Long stay visa for the purpose of family reunification

IMPORTANT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Each family member applying for visa must submit the application separately and fulfill all requirements for the visa.

PROCESSING TIME

The long-stay visa application shall be processed within 90 days from the date the Consulate receives the complete application. In exceptional complicated cases, the procedure can take up to 120 days.

There is absolutely no way to rush the process!

• As visas are only issued by Czech Embassies/Consulates abroad, applicants must wait for their applications to be processed,
• a visa can be issued only by the Embassy/Consulate in the country where the application was submitted,
• hence, you cannot apply for a visa in the US and pick it up in Europe or in the Czech Republic,
• you must be present in the US at the end of the application process when the visa is issued into your passport.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Incomplete applications are inadmissible and will be returned to the applicant!!!

All documents must be presented in their original form or as a notarized copy
and may not be older than 180 days, except documents like travel document, birth certificate and marriage certificate.

The decision about visa application is made by the regional office of the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic

The visa for a stay over 90 days is granted for maximum length of 1 year.

All documents (except the travel document) must be in the Czech language. Translations into the Czech language must be officially verified. (Act No. 36/1967 Col., on Experts and Interpreters, as amended). You can find the list of official translators and interpreters here.

While lodging the application, an interview with the applicant can be conducted. A written record of the interview can be a part of the application. A record will be written down in Czech language and will be signed by the applicant and the officer of the Consulate who will conduct the interview. In case you don´t understand Czech you can bring an interpreter with you to translate the written record.

Additional copies of all submitted documents are required (one set of the originals or notarized copies and one set of copies including the application and data page of the passport)!!!

During the visa process you must be present in the US!!!

In case the visa has been refused, you have the right of appeal. The appeal should be addressed to the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic that made the decision about the application within 15 days after receiving the information about the refusal of the application.

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REQUIREMENTS

1.     Application form

2.     Fee

 We accept only cash or money order payable to the Consulate General of  the Czech Republic in New York. Personal checks or Credit/Debit cards are not accepted!

There is no fee for children under 6 years old.

3.     Two photographs

2 passport size photos have to resemble the actual appearance.

4.    Original passport

You must submit your original passport. The travel document/passport must be valid at least 3 months after the intended departure from the Czech Republic/Schengen area.

5.    Document confirming your sufficient financial resources

• a notarized copy of the internationally recognized debit card on your name with a validity during your stay in the Czech Republic (please conceal the debit card number on the copy) + original or notarized copy of corresponding bank checking account statement on your name

• an original letter from the bank confirming the fact that you will be able to use your funds during your stay in the Czech Republic + notarized copy of internationally recognized debit card on your name

• another document confirming that you can use the financial funds during a stay in the Czech Republic (e.g. an original letter from the family member confirming the financial support during your stay in the Czech Republic signed by a person who will support you /notarized signature/ plus an original or his/her notarized bank account statement) + notarized copy of internationally recognized debit card on your name (please conceal the debit card number on the copy)

• Requirements for financial means during your stay: It is necessary to prove the availability of funds that are 15 times the amount of the existential minimum (currently it is set at 3 130 CZK) for the first month and double the amount of the existential minimum for every month afterwards, thus, for instance, for a stay from 1 January – 30 June it would be (15 x 3130) + (5 x 2 x 3130) = 46 900 + 31 300 = 78 200 CZK (approximately 3 600,- USD, the amount in US dollars depends on the exchange rate CZK/USD). Please note that the existential minimum is established by the Czech law and can be changed every year.

Applicants younger than 18 years can submit a proof of financial means equaling to a half of the required amount.

6.     Document confirming the purpose of stay

• an original of a marriage certificate - in the case of a spouse, certified by Apostille and accompanied by a verified translation into the Czech language

or

• an original of a birth certificate - in the case of a child, certified by Apostille and accompanied by a verified translation into the Czech language.

or

• other document certifying applicant's relationship to relatives

7.     Document confirming accommodation

      an original statement from the owner of an apartment/house stating his/her ability and willingness to provide applicant´s accommodation for the time of stay (signature must be notarized by a Czech notary)

or

      In the case of a lease for an apartment/house - the original or a notarized copy of the lease contract

or

      In the case of a sublet - the original or a notarized copy of the lease contract and an affidavit signed by the owner confirming the sublet (signature must be notarized by a Czech notary)

8. Criminal History Background/ Affidavit

“Embassy of the Czech Republic in accordance with § 31 (3) para. a) of Act No. 326/1999 Coll. on the Residence permit of the Foreign Nationals in the Czech Republic, asks all applicants for long-term visas and long-term residence permit, who will submit applications at this embassy, to also submit together with the application a document similar to an extract from a criminal record issued by the Department of State of which the applicant is a national and the same document issued by the Department of States where the applicant has been continuously residing for more than 6 months in the past 3 years, or a solemn declaration/affidavit if that State does not issue such a document.”

      1. US citizens

US citizens 15 years and older are required to submit a Criminal History Background/ Affidavit (PDF, 342 KB), confirming that they have never been indicted and sentenced for a felony of any kind.

If the visa application is submitted by mail, a Notary Public must verify the signature on the affidavit; if the application is submitted in person, the affidavit can be signed in front of a consular officer. The affidavit form must state full name including a middle name, if applicable.

If the applicant lived in any other country besides the USA for 6 months or longer in the past three years, an Excerpt from a Criminal History Record issued by that country must be also submitted with the required legalization/apostille along with a certified Czech translation of both documents.

Children under the age of 15 are not required to submit the affidavit or Criminal History Record.
 

      2. Non US citizens

Non-US nationals are required to submit:

a) An Excerpt from a Criminal History Record issued by the official authority of the country of their nationality. The Excerpt from the Criminal History Record must be appropriately certified (Apostille or super-legalization) and both documents, the Criminal Record and the Apostille, must be submitted with a certified Czech translation;

 AND

b) The US Criminal History Record issued by the US official authority - FBI only - with the appropriate certification (Apostille) along with a certified Czech translation of the entire document.

The applicant must also submit an Excerpt from Criminal History Record issued by the State in which the applicant has been staying continuously for more than 6 months in the past three years. An Excerpt from Criminal History Record issued by that country must also be submitted with the required legalization/apostille along with a certified Czech translation.

Children under the age of 15 are not required to submit an Affidavit or a Criminal History Record.

 

9. Medical health/travel insurance

More details concerning travel medical insurance

List of Insurance Corporations

 

10. Schedule appointment with a visa officer 

 

Long-term visa and residence permit applicants need to schedule an appointment in advance. Please, send us an email to NewYork.Visa@mzv.gov.cz and ask for an appointment specifying the kind of long-term visa and the reason of stay.

If you need your passport during the visa process, you can withdraw it personally or send us a request and a prepaid self-addressed US Postal Service Express Mail envelope (for a price of regular express postage stamp – not purchased in a postal stamp machine - visit https://www.usps.com/). FEDEX or UPS envelopes are NOT accepted. Secure a tracking number of your envelope for the future tracking.

The Address of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic:
Consulate General of the Czech Republic
321 E 73rd Street
New York, NY 10021

TRANSLATION SERVICES

The Czech Consulate does not provide translation services. For more details please visit our website.

For more information you can also go to the website of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic at http://www.mvcr.cz/.