. Each country’s institutions may also take different amount of time to issue the required documents. However, most of our students end up going through the process smoothly and arrive in Prague on time. Don’t be intimidated by the process! Our guide will help you be as prepared as possible.

What to consider for realistic time estimate?

Collecting the application documents: read the list below carefully. Each country’s institutions may take different amount of time to issue the required documents and you likely already have a good idea about how fast or slow they usually are. You will have to obtain documents like a criminal record, etc., which may take several weeks. Add time if you have lived in multiple countries and will need to get criminal records from there as well.
Authentication and translation of the application documents: Add time to have the documents properly translated and authenticated (with an Apostille or superlegalization). Specifically, the superlegalization may take weeks to obtain.
Getting an embassy appointment: This depends greatly on how busy the embassy is and how many embassies there are in your country. Please be aware that for some embassies, the waiting time for the appointment can stretch for several weeks or even longer.
Evaluation period: The official evaluation period is 60 days; however, it may take up to 10 weeks for you to receive the decision.

Note for Russian and Belarussian passport holders: Please be aware that in accordance with a Government Decree, Czech republic currently does not issue new student visas/permits for the citizens of Russian Federation. This includes dual passport holders where one of the passports is Russian. Limited visa services are also provided to Belarussian citizens. You can read more on MFA website. If you are a Russian citizen and already have a visa/permit to stay in Czechia, you are allowed to extend it for your new study at FSV UK.

Visa step by step

STEP 1: Start working on your application as soon as possible
Since processing time can be lengthy, make sure you apply sufficiently in advance!

All students from non-EU or non-EFTA countries who wish to stay in Czechia for more than 90 days need a student visa/residence permit. This includes students from EU candidate countries, and from countries whose citizens can enter Czechia visa-free as a tourist (e.g. the US). In most cases, it also includes foreign nationals who are currently residing in another EU country.

Our tip: Read up on the process. Start collecting your documents as soon as you can, so when you get your Application appointment, everything is ready and properly translated and authenticated. We recommend using the time before our University issues documents (Acceptance letter and Accommodation contract) to collect all the other documents and preparing your application, so that you can submit it as soon as the University documents arrive! See step 5 for overview of what you need.

Our tip #2: Find out if your passport allows you to enter Czechia visa-free as a tourist for up to 90 days on this list.: STEP 2: Choose the type of legal stay to apply for
There are two possible types of legal stay you may obtain. Both of these are issued for a study stay in Czechia longer than 3 months, and both allow movement within the Schengen area.
Our tip: We recommend applying for a Long-term Residence Permit if you intend to stay in Czechia for longer than one year.

LONG-TERM VISA (Long-stay Visa for the Purpose of Study; “Dlouhodobé vízum za účelem studia”) – D/VC multiple entry visa

Primarily intended for a study stay lasting several months

Validity: Maximum of one year, usually issued for several months

After approval: Can only be collected at the same embassy where you applied

After expiration: Cannot be directly extended, we usually recommend switching to a residence permit once the visa expires

Access to job market: yes, as long as your study remains a primary priority

Process: After arrival, you have to register at the Foreign Police Office (see step 8). After that, you can leave the country and return to it as you please.

LONG-TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT for the Purpose of Study (“Povolení k dlouhodobému pobytu za účelem studia”) – D/VR single entry visa followed by a residence permit

Primarily intended for a longer study stay, like a degree program

Process: You receive a single entry visa to arrive in Czechia. After that, you visit the MOI to register and receive your biometric residence permit card. With it, you can leave the country and return to it as you please, but you cannot leave the country until your residence permit card is issued!

After approval: If you cannot enter Czechia visa-free, collect the single entry visa at the embassy where you applied. If you can enter Czechia visa-free for 90 days, you can collect the residence permit directly in Prague at the MOI (you must let the embassy know in advance when submitting the application).

Validity: 1 year, extensions usually for 1 year

After expiration: Can be extended for another year

Access to job market: yes, as long as your study remains a primary priority: STEP 3: Find the right visa/permit issuing consulate to apply at
You can apply at:

The Czech Embassy or Consulate in the country of your citizenship/passport (or a nearby country, as Czech Consulates are not located in all countries of the world).

A Czech Embassy or Consulate in a non-EU country where you have been legally residing continuously for at least 2 years and have their residence permit (NOT a long-term visa)

If you have been residing at an EU country and have their residence permit for the purpose of study (NOT a long-term visa):
=> Long-term Visa application must be submitted only at the Dresden Visa centre (this Visa centre provides services for the Schengen area)
=> Long-term Residence Permit application can be submitted at the MOI in Prague (BUT! Does NOT apply if your EU study residence permit was issued in Ireland or Denmark)

If you are a citizen of a country on this list, you can apply at any Czech Embassy around the world (in the Schengen area, this must be done at the Dresden Visa centre)

Not all the Consulates can issue a visa, so check that before you apply at the list of Czech diplomatic missions and their territorial districts to find the right one for your situation.

