How to Obtain a Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic: EU Citizen vs. non-EU Citizen

Are you an EU citizen or non-EU citizen living in the Czech Republic? Do you want to obtain a permanent residence permit? There are a couple of things that you should keep in mind when starting the process. In this article, we have included all the important information an EU citizen or non-EU citizen needs when applying for a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic.

Obtain a Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic

1. EU citizen

The requirements to obtain a permanent residence permit differ for individual EU citizens and for those EU citizens who are a family member of another EU citizen.

A) Five years of continuous temporary residence

As an EU citizen, you can apply for a permanent permit after five years of continuous residence in the Czech Republic

Besides the continuous residence, one needs to fulfill some requirements such as proof of accommodation, a travel document, etc. in order to continue the process.

B) Two years of continuous temporary residence in the Czech Republic – as a family member of another EU citizen

As an EU citizen who is also a family member of another EU citizen, you can apply for the permanent residence permit after two years of continuous temporary residence in the Czech Republic. 

In this case, it is a must that for at least one year you are a family member of:

  • a citizen of the Czech Republic who is registered with permanent residence in the territory 

      OR 

  • a citizen from another EU Member State who has been issued a permanent residence permit for the Czech Republic

 

2. Non-EU citizen who is a family member of an EU citizen

As a non-EU citizen who is a family member of an EU citizen with permanent residence in the Czech Republic, you can apply after two years of continuous temporary residence in the Czech Republic.

In this case, it is a must that for at least one year you have been a family member of:

  • a citizen of the Czech Republic who is registered with permanent residence in the territory

      OR

  • a citizen from another EU Member State who has been issued a permanent residence permit for the Czech Republic

 

3. Non-EU citizen

As a non-EU citizen, you can apply for a permanent permit after five years of continuous residence in the Czech Republic. In addition, your stay must be on a long-term visa or long-term residence permit. 

All the requirements are almost the same as for an EU citizen, except that for the non-EU citizen, there is a requirement for a Czech language exam certificate.

 

4. EU Blue Cardholders

If you meet the condition of five years of continuous residence in the Member States of the European Union as a holder of an EU Blue Card, you may apply for the permanent residence permit if you have lived in the Czech Republic for at least two years.

 

By obtaining a permanent residence permit, an individual gets similar rights and responsibilities as a citizen of the Czech Republic. 

We have an article explaining what the difference between temporary vs permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic is if you are wondering about the benefit of obtaining a permanent residence permit.

If you want to know more about the process of obtaining a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic, don’t hesitate to contact us and use our consultation service.

Huyen Vu

Hello readers, and welcome to Foreigners. You can call me Huyen or Hazel. Shortly about me, a young energetic Vietnamese girl who loves traveling! I’m here to share handy tips and significant information about Prague and how to become a Czech. Don’t forget to follow our posts if you find them helpful 😊Big thanks!

62 thoughts on “How to Obtain a Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic: EU Citizen vs. non-EU Citizen

  1. Hi,
    I am part of non-eu and living in czech which am came from india and i just want to know about the blue card details.

    Should i go and work anywhere in EU with blue card without asking them to provide visa sponsorship.
    for example: If i get blue card in Czech republic, can i go and work in Germany or Austria without valid visa or work permit.

    it would be good if you provide information about this.

    Regards,
    Basker Subramaniyan

    1. Hello Basker,

      for more details about the blue card, you can write us an email to prague@foreigners.cz. Our Expat & Immigration Consultant would love to provide you with the information that you need!

      Thanks and have a nice day 🙂

  2. "As a non-EU citizen, you can apply for a permanent permit after five years of continuous residence in the Czech Republic. In addition, your stay must be on a long-term visa or long-term residence permit."

    How can I obtain a long-term visa or long-term residence permit in the first place?

