Studying in Prague is an enriching experience that you never want to end. To make sure that it doesn’t, you need to be very aware of the procedures and requirements for extending your visa (or applying for a residence permit in the Czech Republic) so you can continue your studies and see what more Prague has to offer. Dealing with bureaucracy in a foreign country where you might not speak the language is undoubtedly scary. With the right guidance and advice, you’ll be able to take the necessary steps to continue living comfortably and legally in the Czech Republic. 

In this blog, we’ll go through the necessary documents you’ll need to gather, where you should be going, and define confusing terminology. By the end of it, you’ll be a pro at navigating the process of extending your stay in the Czech Republic.

1. Visa or Residence Permit in the Czech Republic?

When you applied from home the first time, you obtained a student or other purpose visa. Your initial visa was stamped into your passport and allows you to enter and stay in the country for longer than three months. Now, you’ve lived in Prague for however long that visa allowed you to, most commonly six months or a year. If your degree isn’t over and you’ll still continue to study in the Czech Republic, you’ll need to extend your stay by now obtaining a residence permit for the Czech Republic.

The process will be extremely similar, down to the documents you’ll need to gather. You can follow the same process, but this time, you’ll be applying in the Czech Republic, not back home. Instead of a stamped page in your passport, your residence permit will be a card ( p.s. you’ll need to carry around to prove your legality)! Make sure you always have it on you, especially when you travel as you’ll need to provide it at airport security. 

2. When To Start Applying

The initial visa you receive will have an expiration date printed on it. It will say valid from and valid until, which specifies the start and end of your visa. I want to emphasize the importance of starting the process of reapplying sooner, rather than later! You can submit your application up to 120 days before your visa expires and up to 1 day prior to its expiration.

It’s important to note that you cannot apply in the Czech Republic after your visa has already expired. Do your absolute best to avoid this. If your visa has expired, you are no longer legally allowed to stay in the country. You will need to go back to your home country and begin to apply for a student visa all over again. This can be an incredibly stressful situation, and if you find yourself in it, you’ll lose all the benefits of having a student visa, such as open movement in the Schengen area. 

The process also takes quite a bit of time after you’ve already submitted an application. Allow for at least a month for your application to be processed and approved. When I applied in June 2022, there was an influx of Ukrainian immigrants. This made bureaucracy in the Czech Republic more complicated because they were dealing with so many applications. If you’ve already submitted your application and it has not been approved before your visa expires, you will need a bridging visa to travel. You can legally stay in the Czech Republic if you have already submitted an application but if you need to travel outside, you’ll need to obtain a bridging visa. To avoid having to go through this, I suggest applying well in advance to allow time for your application to be processed. 

3. How to Make An Appointment 

It is highly recommended that you apply in person at a ministry of interior office. You can submit your application by mail as well, but this is not suggested. You don’t want to lose track of your important documents, including your passport. So try to free up your schedule just a bit to accommodate an appointment. 

If you are a student in Prague, whether you have a student visa or an other purpose visa with the focus on education, your correct ministry of interior will be in Prague 6. This ministry specializes in the immigration of foreign students. Since they specialize in foreign students, you can feel at ease that they’ll be understanding of what your request will be. It is worth noting that this ministry does not allow walk-in appointments. You must schedule an appointment ahead of time. You can do this by calling the ministry or through the foreign reservation system website.

There are times where there are no available appointments until weeks or sometimes even months in advance. For example, when I tried to make an appointment in late May of 2022 for June, they had already all been filled up. Again, it is crucial you start this process early to avoid this potential. Don’t wait until you have gathered all your documents to set an appointment. Schedule it ahead of time to avoid missing out. If you can’t make it to the scheduled appointment, make sure to call and cancel it on the website within 48 hours. 

3.1 Walk-In Appointment?

If you get unlucky and there are no available dates prior to when your visa expires, it’s not a lost cause. When applying for your residence permit in the Czech Republic (or extending your visa), you need to find your appropriate ministry of interior based on where you live. Prague is divided into different numbered districts. There will be a ministry that serves specific districts. For example, I lived in Prague 5 during the time I was reapplying. The correct ministry of interior that served my district was in Prague 4, which does allow walk-ins. Each ministry’s website will specify which districts they serve and what days they allow walk-ins. This is based on a first come, first served process.

