Have you found your dream apartment in the Czech Republic and now you are dealing with all of the paper stuff? In this article we will tell you what you should be aware of when collecting all the documents you need.
When you want to prolong your visa or residence permit, when you are applying for an employee card or whenever you are obligated to substantiate your address in the Czech Republic (these applies also for EU citizens – read here) you have to go to the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy.
What is the process step by step and where can appear the catch?
Firstly, when moving to your new apartment, you get a lease agreement in Czech or in Czech+English (bilingual) from the lessor (owner of a flat). There are street, no. of street, postcode and city written in the lease agreement. Also, if possible, the number of the flat and dates from when to when you will stay in the flat. You can be identified as a tenant or a roommate. In case of identification as a tenant you have to sign the lease agreement, in case of identification as a roommate you do not have to sign it. If the lease agreement is all in English or is not signed by the lessor, the proof of accommodation has to be used.
Then, you will go with this document (lease agreement or proof of accommodation) to the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy where you will give it to the officer. We recommend you to bring the certified copy because the officer will keep the original document. The officer needs to check if the lessor´s name corresponds with the name registered in the specific system (“katastr vlastníků nemovitosti” in Czech) where the lessors of flats are registered.
BUT sometimes, there is another person included. There is a lessee (“subowner”) who rents the flat to you. This person rents a flat from the lessor and then rents it to other people. It is a standard situation that can happen. This “subowner” gives you a contract which is signed between you and them. So you might think it is fine and you go to the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy but there the officer will tell you that the names (the one written in the contract and the one in the system of the owners) do not correspond. To avoid this situation there are 2 solutions:
- Power of lessor (owner) + sublease agreement
You need a power of lessor. This document will give you the owner of a flat or lessee and you need to verified the lessor´s signature at “Czechpoint” at the post-office or by notary. To sum it up, you need 2 documents – sublease agreement and power of lessor. These 2 documents you will show to the officer who checks it. He checks the name written in the power of lessor with the lessor´s name in the register.
- Lease agreement + sublease agreement
You can get the lease agreement from the lessor plus you need a sublease agreement signed between you and lessee. Then, the officer checks the name written in the lease agreement with the name in the register system.
In case that the names do not correspond the officer will notice you and ask you to bring the proper documents and the process will start again.
Do you want to avoid this complicated procedure? Do not hesitate to contact our Expat & Immigration Consultants! We are here to help you.
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