  3. Could a Chinese obtain a residence permit through a self-employed visa? What documents are needed? Thanks

  4. Hello,
    I’m an Albanian nationalty with “EC long-term residents” in other EU member states (Italy).
    I would like to apply for a work permit in CR, I have signed an indefinite contract with 32000/gross/month in Prague.
    It is possible to know how much is the min salary established from the government for obtaining the work permit in Prague ??
    Thank you.

  5. I want information how many years after i will get CzechRepublic passpor. I know 5 years after get permanent residents.How many years need for passport for CzechRepubli. Best regard

  6. Hello,
    I would like to know how can I get the Czech passport and nationality ? in what situation? (I am a non EU citizen and I have obtained the long-term residence card in the Czech Republic since 2013, which is valid until 2023) Thank you in advance for your response.

    1. Hello,

      yes, it’s possible to obtain the Czech nationality after you got a permanent residence permit and have been living in the Czech Republic for a certain amount of years. For more information, please write us at info@foreigners.cz.

      Best regards,
      Karina.

  7. Hello,

    I’m non-Eu Citizen, this year is my fourth year in Czech Republic, I’m planning to take language exam this year, is the language certificate it still valid next year for applying a permanent residence permit? Thank you very much.

  8. Hello Huyen Vu,
    have a nice day, as a no EU citizen, I want to know that, how long will take to get TRC in Czech Rep. & what does you mean by need to stay 5 years continuously to get PR? that means, can I go vacation to my country in this 5 years period or we need to stay non-stop 5 years in Czech to get PR?

    Best Regards,
    Jahangir Alam
    Email: jahangiralamssp@gmail.com

    1. Hello Jahangir,

      Yes, you can go on vacation during this period. If you have any more questions about permanent residence permit, let us know at info@foreigners.cz.

      Best regards,
      Karyna.

  9. Hello good day. Im filipino workers in cz ive been working here since 2014 and i have plan to get permanent residence can you help me.

  10. Hi, I just want to register myself to the police.. I came on June 2019 in Praque but I didn’t register myself. Before that I was registered in Brno for a year.. Can you help me as no one replying in the police. Thank you

    1. Hello Danijela,

      thank you for your questions! Sure, our team will do our best to help you register. Please write your inquiry at brno@foreigners.cz and my colleagues will get back to you as soon as possible.

      Best regards,
      Karina.

  11. Hello,
    Are diplomatic visas not calculated as part of the 5 year continuous stay in the Czech republic?
    Thank you for your answer.

    1. Hello Moutaz,

      thank you for your comment! I recommend you to check out this web, so you can get familiar with all types of visa for a stay of over 90 days.

      Best regards,
      Karyna.

  12. Hello, how about Phd student??? can I apply after 5 years???? I know that one year of study is counted as half year, but is there any exception for Phd student which in the same time have a part time contract with the university.

    1. Hi Zoya,

      thank you for reaching out to us! You are absolutely right that one year of study counts as half-year. Unfortunately, there is no exception for PhD students which means that you still have 2,5 years to go in order to apply for the permanent residency permit. However, if you ever need help with anything, feel free to contact some of our offices. Hope this helps 🙂

      Kind regards,

      Anna

  13. Hello

    I have 7 years living&working in Czech, no permanet residence, never applied for.
    Do I have Rodne Cislo if I have VZP insurance?
    Or I should appli for RC?

    thanks

    1. Hi Dave,

      If you have insurance, you have “číslo pojištěnce” (insurance number). It is not the same thing as “rodné číslo”, however, in some cases “číslo pojištěnce” can be used instead of RČ. If you don’t have RČ, then applying for it would be probably a good idea, though 🙂
      After such a long time spent in the Czech Republic, it is also recommended you apply either for the temporary or permanent residence permit.
      In case you need help with anything, feel free to contact some of our offices depending on the city you live in. Hope this helps 🙂

      Kind regards,

      Anna

  14. Hello,

    Please update the article by mentioning that it is not necessary to have 5 years of continuous temporary residence only. 5 years of medical insurance can also work (my case, EU citizen, got my permanent residence in 2018).

