Visa & residence guide
Your Czech visa, step by step
Which route you take depends on two things: how long you are staying, and whether you are already in Czechia. Find yours below — insurance is required on all three, and that part we handle for you.
Which one is you?
Over 90 days · applying from abroad
See your routeYour route
Long-term visa — over 90 days, applying from abroad
You are still in your home country and plan to study, work or live in Czechia for more than 90 days.
- 01
Check which visa fits your purpose
Study, work, family reunification and business each have their own document list. The Ministry's official guides set out exactly what yours needs.
Official application guides - 02
Book your embassy appointment early
ImportantYou apply in person at the Czech embassy or visa centre in your own country — not in Czechia. Slots are often booked weeks ahead, so start here rather than last.
- 03
Fill in the form and gather your documents
The long-term visa form is below. You will also need your passport, proof of your purpose of stay, accommodation, sufficient funds, and photographs. The application fee is EUR 105 (CZK 2,500) and is required to start the application.
- 04
Submit in person, then track it
Hand everything in at your appointment. You can follow the decision online using your application number.
Check your application status - 05
Once approved, arrange your comprehensive insurance
ImportantComprehensive cover is needed after the visa is granted, not at submission — you must have it before the visa is issued to you. The legal minimum is EUR 400,000 with no co-payment, and we issue the policy within 30 minutes.
Get your insurance
How much insurance cover you need
Over 90 days
EUR 400,000
~CZK 10,000,000
90 days or less
EUR 30,000
Schengen
For stays over 90 days, comprehensive insurance must cover at least EUR 400,000 (~CZK 10,000,000) per insured event, with no co-payment from the insured person — this is the legal minimum for comprehensive health insurance on a long-term visa or residence permit for stays over 90 days. For short stays of 90 days or less, the Schengen minimum is EUR 30,000.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic ↗Official application forms
Published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Always check the ministry website for the current version before you submit.
Long-term visa application form
For a long-term (D) visa, submitted at a Czech embassy or consulate abroad for stays over 90 days.
Long-term residence permit application form
For applying for or extending a long-term residence permit once you are already in the Czech Republic.
Schengen short-stay visa application form
The harmonised EU form for visits of up to 90 days — tourism, family visits or business trips.
Ask a question
We answer from our own guide first. If it isn't covered there, our AI assistant answers instead — and tells you when it doesn't know.
General information, not legal advice. It never replaces the Ministry's official guidance. Talk to us
Not sure which route is yours?
Tell us how long you are staying and where you are now, and we will tell you which one applies — and sort the insurance while you are at it.
Immigration rules change, and this page is a guide rather than legal advice. Every link here goes to an official Czech government source — check those before you submit, and message us if anything is unclear.