Applying for a visa to the Czech Republic

Acquiring a Schengen visa for the Czech Republic, be it for tourism, education, or any other purpose, generally takes about four days to process. This includes the days of application submission and issuing. It's worth noting, however, that for more complicated applications, this timeline might stretch to as long as 30 days. So, when planning your trip, make sure to account for this possibility. While expedited processing is available, reducing the timeline to three days, this is not guaranteed.

Here are the documents you will need to prepare:

1. Foreign Passport: You need to present the original and a photocopy of the first page with your photo. The passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the visa's validity period. If you have children included in the passport, ensure they have their photos included as well, and the passport issuance date should not be earlier than ten years before the application. If you've had a name change, a new passport should be issued within a month.

2. Photo: One standard passport size color photo (35х45mm) is needed.

3. Application Form: You can get this form directly from the consular department or download it from the official website. It consists of four pages and should be completed in capital Latin alphabet letters.

4. Medical Insurance: The insurance must cover the entire Schengen area and should amount to no less than 30,000 euros. If you're applying for a double-entry visa, you'll need coverage for both entries. This policy serves to assure that any medical treatment costs that arise due to illness, injury, or even death will be covered by your insurance company. Without it, you won't be issued a visa to the Czech Republic.

5. Copy of National Passport: A high-quality photocopy of the page with your photo and registration page will be required.

6. Purpose of Trip Confirmation: For tourists, you can present a hotel voucher, reservation, documents from a travel agency, or an invitation from a host. If you are traveling for medical treatment, you will need documents from the medical institution indicating the need for treatment, the length of stay, estimated cost of treatment, and the doctor's recommendations.

7. Financial Means Confirmation: You will need to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover your personal needs. For a trip to the Czech Republic, the minimum financial security required varies depending on the length of your trip. If you're under 18, you should have proof of possessing at least half these amounts.

8. Transport Reservation Confirmation: You will need proof of your transport reservations, such as plane, bus, train, or liner tickets. If you're traveling by car, prepare your vehicle registration and driver's license.

9. Visa Fee Payment Receipt.

For minors (under 18), additional documents such as a copy of their birth certificate, the parent's Schengen visa copy, and a notarized parental consent for travel are required.

As a general rule, the applicant must submit the documents in person, with an exception for children under 12 years old. Applications and attachments must be submitted no earlier than 180 days before the time of submission. All documents sent via fax or email are for informative purposes only - you must have all original or quality copies on hand during application.

Should any conditions for entry change after obtaining a visa (like terms, accommodation, mode of transport, etc.), it is recommended to notify the consular department. Failure to do so could result in a denial of your Czech Republic visa, as the provided documents would be considered inaccurate. Notifications to the consulate can be made via email with the required documents attached.

If you're planning to stay in a foreign country like the Czech Republic for more than 90 days within a six-month period (which is the maximum duration a visa to the Czech Republic permits), you'll need to apply for a long-term visa. This could be an educational visa, student visa, or any other kind of visa that serves your purpose. Regardless of the number of entries you make, the long-term visa allows you to stay in any other Schengen area country.

Under Law 326/1999 Coll. (§ 64), a student visa or an educational visa application for study purposes (be it in public or private universities or in university preparatory courses) can be reviewed up to 60 days from the submission date. In other instances, such as for education in private institutions' preparatory courses, the Czech Republic visa processing time can be extended up to 120 days.

Visa applications must be personally submitted by the applicant. All documents should be in Czech or translated into Czech by an official notary who can operate within the Czech Republic. The documents you provide should either be originals or notarized copies, and they should not be issued more than 180 days prior to your application.

Here's a list of the documents you need to provide when applying for a Czech Republic visa:

1. Foreign Passport: In addition to your passport, you'll need to provide two high-quality copies of the pages containing your personal information. Ensure your passport will be valid for at least 11 months from your application date.

2. Photos: Provide two separate 35x45 mm photos. On the back, write your name and date of birth in Latin characters, just like it appears on your passport.

3. Confirmation from Destination Country's Educational Institution: You'll need to provide proof that you've been accepted into an educational program in the Czech Republic.

4. Confirmation of Financial Security: For a six-month visa to the Czech Republic, you must demonstrate that you have at least 55,000 CZK. Minors can show proof of possessing half this amount. The official confirmations are a photocopy of an international bank card that's valid, along with a bank statement or bank reference.

5. Confirmation of Accommodation for Entire Stay: This could be a notarized confirmation from the landlord, a lease or sublease agreement, or a 'datovou schrankou' confirmation. It's recommended to also attach a notarized copy of an extract from the cadastre register or the trade register.

6. Certificate of No Criminal Record: You'll need to provide this document unless you're under 15 years of age.

7. Envelope and Postal Card: You'll need an A5 size envelope with your home address written clearly in block letters at the bottom right. You'll also need a postal card with the 'Notification of Receipt' address.

8. Copies of All Provided Documents: Except for the visa application form, provide copies of all the documents. Non-notarized copies should be added separately.

Remember, any document not in Czech must have a notarized translation. Alongside the visa application form, these documents should all be submitted together when applying for a Czech Republic visa. Any additional documents sent via email will not be considered.