    1. Hi Stefan,

      thank you very much for your comment, it’s a great point! As far as I am concerned, you don’t need the temporary residence permit, however, you still need to prove 5 years of continuous temporary residence in the Czech Republic. In other words: you need to prove that you’ve been staying here for five years but not the permit itself (it’s very confusing, I know) 🙂

      Kind regards,

      Anna

  15. Hola
    Con mucha gratitud, estoy completamente, agradezco,está forma de solicitar mi estatus en la República checa
    Mi residencia permanente,ya que van hacer 12 años viviendo en este país
    Muchas gracias.

    1. Hi Raúl,

      we use English for communication and as I do not speak Spanish I can’t answer your question. If you need any help, feel free to contact my wonderful colleagues at prague@foreigners.cz, they will surely help you.

      Kind regards,

      Anna

  16. As no-Eu citizen, there is a requirement for a Czech language exam certificate. Could you please kindly let me now which level is needed and as soon as we get it how long is it valid? Thank you very much.

    1. Hello Julie,

      your knowledge of Czech needs to be on the level B1. You can find more useful information here. Hope this helps 🙂

      Kind regards,

      Anna

  17. 2. Non-EU citizen who is a family member of an EU citizen
    Hello..i want ask about this topic please ..
    What can apply after two years ?!

    1. Hi Alex,

      As written in this article: You can apply after two years of continuous temporary residence in the Czech Republic if you are a family member of an EU citizen with permanent residence in the Czech Republic or a family member of a Czech citizen. In order to give you detailed advice on this issue, we’d need to have more information about your situation.

      Kind regards,

      Anna

  18. Hello,

    My employee card will expire on 14th of August while the five years in CZ will be counted from 9th of May. So initially I was planning to apply for a permanent residence on May, I have collected all the documents except Language certificate due to the fact that schools are closed now. Could you please assist what should I do? Can I apply for permanent residence 1month/1 week before employee card’s expiration date?(in case the schools won’t be open in May and June) Or is there some deadline for trvaly pobyt?

    Thank you !
    Kind Regards,
    Kseniia

    1. Hi Kseniia,

      thank you for reaching out to us! We can certainly assist you with this! You can send an e-mail to info@foreigners.cz (please, include also the city you live in). We also offer consultations for anyone in the need of help. This is especially recommended to people in a very specific situation such as yours 🙂

      Kind regards and take care,

      Anna

  19. Hello,
    I’m a Ukrainian with an “EU long-term permanent residence permit” in other EU member states (Lithuania).
    Are there some simplifications to get a permanent residence permit if I move to the Czech Republic to study at University or not?
    Thank you in advance,
    Regards, Marina.

    1. Hi Marina,

      I am afraid this is not quite possible, however, my colleagues certainly know more about this topic, so I recommend you to either send an e-mail to info@foreigners or schedule a consultation – they’ll be surely able to help you 🙂

      Kind regards,

      Anna

  20. Hello,

    I’m non EU citizen and have been living continuously in Czech Republic since last four and half years with long term residence permit. But my first 3 years was in dependent visa (D17 ) and last one and half year I’m in employment visa. Will my first 3 years count as whole 3 years or half of it? Can I apply Permanent Residence Permit after 6 months?

    Thank you in advance,
    Alisha

    1. Hello Alisha,

      thank you for reaching out to us! While I cannot answer this question myself, my colleagues who specialize in these issues will gladly help you. You can get in touch with them by sending an email with your question (and name of the city you live in) to info@foreigners.cz or schedule a consultation.

      Kind regards,

      Anna

  21. Greetings,

    I am a citizen of the EU. I have lived in CR since July 2018, and worked since September 2018 with a temporary residence. I have a permanent contract for all this time, I got my Rodne cislo and the Czech driver’s license. I found the information that it’s possible to ask for permanent residence after 2 years of continuous stay in CR, if one of my family members is also an EU citizen. My father is, but he does not have residency in CR. So, could I still ask for the permanent residence, or, I need to wait the 5 years for standard procedure? Thank you!