As I mentioned, I applied when there was an incredibly high volume of Ukrainian immigrants and a backlog in the system. Due to this, I had to get to the ministry before it even opened. Even though I arrived before they opened, there was already a huge line for people that were also trying to get a walk-in appointment. They only give out as many walk-in number appointments as they can handle, and they closed the machine almost right after I got my number (phew). If you require a walk-in appointment, it’s critical you come prepared, and as early as possible. Thankfully, the backlog today isn’t quite as intense as it has been in the past, but you should still prepare to be there early. 

In addition to getting there early, you should also prepare to be there almost all day. Since you won’t have an appointment, you will not be given priority. They will fit you in when they have the time, which could be at the very end of the day. When I went, I didn’t get seen until close to the closing time, around 4:30 PM. I spent eight hours at the ministry without any snacks or water…which I do not recommend. Come prepared with a book and food. Since I realized I wouldn’t be seen anytime soon, I was able to run to the mall nearby and grab something to eat. But if you miss your number being called, you won’t be seen! So it’s best to just come prepared. 

4. Documents You’ll Need

Just like your initial visa appointment, you’ll need basically the same documents just updated for your new year. To run through them again, you’ll need: 

• Completed application form.
• A valid Passport: Ensure that your passport is valid for the entire duration of your intended stay in the Czech Republic.
• Two recently taken passport sized photos: You can take these in most of the metro stations around Prague. The photo booths are at the front of the entrances and cost 100 CZK.
• Proof of Enrollment: Obtain a letter of enrollment or confirmation from your educational institution in Prague, verifying your ongoing studies.
• Proof of Sufficient Financial Means: Demonstrate that you have enough financial resources to support yourself during your extended stay in Prague. This can include bank statements, scholarship letters, or proof of sponsorship. I always just print a copy of my bank statements.
• Medical Insurance: Provide proof of comprehensive health insurance coverage that is valid in the Czech Republic. This will have to be PVZP. A cool service they provide once you obtain your contract is 24/7 online medical advice. I’ve used this when I’ve had questions about my health that I didn’t feel warranted an actual doctor’s appointment. The doctors get back to you within 48 hours and it’s a really great stress reliever. 
• Address Confirmation: Provide a document confirming your current address in Prague, such as a rental contract or confirmation from your accommodation provider.
• Application fee: This is a 2500 CZK fee that must be paid in the form of stamps. To do this, you can go to any post office and ask them to purchase stamps by giving them the appropriate cash amount. I would recommend going to the main post office in Jindřišská. It’s a beautiful building, most of the workers are friendly and speak English, and it’s basically 24/7. They have machines that you use to tell them you need stamps, making the process even easier.

It is also possible they could ask you for a criminal record confirmation and a medical report, but this is upon request only. I’ve never been asked for this as a US citizen without any major health problems. 

5. The Application Process

On the day of your appointment, you’ll need to bring all of your necessary documents to the ministry to submit. They’ll print you a confirmation of your application, including a number. This number can be used to track whether your application has been approved, still in process, or denied. You can check this on the foreign reservation systems website. Make sure to also check your mailbox! They will send you a letter to inform you if anything is wrong with your application. If there is, you have a certain number of days to fix the mistake before the application gets denied. It can take at the very least a couple of weeks for the application to be approved. It took me around two months, but I’ve known people who took much longer. Keep this in mind if you plan to travel.

Once you see that it is approved, you need to call the ministry to schedule another appointment. This will be to get your biometrics done. On the day of this appointment, you’ll get your fingerprints taken and the photo taken for your residence permit card in the Czech Republic. You’ll also get another appointment date to pick up the card. This date will also likely be a couple weeks later. You must pick up the card in person, there is no possibility of them mailing it to you. 

Something to keep in mind is bringing a translator. If you’re going to the ministry at Prague 6, they are known to be friendlier even if you don’t speak Czech. But as with most government agencies, there is an earned reputation that the workers are not the nicest at times. In the ministry I went to, I was yelled at quite a bit for not being able to speak Czech. I did get everything sorted without a problem, but if you would prefer to not handle that, I would recommend getting a translator to come with you. This also helps if you have any questions or need clarification. 

Once you pick it up, you are good to go! You’re a legal resident of the Czech Republic for another year! Congratulations! Be prepared to do this all over again next year if you plan to stay longer. Good luck with the rest of your studies and exploring this wonderful country.