Entry formalities and visa

If you have been accepted to a university in Czechia, you should check whether you need a visa or residence permit to enter the country. This depends on your nationality. Our website provides only general information about entry requirements, so we recommend that you consult the Official Information Portal for Foreigners of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic.

Students from EU/EEA and Switzerland

Students from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland are exempt from student visa requirements. To enter Czechia, EU students only need a valid passport or national ID card.

EU students have, however, a reporting duty after their arrival if the intended stay in Czechia is longer than 30 days. In this situation, within 30 days of entering the Czech Republic, a student is required to report his/her presence to the Foreign Police Department in the location of his/her stay in Czechia. This obligation does not apply if the person providing accommodation submits the registration forms on behalf of the student, i.e. in case of stays in student dormitories.

Find out more about staying in Czechia as an EU citizen or a family member here.

Students from countries outside the EU

Students from countries outside the EU have to turn to the local Czech embassy or consulate and apply for a student visa. Please note, that the whole procedure requires some paperwork and can take up to 60 days, so it is recommended to apply for the visa well in advance. For up-to-date information, always consult your local Czech embassy or consulate, or check the website of the Ministry of Interior for the latest information.

There are short-term visas (for stays up to 90 days) and long-term visas (for stays over 90 days). Students arriving for a period longer than one year should apply for a long-term residence permit for study purposes. In general, the long-term visa is primarily intended for persons who expect to stay in Czechia for several months – for example, a short-term study programme. The long-term residence permit is primarily intended for persons who expect a longer stay in Czechia – for example, a study in a university programme, employment, etc.

The following documents are mainly required for receiving a student visa or a residence permit:

application form
letter of acceptance for studies
a valid passport and passport photos
proof of financial resources for the stay (e.g. in the form of a bank account statement or confirmation of being beneficiary of a grant)
confirmation of guaranteed accommodation
valid international health insurance
abstract from the Register of Criminal Records

Please note that some documents (e.g. the abstract from the Register of Criminal Records) must be translated into the Czech language by a translator with an official rubber stamp.

In case of applying for a short-term language/preparatory courses, students should apply for a short-term visas (for stays up to 90 days), in case of long-term language/preparatory courses, students should apply for a visa to stay over 90 days (long-term) or a long-term residence - for the purpose of studies (at public higher education institutions) / for the purpose of other (at private higher education institutions).

Problems with Visa Application

While we do understand your concerns, unfortunately, it is not within our competence to expedite the visa issuance / appointment process. Long-term visa and residence permits processing is solely under the authority of our Embassies abroad and the Czech Ministry of the Interior which follows a rigorous process.

Try to check the status of your application. If you don’t succeed, please contact your local Czech Embassy, its staff will give you more precise information. You can also turn to the Client Centre for Providing Information to Foreigners. Besides, we recommend you to contact your university, its staff certainly has experience in solving similar situations.

Registering with the Czech Foreign Police

Registration at the Foreign Police Department is compulsory for all foreign nationals staying in Czechia for more than 30 days. They must register within 3 days from the date of arrival to the country. Read more about this obligation here.

HOW TO EXTEND YOUR VISA OR LONG-TERM RESIDENCE PERMIT

A long-term visa for the purpose of studies including extensions can be valid in total for a maximum of 1 year. If your current long-term visa is valid for a period shorter than one year, you can apply to extend the visa repeatedly but only up to the total period of one year. If you want to stay in Czechia for a period longer than one year, you must apply for a long-term residence permit. Learn more here.

Do you keep on studying a university accredited study programme? You can extend your long-term residence permit for the purpose of studies repeatedly with a maximum extension period of 2 years. Do you keep attending a language or professional preparation for studies organised by a public university? You can extend you long-term residence only once. Learn more here.

Visit other countries

Both long-term visas and residence permits allow visits to other countries in the Schengen area, provided the stay in the other Schengen Area states does not exceed 90 days within any 180 days and is of a non-profit nature.

Family visa

Your children or spouse can apply for a long-term visa or residence permit for family reunification purposes. Learn more here.