Due to the positive development of the situation in the Czech Republic, the Czech government announced some changes regarding the restrictions that have been introduced during the previous weeks to stop the novel coronavirus from spreading rapidly. These changes were announced at a press conference on Thursday, April 23 and include for example gathering outside in groups of 10 people or traveling abroad.
Easing the lockdown
Over the last few weeks, pressure was put on the Czech government because of the countermeasures that were deemed too harsh and outdated by many. On April 14, the Czech government announced first plans on lifting some of these restrictions, but on April 23 the government announced their decision to introduce the restriction even sooner than it was originally intended.
As of April 24 people in the Czech Republic are allowed to:
- Attend small church services (up to 15 people);
- Attend weddings (up to 10 people, registrar and the bridegroom included);
- Gather outside in groups of up to 10 people;
Re-opening on April 27
- Shops with floor space of up to 2,500 square metres (except those in shopping centers);
- Gyms and fitness centres (showers and dressing rooms within them won’t be accessible);
- Libraries;
- Small church services;
- Driving schools;
- Zoological and botanical garden exhibits (outdoor areas).
As of April 27, people will also be allowed to travel abroad without the need of proving a serious reason to do so. However, when a person returns from abroad, they will have to prove themselves with a negative test for COVID-19 (tested negative within the last 4 days, ) or undergo a 14-days long quarantine. EU nationals who study or work here can also return to the Czech Republic under certain conditions.
Re-opening on May 11
- Shops with floor space of over 2,500 square metres (except those in shopping centers);
- Restaurants, pubs, buffets, bars, and cafés, with service from windows or in gardens;
- Hairdressers;
- Beauty salons and tanning salons;
- Massage, regeneration or recondition services;
- Museums, galleries, exhibition halls;
- Castles, chateaux, open-air museums (outdoor areas);
- Outdoor training activities of professional athletes (with the public being excluded).
Re-opening on May 25
- Restaurants, pubs, buffets, bars, and cafes;
- Hotels, outdoor campsites and other accommodation facilities;
- Taxi services;
- Tattoo and piercing salons;
- Theaters, chateaux, castles and other cultural activities (under precisely defined conditions);
- Cultural, social, sports events (number of people will be specified);
- Recovery events and similar for children under 15 years of age;
- Weddings (under precisely defined conditions);
- Zoological and botanical garden exhibits (including their indoor areas).
Countermeasures still in place
While some of the restrictions are being slowly released, people are, however, still required to wear facemasks. The government’s recent decision on letting EU citizens return to the Czech Republic without having a residence permit remains in place as well.
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Source: Aktualne.cz, mvcr.cz, Brno Daily
Source of the photo: Unsplash.com
Hello Anna,
Thank you for the article, it is very informative.
I have a question for you if you do not mind answering.
My wife is Czech and i am a holder of temporary residence through her. When the virus crisis started i was abroad on business, and with airports closed i was not able to return for almost two months now. There are indications that flights will resume from my country in the next week or two, so i wanted to ask whether there is any special procedure for me to return to Czech Republic? Do i have to register with the embassy or she needs to report me coming?
Also i will most likely be arriving trough Vienna or Bratislava (if they open the BTS airport), as such can i transit trough those countries on my way to Czech Republic? If yes, can my wife come and pick me up from the airport?
Thanks for your response.
Hello Joe,
Thank you very much for reaching out to us! If you are an EU citizen (the UK still included in this case) and married to your wife for at least one year, it should be entirely possible, though you or your wife might need to inform the Czech embassy and she would probably also need to take some documents proving your marriage with her when she leaves the country to pick you up. I am, however, not sure how this will change in the next few weeks, therefore I recommend you to either schedule a consultation with some of my colleagues or send a mail to info@foreigners.cz to stay in touch with us.
Kind regards and fingers crossed,
Anna
Hey Anna,
Thanks for your response.
I am not an EU citizen, i am a third country national, and we have been married for longer than a year, almost two years now. What difference does the marriage length make in this case?
We were married in Czech Republic, but lived abroad for a few months after that. I got my temporary residence, the blue booklet, and a passport stamp once we permanently relocated to the Czech Republic.
Who does she need to call in the embassy? We have a marriage certificate, dont know what other official proof of marriage we can provide besides that really.
Thanks.
Hi Joe,
unfortunately, I don’t know for sure whether and under what conditions people who aren’t EU citizens can enter the country. These rules apply to EU citizens and are different for non-EU citizens. I can only advise you to either ask directly someone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic or send an e-mail to info@foreigners.cz – my colleagues who are more informed about this topic and actually specialize in this will be able to give you more information.
EDIT: In this document (UPDATE May 14: The document was removed from the Ministry’s website), I’ve found some details that might be useful for you (specifically No. 1 and No. 5). You don’t have to be married to your wife for at least one year, but you still have to inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic about your date and manner of entry into the territory of the Czech Republic. Or you can get into the country through your residence permit. In both cases, your wife should be able to pick you up (No. 12).
Kind regards,
Anna
Hey Anna,
Thanks for the response and sorry for the late reply. The document you provided me with is very informative and it seems like i should be able to enter with no issue but will be subjected to the mandatory quarantine.
Now i need to figure out if same rules apply to Austria, as their ministry says they are refusing entry unless you have a residence in Austria. So i do not know if they will allow me in just in transit.
Anyhow thanks a lot, and all the best.
Hi Joe,
Thank you for your reply, I’m glad I could help!
Unfortunately, I have no information regarding the situation in Austria, except this and this. Not sure if it helps but it’s all I could find. There might be some other information accessible in German, though.
Kind regards and take care,
Anna