Czech citizenship is a legally recognized, unlimited in time legal connection of a person with the state. This status is equivalent to EU citizenship , since the republic is a member of the European Union.
A Czech passport is an identity document that proves that it belongs to the Czech state. The document ranks 24th in the ranking of the best passports in the world in terms of accessibility (visa-free travel with 186 countries). Citizens of the republic can freely travel, work, study and undergo treatment throughout the European Union, in accordance with the provisions of Directive 2004/38/EC .
How to get a Czech passport
The legislation of the republic does not provide for many ways to obtain a passport, so it is important to strictly follow all legal norms so as not to miss the opportunity. Civil status is assigned by birth, by declaration – upon loss of Czech or Czechoslovak citizenship, and also through naturalization – after 3-5 years of residence in the country on the basis of permanent residence.
According to the Law on Citizenship , the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic (CR) can refuse to issue a passport to foreigners who pose a potential threat to the security of the country, have visa violations, outstanding criminal records and are not integrated into society through employment or family ties.
The application is canceled without the right of appeal if the police or intelligence service suspects the applicant of intentional or unintentional actions contrary to the interests of the country. Therefore, it is advisable for persons immigrating to the Czech Republic to enlist the support of professional lawyers with a good reputation in order to avoid critical mistakes.
Obtaining Czech citizenship by naturalization
Naturalization is a step-by-step process for acquiring a passport, available to all foreigners who have legally resided in the country for a long time. For Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians who do not have Czech roots, the standard path to citizenship consists of the following steps:
- Choice of base.
The main condition necessary for successful naturalization is the presence of a specific purpose for being in the country. The Law on the Residence of Foreigners describes the following grounds: employment, marriage, family reunification, business, education, investment and scientific activity. - Opening a visa.
Citizens of non-EU countries who plan to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days with subsequent approval of a residence permit apply for a long-term travel document – a national visa category D. - Obtaining a residence permit.
Persons who do not change the purpose of their stay under a valid permit can apply to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or a representative body of the Czech Republic to purchase a long-term residence permit. - Registration of permanent residence.
Continuous residence in the territory of the state for at least 5 years on the basis of a D visa or residence permit gives the right to obtain a permanent residence permit. - Entry into citizenship.
Persons who have continuously stayed in the country for at least 3 years (EU residents) or 5 years (emigrants from third countries) can apply for Czech citizenship subject to successful social integration and passing a language proficiency test.
Job
A permit for legal residence in the Czech Republic can be issued as part of labor immigration – upon concluding a contract of a foreign specialist with a Czech employer for a period of 3 months. Mandatory conditions: work output – more than 15 hours per week, monetary remuneration – not lower than the minimum wage (655 EUR as of 2022). After obtaining a visa and moving, the foreigner applies for a plastic employee card (residence permit). After 5 years of declared activity on the territory of the state, a labor immigrant receives permanent residence, and after another 5 years of living as a permanent resident, he can apply for citizenship.
Marriage
For spouses and registered partners of citizens of the Czech Republic, privileged conditions are provided for the acquisition of residence status and citizenship. This category of foreigners has the right to apply for a residence permit with a maximum validity period of 3 years. After 24 months of continuous residence in the country, the spouse can request permanent residence, and after another 1 year – a passport. The authenticity of the marital relationship is verified by the Aliens Police. An attempt to obtain a second citizenship through a fictitious marriage may result in deportation or criminal liability if such an offense is discovered.
Family reunification
Spouses, children under 21 years of age, as well as dependents of persons staying in the Czech Republic legally can legalize long-term stay in the state. A foreigner receives a residence permit for 1–2 years immediately if he unites with a resident of the republic who has been living on its territory for at least 15 months or six months if he has a work card.
In all other cases, the relative applies for a long-term visa, and after moving, applies for a residence permit in the Czech Republic for the purpose of living together as a family. The document can be renewed for 5 years until the foreigner acquires an indefinite permanent residence card. Permanent residence for 5 years provides access to the naturalization procedure.
Business immigration
Individual entrepreneurs, as well as participants in business companies and partnerships, apply for a national visa based on the company’s registration data. In case of successful commercial activity in the Czech Republic lasting more than 90 days, a long-term residence permit for the purpose of entrepreneurship is approved. A business immigrant can apply for citizenship on a general basis, after 5 years of residence in the state with permanent residence status.
