Entering the Czech Republic, duties, length of stay

 Česky

Conditions of entry and basic requirements after entry to the Czech Republic

The fundamental principle for the functioning of the Schengen Area is being able to cross internal borders at any place without conduction of a border check, regardless of citizenship. Border checks are conducted only on the external Schengen borders. Given the location of the Czech Republic, whose neighbouring states are all Schengen states, its external borders exist only at international airports (airports with flights arriving from countries lying outside the Schengen Area). 

Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016, on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code) lays down the following conditions to third country nationals for entry to the Schengen Area (crossing external borders). Such persons must:

• have a valid travel document authorising the holder to cross borders which meets these criteria:

  • is valid for at least three months after the anticipated date of departure from the territory of member states, and

  • was issued at some time during the preceding ten years;

• have a valid short-term visa, if required, or a valid long-term or permanent residence card or a valid long-term visa;

• declare the purpose and conditions of their intended stay;

• have guaranteed sufficient funds for living expenses both for the duration of their intended stay, and for their return to their country of origin or for passage to a third country  which guarantees to accept them, or else they are capable of legally acquiring such funds;

• not be persons appearing in the Schengen information system (SIS II) as persons to be denied entry;

• not be considered a threat to public order, internal security, public health or international relations of any of member state; especially not persons who, according to the internal member state database, should be denied entry for the same grounds;
   

You can find detailed information concerning the conditions for entry to and short-term stay in the territory of the Schengen Area in the Schengen Borders Code.
 

Further information relating to border checks

The obligation of possessing of a travel document does not apply to a third country national under the age of 15 whose name appears in the travel document of another person with whom he is travelling.

The travel document of third country nationals, apart from exceptional cases, must be stamped with an entry / exit stamp upon entering and leaving the Schengen Area. It is a good idea to check if your travel document has been stamped.
 

What constitute sufficient funds is stipulated in Section 13 of Act No. 326/1999 Coll. and varies according to length of stay. Third country nationals are obliged to prove funds totalling:

• 0.5 times the existential minimum per 1 day of stay (the existential minimum is currently CZK 2,490) as stipulated in Section 5(1) of Act No. 110/2006 Coll., on the living and existential minimum, if the intended length of stay does not exceed 30 days,

• 15 times the existential minimum, if the intended length of stay exceeds 30 days, and this amount shall increase by twice the existential minimum for each whole month of intended stay,

• 50 times the existential minimum  if the purpose of your stay is business and your intended stay exceeds 90 days, or

• present a document confirming payment of services connected with the third country national’s stay, or a document confirming that such services shall be provided free of charge.
   

Third country nationals’ obligations after entering the territory of the Czech Republic

Third country nationals are obliged to register their accommodation address in the Czech Republic with the nearest foreign police department within 3 working days of entering the Czech Republic (see below for exceptions). If you have arrived in the Czech Republic to pick up a long-term or permanent residence card, you may also perform your obligation of registration at an MoI office, where you may also perform your obligation to provide biometric data. When performing his/her obligations, the third country national must present a valid travel document and a completed registration form (available at the office). In the course of performance of registration obligations, the police is entitled to demand presentation of a travel insurance certificate. More information here.

The obligation to register their accommodation address with the police does not apply to a third country national who has already satisfied this obligation via his / her accommodator. The obligation of registration also does not apply to persons under the age of 15, to the personnel of the embassy or consulate of a foreign state or of an international government organisation accredited in the Czech Republic, to their family members as registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or to a third country national for whom the Ministry of the Interior is providing accommodation. If he/she has arrived in this country to pick up a long-term residence card, even in the aforementioned situations a third country national shall be obliged to report to an MoI office within 3 days to provide biometric data.

Third country nationals are also obliged to report any change of surname, marital status, change of data in their travel document and change of data in the document permitting their stay in the Czech Republic (e.g. in their residence card). Third country nationals not required to have a visa or on a short-term visa must report any change in data to the Alien Police or, if staying on a long-term visa or on a long-term or permanent residence card, to an MoI office.

At the request of the police, third country nationals are obliged to prove their identity with a valid travel document or residence card (biometric card). This biometric residence card is the only valid document that a third country national will be accepted instead of travel document. However, this biometric residence card cannot be used instead of a travel document for travel outside the territory of the Czech Republic and it is essential that third country nationals have both - a valid travel document and a valid biometric residence card.
 
Furthermore a third-country national is obliged to present the proof of travel health insurance agreed of entire period of stay at any time during his/her stay in the territory of Czech Republic during the residence control. This applies to all foreign nationals, regardless of the type of residence permit, also to foreigners who reside in Czech Republic within a visa-free stay.
 

Types of stay - basic categories

Types of stay in the territory of the Czech Republic / Schengen Area, are divided as follows:

• short-terms stays (not exceeding 90 days)  for foreign nationals not subject to visa requirement or on a Schengen visa and

• long-term stays (exceeding 90 days) on a long-term visa,long-term or permanent residence permit

Department for Asylum and Migration Policy, November 30th, 2020