Student Visa for Czech Republic
Every year, many students from different countries come to the Czech Republic to study. You may or may not require a visa to enter the Czech Republic, depending on your nationality. There are different kinds of visas being issued for different purposes. Types of Visa are:
- Short-term visa: Visa “C”, is issued as a Schengen Visa for a stay up to 90 days in the schengen area.
*Schengen area is formed by the following states:
Czech Republic, France, Belgium, Estonia, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark, Slovakia, Finland, Malta, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, The Netherlands, Italy, Latvia, Iceland, Norway, Luxembourg, Portugal, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Lithuania, Germany, and Greece.
To know more about the Schengen areas log on to https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/
- Long-term visa: Visa for a stay more than 90 days is a long-term visa, Visa “D”
If you have been accepted into a Czech university, you are required to get a visa. If your studies are for more than 3 months, you must possess a student visa or, if you are an EU/EEA national living in the Czech Republic for a period longer than 3 months, you are required to register your residence in the Czech Republic.
Candidates who wish to study in the Czech Republic for duration longer than 90 days have the following options:
- Candidates whose stay in the Czech Republic is longer than 90 days must apply for a long-term student visa with a Czech embassy or consulate. A visa will be issued for duration of maximum 6 months. If the study program requires a stay of longer than 6 months, candidates must submit an application for a long-term residence in the Czech Republic with a regional office of the Ministry of the Interior during their stay on student visa not earlier than 90 days and not beyond 14 days before the visa expires.
- On the other hand, if your stay in the Czech Republic is for more than 6 months, you are required to apply with a Czech embassy or consulate for a long-term residence permit. A single-entry visa of 60 days will be issued to you that will allow you to enter the Czech Republic to take the residency permit at the regional office of the Ministry of the Interior. This must be done within 3 days upon entry.
Students from EU Countries
The students from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland do not require any visa or permit for any type of visit or stay in the Czech Republic. Though such students are required to register after arrival with the Foreign Police.
Students from non-EU countries
Students coming to the Czech Republic from non-EU countries are required to get a visa.
Visa and Entrance Examination
Students who are coming to the Czech Republic to appear for an entrance exam are required to get a short-term visa (tourist). This visa is valid for a period of maximum 90 days. Students coming from EU/EEA countries do not require visa at all. To know more about this visa, visit the website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Czech Republic.
Applying Procedure
Candidates must apply for the visa at the
Czech Republic embassy or consulate. The visa is issued from the Czech embassy or consulate where the application for the same was submitted. Candidates must fill out the required application form- long term visa or long-term residence permit, and submit it along with the required documents to the concerned Czech embassy or consulate in person. Before the submission of the application candidate must make an appointment by telephone or internet registration. The application must be signed by the candidate.
For a Stay up to 90 days
Applications must be submitted in person to the concerned Czech Republic consulate. The application can also be submitted via an accredited travel agency or at the external service provider. To know about the accredited travel agencies or external service providers, visit the website of the concerned consulate where the application will be submitted.
For Stay of more than 90 days
The application must be submitted in person to the Czech Republic embassy or consulate. The visa for a stay more than 90 days is issued by the regional office of the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic based on the application of the candidate who wants to stay in the territory of the Czech Republic for a purpose requiring the stay in the country for a duration of more than 3 months. Candidates must register an appointment before application submission via the internet registration system managed and administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
Documentation
Submit the following documents:
Application form and fees
Passport copy and two passport-size photographs
Accommodation Proof: Can be statement/letter from institution if opted for dormitory or agreement if rented a flat or shared flat
Sufficient financial resources proof: Can be an account statement from a bank or other financial institution; or any other document proving that the student possesses adequate financial means. Submit a financial evidence in the amount of 15-times the subsistence minimum (2.200 CZK) for 1 month of expected stay.
Confirmation letter: A letter of confirmation/enrollment, which is issued by the institution in which you are accepted, must be submitted.
Document showing the Register of Criminal Records issued by the state of which the international student is a citizen
Medical records: Indicating that the pupils does not suffer from a serious illness
Travel Medical Insurance
Fee payment receipt for submission of the application for a long-term residence permit
For latest updates see official website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (https://mzv.gov.cz/en)
*All the documents must be translated into the Czech language