Education
Students enrolled in a course at a Czech educational institution submit information about admission, financial security and availability of a specific place of residence to the representative body of the Czech Republic. If the duration of the planned stay exceeds 1 year, the applicant may request a long-term residence permit for the purpose of study within 120 days before the expiration of the D visa. When naturalizing, only half of the foreigner’s stay under a student residence permit is taken into account. A graduate of an educational institution who wishes to obtain Czech citizenship applies for another type of residence permit (work, business) and acquires status in the standard manner established for the stated purpose.
Buying a property
The legislation of the Czech Republic allows the issuance of a residence permit to a partner or owner of a share in a Czech business corporation who intends to make significant investments in real estate or other assets of the company. The permit is issued on the condition that the sponsor and the funded organization do not have administrative debts or tax violations.
A foreigner who wants to become an investor draws up a business plan of business intent, which clearly describes the scheme and schedule of investments, stages of construction and technical parameters of the building. If the property has already been purchased, a sales contract and an expert opinion on the price of the property should be prepared.
All materials not older than 180 days are submitted at the embassy or directly to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic, which issues a long-term residence permit for the purpose of investment. After 5 years of continuous stay in the country, the investor receives permanent residence, and after another 5 years – citizenship.
Research activities
Persons who have entered into an agreement with a research organization and plan to stay in the state for more than 90 days for scientific purposes may apply for a national visa. All costs of accommodation, registration and relocation of the employee to the Czech Republic are borne by the receiving party.
Upon completion of research activities, a foreigner has the right to request a residence permit for the purpose of finding a job or starting a business. This type of permit is issued for a period of 9 months without the right of extension. In the future, you can apply for citizenship according to the standard naturalization scheme, after 10 years of cumulative residence in the territory of the state in the status of residence permit and permanent residence.
The grounds for legal residence in the territory of the Czech Republic can also be long-term treatment and refugee. The legislation also describes special conditions for acquiring citizenship – for outstanding services to the Czech Republic in the field of science, sports, culture or education. This paragraph is executed at the personal order of the President.
Naturalization is a rather complex and lengthy process of obtaining citizenship. It is much safer and faster to obtain a Czech passport upon repatriation. Thus, persons who are direct descendants (children, grandchildren) of former citizens of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic acquire the right to obtain citizenship according to a simplified scheme, provided there is documentary evidence of this relationship.
Refusal to obtain Czech citizenship
The reasons for refusal to grant civil status to the Czech Republic are the following offenses:
- outstanding convictions;
- tax and administrative debts;
- visa violation;
- illegal employment;
- illegal stay on the territory of the state;
- submission of false, inaccurate or incomplete information.
There is no legal right to acquire citizenship in the Czech Republic – this thesis is spelled out in the legislation of the republic. This effectively means that the government is not required to grant citizenship status to foreigners. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the long naturalization process will be successful, even if all legal requirements are met. The applicant must prove not only the legality of his application, but also the fact of integration into Czech society.
The Czech Republic is a great country for immigration
The Czech Republic is a very popular country among Russian-speaking immigrants. According to statistics, it is Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians who most often move to the country for permanent residence. The republic occupies 28th position in the ranking of the best countries in the world in terms of living standards and attracts immigrants with access to social, medical and free educational services of European quality. Foreigners also appreciate the Czech Republic for its beauty, comfort, picturesque landscape and special flavor.
Moving to the Czech Republic by naturalization is an opportunity to integrate into European society for foreigners of any nationality. Students, professionals, entrepreneurs and scientists planning legal activities on the territory of the state can obtain EU residency through immigration to the Czech Republic. There is no possibility of obtaining dual citizenship in the country, since at the moment there are no corresponding bilateral agreements with other states. At the same time, the law allows the preservation of the previous passport, so the foreigner has the opportunity to acquire a second citizenship.
Obtaining a passport through naturalization is a rather difficult process for persons who do not have experience in this area. Independent registration is associated with a high risk of refusal by representative bodies. It is much safer to use the services of immigration lawyers who will provide professional legal support at every stage of naturalization, from preparing a dossier to approving civil status.