    Kind regards,
    Vlada

  22. Hi Hazel,

    Thanks for the article. I was born and raised in the Czech Republic. I have attended school there until 9th grade. I have had Czech permanent residence card for as long as I remember and my parents still live there. After 9th grade, I moved abroad for school and currently working abroad as well. Per current laws, am I eligible to apply for Czech Citizenship?

    Thank you!!

    1. Hi Sara,

      One of the requirements for being granted Czech citizenship is for the applicant to be living in the Czech Republic at the time of the application being submitted. Therefore, if you are not only working but also staying abroad, then you aren’t, unfortunately, eligible to apply. That is, of course, unless some of the exceptions applies to you. More information can be accessed at the Ministry of the Interior’s website (in Czech only, however).

      Kind regards,

      Anna

      1. Thank you Anna!

        That is more or less what I expected the answer to be. To clarify a little bit, I would be applying in person myself in Prague. I am planning to come back in a few weeks. But I believe you need to have lived in Czech previous 5 continuous years? Also, My father will be turning 65 soon and apply for his Citizenship. He has lived there since the 80’s. Do you reckon it will be easier for me then to apply for my citizenship? As in getting that benefit from you parent?

        Dekuji moc!

  23. Hi.Im a non eu citizen and have been living in Czech republic since January 2018 ,Im a temparory residence permit holder( blue book).Im in relationship with a Czech citizen whom i am family member to,But our relation ship is not going well so we might split .I wanna ask if its possible for me to apply for a permanent residence even if we’re no longer together with patner?.I’ve also been employed here for almost two years now .So i wanna know if our relationship is broken,Will it affect my temporoy residence permit?.What should i do in this kind of situation?.Can i also change my address?

  24. Hi there,

    I am an American student – I have lived here for over 5 years.
    I have a long term residence permit for the purpose of studies.

    Would it be possible to apply for perminant residence?

    Thanks,

    Linda

  25. How long does it take to received the permanent residence card? I mean if you give them all requested documents, how long does it take to received the card?
    Thank you,
    Kelanight

    1. Hi Kelanight,

      this differs depending on each case and situation. I recommend you to get in touch with our immigration consultants via info@foreigners.cz – they’ll be able to give you a detailed information.

      Kind regards,

      Anna

  26. Hi, I’m Vietnamese, holder of a residence permit in Italy (it’s a looking for job type of permit with the validity of 1 year) I’ve been studying in Italy for 5 years. I’m looking for jobs in the Czech Republic now, can you tell me what is the requirements, what kind of permit or card I can apply for, or if it’s possible at all?

    Thank you!

    1. Hi Linh,

      I recommend you to get in touch with our immigration consultants who will be able to answer all of your questions and help you with the whole process, if interested. You can contact them via info@foreigners.cz or schedule a consultation with them.

      Kind regards,

      Anna

  27. Hello, I’m from Nepal and I’m working on toyoda since 2017. And now I want to apply for a permanent residence card. Is there any possibility for me?
    Thank you.
    Jitendra

  28. Hello,

    I am leaving in Czech republic for a long time already. . How can I get confirmation or learn how long I am in Czech republic? is it possible to get such confiramtion? I want to understand when i will complete my 5 years to be able to apply for permanent residence as I had a student visa and now I am on a working visa. Thank you for your help.

    1. Hi Asif!
      Usually you need to prove your stay in the Czech Republic by showing the ministry some evidence that you were here – any documents you can find that say lived in Czechia, work contracts, old visas, etc. You can use various documents for this. Don’t forget that your studies will be divided by two – e.g. if you studied here for 4 years, only 2 of those year will count towards your permanent residence permit application.

      Best of luck,
      Tereza

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