Visa Renewals

As a current student, you likely have one of the two types of legal stay in Czechia:
1) Long-term study visa
2) Long-term residence permit for study purposes

You can apply for either of those permit types here in Prague. Both applications have to be filed at the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) offices according to your place of residence or at the special MOI office designated for university students only.

If you are a citizen of a country which is exempt from a tourist visa requirement, you can stay for another 90 days on the territory of the Czech Republic or any other Schengen country after the current visa expires. The list of countries whose citizens this regulation applies to is available at Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Otherwise, make sure to apply before your current visa/permit expires! If it does, you will have to reapply from the beginning in your country of origin. 

If your previous visa expires and your new visa is not ready yet, you will be able to still legally remain in Czechia without issues, based on the "pending application".

In case you need to travel out of the country while your new visa application is processed, ask for a "bridging label" during your application appointment. The Ministry officer will give you a passport label to indicate your application is in process and you will be able to return to Czechia without issues. 

1) if you have Long-term visa

  • The first long-term visa is issued for 6 months
  • This visa cannot be extended as a long-term visa; you will need to reply for a long-term residence permit
  • Submit your application no more than 90 day and no less than 14 days before expiration of your visa
  • Your first residence permit can be issued for maximum 1 year

2) if you have long-term residence permit

  • You can apply for extension repeatedly, the maximum length is 2 years.
  • Apply no earlier than 120 days and no later than 0 days before the expiration of your permit
  • You will not need to give your biometric data again

1) First time residence permit after long-term visa

You will need: 

  • Completed Application Form
  • A valid travel document (generally your passport)
  • A document confirming the purpose of your stay in Czechia (Confirmation of your student status supplied by the International Office)
  • Proof of Accommodation (for students staying in the dormitory this document can be supplied by Accommodation Offices upon request. Students living in private housing must submit an official form Proof of accommodation form which needs to be filled in and signed by the landlord of the apartment in which they live. Landlord’s signature must be certified.)
  • Evidence of sufficient funds (For details please visit the Ministry of the Interior website.)
  • Evidence of comprehensive health insurance -  Insurance must be provided by an insurance company that is authorized to provide its services in the Czech Republic. 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.

If your residence permit is granted, you will be issued with a residence card carrying biometric data (face depiction and fingerprints).

You will be invited by the Ministry of Interior to provide biometric data at one of its branches within three days after the permit is granted. When the card is ready for pick up, you will get a notification to collect it.
There is a fee for issuing the residency card. You can read more about the fee and the biometric data here.

You can check the status of your residence permit application online at the Ministry of Interior website.

2) Residence permit extension

You will need:

  • Completed Application Form
  • A valid travel document (generally your passport)
  • 2 photographs
  • A document confirming the purpose of your stay in the Czech Republic (Confirmation of your student status supplied by the International Office)
  • Evidence of sufficient funds to cover your stay in the Czech Republic, e.g. a bank statement, or any other document demonstrating your financial situation (for example the Decision from the Ministry of Education regarding awarding the scholarship). If the documents are issued in other languages than in Czech, then they have to be translated. There is a specific amount that must be satisfied for proof of finance. Applicants may be asked to submit a copy of their valid banking card.
  • Proof of accommodation in the Czech Republic, for students staying in the dormitory this document can be supplied by the International Office upon request. Students living in private housing must submit an official form Proof of accommodation form which needs to be filled in and signed by the landlord of the apartment in which they live. Landlord’s signature must be certified.
  • Evidence of comprehensive health care insurance coverage; a document on having paid the insurance premium may be requested. Insurance must be provided by an insurance company that is authorized to provide its services in the Czech Republic.

 

MOI OPENING HOURS

MOI OPENING HOURS

On this website, you can find the available MOI offices in Prague including their opening hours and reservation portals to make an appointment. 

Prior telephone reservation is necessary in order to get an appointment (+420 974 820 680). You can also email to pobyty.hladkov@mvcr.cz or make a reservation on this website: https://frs.gov.cz/en/

 

WEB INFORMATION PORTAL FOR FOREIGNERS

All the important information regarding visas, residency and legal obligations of foreigners in the Czech Republic can be found on the official web portal of The Czech Ministry of the Interior. The portal provides information about how to extend a residence, report changes, it allows to book an appointment at the Ministry of the Interior and has special “Forms and Documents” section with the printable version of various documents.