Before you start applying for your permanent residence permit, you may be wondering what the benefits are?

For starters, by obtaining permanent residence, you get a majority of the same rights and responsibilities as a citizen of the Czech Republic, but there, of course, are a few exceptions. For instance, you don’t have the right to vote or work in the Czech Armed Forces.

With permanent residence in the Czech Republic you:

• can apply for a loan or mortgage at the bank
• have free entry to the labour market
• can start your own business
• receive social support and pension upon reaching the retirement age from the Czech government

Requirements for an EU citizen who wants to become a permanent resident of the Czech Republic:

Five years of residing in the Czech Republic (this is the most common way) or

Two years of living in the Czech Republic if you have been a family member of a Czech citizen or another EU citizen granted Permanent Residency in the Czech Republic, for at least one year.

What documents are required for a Czech Permanent Residence of an EU citizen?

• application form
• passport
• One passport-sized photograph
• proof of you residing in the Czech Republic for at least five years
• proof of accommodation

*As always, your application must be submitted to the Ministry of Interior branch responsible for your district.

Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic for non-EU citizens:

There are several ways of obtaining a permanent residence card as a citizen of a non-EU citizen (i.e., kids born in the Czech Republic, people with Czech origins, EU Blue Card Holders, etc.). However, for this article, we focus on the most common purpose – gaining the Permanent Residence Permit after five years of a continuous stay in the Czech Republic. If you need additional info, or your circumstance differs from that discussed in this article, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Legans for advice. 

As you probably assumed, obtaining a Permanent Residence Permit in the Czech Republic gets a bit more complicated when you’re a foreigner rather than an EU citizen or their family member. The reason is that citizens of non-EU countries must (besides the documents mentioned above) pass a Czech language exam which we won’t touch on in this article, but if you need more info about the exam requirements, please reach out to Legans. 

What documents do you need to submit for a Czech Permanent Residence as a non-EU citizen? 

• application form
• passport
• One passport-sized photograph
• proof of you residing in the Czech Republic for at least five years
• proof of accommodation
• proof of sufficient income
• Czech language exam 
• Criminal Background Check

Once you’ve gathered all of the required documents and signed on all the dotted lines, you will submit your application to the MIO office in your district. Once a decision is made about your application, you will be contacted in about 2-3 weeks; fingers crossed!

We hope we could provide you with helpful info regarding applying for a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic. We know these processes can be confusing, which is why we strongly urge you to seek our advice from reliable law firms like Legans, who can guide you through every step of the way, making this complicated process a little easier going. For more info about Legans services, contact them anytime; they will be more than happy to hear from you. 

Article by Chantelle Switzer Tuma