Visa and Residence Permit
After arrival - reporting your place of residence
By law, all foreigners who enter the territory of the Czech Republic are obliged to report to the Foreign Police (hereinafter FP). The accommodation provider has the reporting responsibility, which means that if you are staying in the dormitories or in a hotel, your accommodation provider will report your place of residence for you and you do not need to see an FP officer yourself.
The reporting rules vary based on the type of visa or residence permit and your accommodation:
EU citizens + citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland + foreigners who do not need a visa
If you stay in the dormitories/hotel, you do not have to report in person. The dormitory officials will report your residence for you; you only need to complete the relevant document when moving in. If you live in private accommodation, you have to report in person to the FP within 30 days of entering the Czech Republic, provided you are staying for more than 90 days. You will need a confirmation from the owner of the apartment, e.g. a lease contract.
Short-stay visa holders (type C max. 90 days) and non-EU foreigners authorized to reside in the Czech Republic without a visa
If you live in the dormitories, you do not need to see an FP officer yourself. The dormitory officials will report your residence for you; you only need to complete the relevant document when moving in. If you live in private accommodation, you have to report to the FP within 3 working days of entering the territory of the Czech Republic. You will need a confirmation from the owner of the apartment, e.g. a lease contract.
Long-stay visa holders
You have to report to the FP within 3 working days of entering the territory of the Czech Republic, no matter whether you live in private accommodation or in the dormitories. You will need a confirmation of your accommodation, e.g. a lease contract.
Note that if you want to continue your study after your visa has expired, you need to apply for the long term residence permit 90 days at the earliest and not later than 14 days before the expiration of your visa.
Long-term residence permit for study purposes
If you have arrived with an arranged long-term residence for the purposes of study, you have to contact the International Relations Officer at your faculty within 3 working days and then you will be invited to report to the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy. Here your biometric data (photo and fingerprints) will be collected and you will receive a document allowing you to stay in the Czech Republic.
Remember that as part of their long-term residence foreigners from outside the EU may travel within the Schengen area, but cannot be away from the registered place of residence for more than 90 continuous days.
Extension or change of residence permit, change of address
To extend your long-term residence permit or to apply for a switch from long-term visa you have to submit:
- passport
- two passport photos
- a certificate of student status/confirmation of enrolment
- proof of accommodation – typically a lease contract in Czech with the complete address of your accommodation and signed by the owner
- proof of complex health insurance - with a health insurance company in the Czech Republic
- income verification (Proof of funds) – typically a bank statement that shows that you have sufficient funds for your stay (at present min. 86,000 CZK) or a proof of scholarship issued by the University.
All documents, except the bank statement, must be in Czech original and cover the whole duration of your requested residence permit (max. 1 year). You can learn more about the requirements at http://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/information-for-schools-and-students.aspx.
If you change your address during your stay, you must report this change in person at the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy within 30 days of the change.
Note that you must submit your application for a long-term residence change or extension 90 days at the earliest and not later than 14 days before the expiration of your current residence permit/visa.
It is highly recommended to submit the application as early as possible, especially before holidays, even if you do not have all the necessary documents. You will be allowed to complete the documentation later.
If you apply for an extension of your residence permit and plan to return to your home country while your application is being processed, inform the officer when submitting the application and, if necessary, provide a contact address. Also, arrange for picking up your post mail while you are away.
If you receive a formal notice from the immigrations office, it is necessary to act according to the content of such a notice. It is a legally binding act and if you do not fulfil its requirements (such as submit a document) within the set time period, your application process will be stopped.
Immigrations Offices
To report your residence in the Czech Republic:
Department of Foreign Police Olomouc
Smetanova 14, Olomouc
Tel.: +420 974 761 845, +420 974 761 841
Mon and Wed 8am – 3pm
Tue and Thu 8am – 12noon
To arrange your long-term residence permit for the purpose of study, to extend your long-stay visa, to report change of your address during your stay with a long-stay visa, to apply for a switch from a long-stay visa to a long-term residence permit for the purpose of study:
Department for Asylum and Migration Policy Olomouc
třída Svobody 8, Olomouc
Office hours: Thu 8am – 2pm
Note that you must make an appointment in advance (at least 3–4 weeks) by contacting the International Relations Officer at your Faculty or Ms. Yvona Vyhnánková (UP International Relations Office, yvona.vyhnankova@upol.cz and communicate the reason of your appointment together with your personal data (full name, passport number, date of birth, nationality).
It is always better to have a Czech speaker (your Czech buddy) with you.
Department for Asylum and Migration Policy Přerov
U Výstaviště 3183/18
Tel.: 974 760 399
Office hours:
Mo, We: 8.00 – 17.00 (12:00 – 12:30 break)
Tu, Th: 8.00 – 12.00
You do not need to make an appointment in Přerov.To get there from the train station in Přerov you need to take the bus no. 105 from “autobusová stanice“ (to the right of the train station), get off at the third stop “Most Míru“ and change to bus no. 104. Then get off at the fourth stop “Kopaniny, výstaviště“. The office is in a big modern building across the street. If you go to Přerov by bus, you can ask if it stops at “Most Míru“ and take the bus 104 from there as described above.
If anything mentioned above is not clear to you or if you have any question regarding your stay in the Czech Republic, do not hesitate to contact officers of the Ministry of the Interior via e-mail pobyty@mvcr.cz or telephone (+420) 974 832 421, (+420)974 832 418.