NOTE for Ukrainian citizens: If you are applying for a visa/permit for the purpose of study, the Embassy in Lvov allows you to mail in your application (you need to attach a request to waive the in-person submission) or have it submitted by another person with a power of attorney. Please read more here.

The Faculty of Social Sciences cannot and will not register students from non-EU/non-EFTA countries who do not have a student visa/residence permit, even if they are able to enter the country without a visa as a tourist.: STEP 4: Request an appointment at the consulate
Read the website of your specific Consulate to find out how to set an appointment. During the appointment, you will submit your application. Therefore, make sure to have all your documents collected and ready when your appointment time comes.

Some countries enable the applicants to be entered in a “Student Mode,” which should speed up the process and prioritize the student’s appointment. You can find out if your country allows this here. If yes, email us at degreeprograms@fsv.cuni.cz and we will enter you in the Student Mode. Once you are entered, the embassy should contact you within 2 weeks to offer an appointment.

Note: The Student Mode is limited only for applicants who have graduated no more than 3 years prior.: STEP 5: Receive the confirmation documents from the faculty and complete your application
What you will need to apply for a student visa or residence permit:

Note: All documents (with the exception of travel documents, registry data, and photographs) must be no more than 180 days old, and all foreign-language documents must be translated into Czech and the translation notarized.

Completed Application Form. Forms are available at every Czech embassy/consulate, and in pdf on the websites of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs: long-stay visa, residence permit

A valid travel document, generally your passport, with the date of expiry extending at least three months beyond the date of your projected departure from Czechia

A document confirming the purpose of your stay in Czechia (Letter of acceptance supplied by the Faculty of Social Sciences)

A document containing the specific address where you will be living in Czechia (supplied by the Faculty of Social Sciences)

Evidence of financial support. For further details, please visit the Ministry of the Interior website.

Evidence of health insurance – read more about health insurance here. In most cases, the consulate will not require health insurance to be finalised at the time of your initial visa/residence permit application, but they will insist you have valid insurance before they affix the visa/residence permit in your passport. The following documents will be required: insurance agreement, including details of the insurance that has been arranged (either as part of the basic insurance agreement, or as a separate document), plus proof that the insurance has been paid (your receipt). All insurance documents must be in Czech or accompanied by a Czech translation.

2 passport photographs

A confirmation from the authorities in your home country that you do not have a criminal record, including a Czech translation. In addition, if you have resided in a third country for a continuous period of more than six months at any time within the last three years, you will also be required to provide evidence regarding your lack of a criminal record from this third country.

Our tip: We will send the University issued documents to the delivery address used in your application. Make sure it’s correct – if it’s not, email us the right address at degreeprograms@fsv.cuni.cz

Our tip #2: Insufficient proof of money is one of the most common reasons for rejected visas, so be careful to have the right amount in your bank account! Read the MOI’s website thoroughly and follow the directions carefully!: STEP 6: Arrange your health insurance
The Foreign Nationals Residence Act stipulates that if you are entering the Czech Republic for a stay longer than 90 days, you are obligated to have travel insurance covering comprehensive health care upon arrival.

Foreigners can choose any insurance company that offers comprehensive health care. The most popular insurance providers in the Czech Republic are PVZP, AXA, Slavia, Uniqa, ALLIANZ and others. We recommend carefuly reading the terms of your selected insurance, to ensure it includes the services you may need based on your individual medical needs, as well as all key services such as dental care, gynecological examinations, psychological assistance, etc.

You must submit the document on travel medical insurance before the visa is indicated in your passport. Mostly, embassies don’t ask you to buy your insurance for the application, but when your visa gets approved, you have to buy insurance and bring it with you for when you collect it. You can choose either

Comprehensive health insurance for the entire period of your stay.

Insurance covering the necessary and urgent care for the first 90 days and a comprehensive health insurance covering the remaining period of stay

Charles University is now partnered with PVZP to offer a discount on one of their comprehensive insurance packages, the Foreigners Comprehensive Medical Insurance EXCLUSIVE. You can enroll online via a unique LINK for a 20% student discount on standard rates or via PVZP sales representatives for students over 30 or with pre-existing conditions.

More information is available on the CUNI website.

This offer is non-exclusive, so you can of course choose another option from PVZP or a different provider that meets the visa requirements and may better suit your needs.: STEP 7: Receive the decision and pick up your visa
You can follow the status of your application online, or set up a status tracker with automatic notifications. After 60-90 days, you should receive the decision and be asked to pick up your visa at the Consulate where you applied. In case there is any issue or discrepancy in your visa, you will be asked to mend it. If you can enter Czechia visa-free (as a tourist) and you applied for a residence permit, you can also collect it in Prague at the MOI. You have to mention this in advance when submitting your application.: STEP 8: Registration after Arrival
After you arrive, your next steps depend on your type of legal stay either at the Foreign Police Office (long-term visa holders) or at the MOI (long-term residence permit holders). You can read the full information on how and where to do this here.