Brexit is going to happen on 31 October 2019 and it will lead to a lot of changes for UK citizens living in the Czech Republic. On October 1, we were streaming a special webinar on Facebook and sharing our knowledge about Brexit with the people who are interested in the topic. So, here comes a summary of the most important recommendations from the Ministry of Interior to all UK citizens who reside in the Czech Republic.
For what type of residency should you apply before Brexit?
Based on the EU rules, from the 31st of October 2019, UK citizens will not be considered as EU citizens and, therefore, they cannot stay longer than three months in the Czech Republic, as stipulates the standard national procedure for third-country nationals. Due to that reason, if you come from the UK and intend to stay in the Czech Republic for more than three months as a tourist, you should apply at least for a Certificate of Temporary Residence.
In case you have lived in the Czech Republic for more than five years permanently, applying for a Permanent Residence Permit is recommended by the Ministry of Interior. If you’re a holder of the Permanent Residence Permit from three to five years, you can apply for Czech citizenship, which means an EU citizenship. As far as the citizenship application is concerned, there is much more hidden information and requirements, so if you’re interested in the topic, contact us!
The case will be different for a family member of a Czech or another EU citizen with a permanent permit. As a family member of a Czech or another EU citizen, after have been living for more than two years permanently in the Czech Republic, you are allowed to apply for a Permanent Residence Permit. To be clear, a family member means you’re a husband or wife of a Czech or another EU citizen.
What you should keep in mind?
I. The Czech Government confirms that the law recognizes certain exceptions during the transition period for UK citizens when applying for a residence permit. The transition period starts from October 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020.
During this period, if you are a holder of:
- Certificate of Temporary Residence, you can apply for a Long-term Residence Permit. The process can be done directly on the territory of the Czech Republic at the offices of the Ministry of Interior.
- Permanent Residence Permit, you can apply for a biometric card on the territory of the Czech Republic at the offices of the Ministry of Interior. If you can apply for a Permanent residence permit during the transition period, you don’t have to prove your knowledge of the Czech language, meaning no exam 🙂
Your purpose of stay in the Czech Republic must be declared. It could be for the purpose of study, work, family reunification, business or other.
II. The process will be different if you’re not a holder or in the process of obtaining a Certificate of Temporary Residence or Permanent Residence Permit after October 31, 2019. In this case, you’re regarded as a third-country national residing in the Czech Republic and the process of applying for a Visa/Residence Permit must be done at a Czech Embassy outside of the Czech Republic.
What to do if you don’t want to stay in the Czech Republic after Brexit?
The transition period lasts from October 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020. During this period, if you don’t plan to stay in the Czech Republic after Brexit, you do not need to take any particular steps. Just chill and enjoy your time in this fairy-tale country until December 31, 2020 🙂
What to do if you want to move to the Czech Republic after 2020?
If you’re planning to move to the Czech Republic after 2020, you’re considered as a third-country national and must apply for a long-term visa at the Czech Embassy outside of the Czech Republic. You can directly apply for a long-term visa for any purpose of stay (eg. study, work, family reunification, business, other).
Guidance for UK citizens:
Here you can find guidance for UK citizens about what to do before and after Brexit:
Exchanging driving licence
If you intend to exchange your UK driving licence for a Czech driving licence, it’s possible! However, you should keep in mind that you must prove that you have stayed in the country for at least 185 days (transition period is included in this period of stay).
If you later move from the Czech Republic back to the United Kingdom, you can easily exchange your licence again from the Czech version to the UK one.
For those who want to have a look at our webinar, watch the recorded video of the webinar on Facebook!