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Short-term visa - general information

General information concerning a short term (Schengen) visa application

PLEASE NOTE: The reference period of 180 days within which the foreigner can spend for up to 90 days in the Schengen area will be looked at backwards from each day of the stay (i.e. the calculation of stay will be done within 180 days preceding each day of stay).

The applicants are entitled to apply for the visa for up to 90 days within any 180 days. The application will be processed in regards to the previous stays in the Schengen area and the supporting documents submitted with the application. The same calculation system will be applied for those third country nationals who do not need a visa in order to stay within the Schengen area for a stay up to 90 days.

Administrative bodies and travellers have access to a practical tool/internet application called Schengen calculator, allowing them to calculate the period of allowed stay under the new rules (based on the input of the information on the date of entry and dates of previous stays). Based on this calculation it will be possible to calculate the number of days of a legal stay within the Schengen area that can be applied for. The calculator can be found on the website of the European Commission clicking on the link „short stay calculator“. The website contains also the user manual of the Schengen calculator.

If you plan to travel to the Czech Republic you should go through following information to determine if you need a visa to enter the Czech Republic and what kind of visa should you apply for.

If you are holding a passport issued by any country which is on the visa waiver list and you are planning to travel in the period of time not exceeding the maximum period of stay mentioned in the list (usually 90 days) within 6 months period, then you do not need a Schengen visa and you may travel to the Czech Republic, only with your passport and sufficient funds for your stay.

In case your country is not on the list, you need a Schengen visa.

With a Schengen visa, a visitor may stay up to a maximum of 90 days in the Schengen area within a 6 months period. If the visitor used up all the 90 days, he/she has to leave the Schengen area and may only reenter after 3 months of being abroad.

Important:

Please note that the duration of stay on the visa will be based upon validity of your travel medical insurance (TMI). Hence, if you intend to stay for 1 week, the issued visa will be valid for 1 week. However, it is strongly recommended to have the TMI with a valitidy exceeding your planned stay by at least 15 more days.

 

WHERE TO APPLY

As listed by importance, the following rules apply by which you may determine at which office you should apply for the visa:

  • If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of that particular country.
  • If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your main destination.
  • If you intend to visit several Schengen countries but do not have a main destination, you should apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your first point of entry.
  • If you do not need a visa for the Schengen country which is your main destination or first point of entry, please note that you may require a visa for the other Schengen countries you wish to visit. You should then apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the first Schengen country which requires you to have a visa.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

All visa applications must be submitted in person at the respective Embassy (by prior appointment only).

WHEN TO APPLY

Please note that authorization is required from the competent authorities of Schengen countries. As this procedure takes considerable time, it is advisable to apply for your visa well in advance. Applications can be submitted a maximum of 3 months before the date of departure.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

Applications must be submitted in person. The following documents should be submitted by each applicant:

  • The Schengen visa application form filled in. You can download and fill in the electronic version of the form and subsequently print it (or print it first and fill in then). The form is also available during the office hours at the Visa Office of the Embassy.

  • Original of passport or official travel document recognized by the Schengen countries with a validity that exceeds the intended stay of the applicant on the territory of the EU-Member States by at least 3 months. Please make sure that the passport has at least two blank pages to affix the visa. The passport must be signed by the bearer. The passport must be issued within the previous 10 years. Passports with extended validity shall not be accepted. Kindly note that damaged passports (i.e. with torn pages, damaged by liquids etc.) are not accepted; in this case the application is deemed inadmissible and therefore will not be processed.

    • Minors of age 15 years and older must hold their own passport. Children below 15 years of age travelling with their parents on their parent´s passport do need their own visa with a photo. Applicants should also submit one recent passport size photograph for every child travelling with them. Please make sure that you have enough pages to affix the visas for you and your child(ren).

      Additional general requirements for minors (under 18) who are travelling without or with only one parent·
      ·      Written consent from the parent/parents (not travelling with the child) is needed. The written consent must have a stamp of a Notary public and has to be presented in original with a copy. If there is only one custodian, a birth certificate, the court decision about the custody, death certificate and/or other document has to be presented.
      ·      Copies of the international or national passport of the parents.
      ·       Birth certificate - original and copy.

  • One recent passport photograph of one's entire face, which shows a clear and exact likeness of the applicant (without sunglasses or head covering, unless it is on account of religious or medical reasons). The photo must be taken against a plain, light background with a good contrast in color, it must be of clear and good quality and printed on regular photographic paper.
  • All valid international passports in original and the expired one (if available).
  • National ID - original and copy. 
  • Supporting documents in addition to the general requirements according to respective purspose of journey
  • Travel Medical Insurance (TMI) that meets the following criteria:

o The insurance has been issued by the accredited insurance company
o It is valid throughout the Schengen Area.
o It is valid during the entire period that you will be in the Schengen Area.
o The coverage is at least € 30,000.
o The coverage includes repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical care and/or emergency treatment in a hospital.

  • Cash to pay the visa fee (80 EUR for the standard Schengen visa application). Credit cards, personal or business checks are NOT accepted. The visa fees are non-refundable. The Embassy does not accept any responsibility for lost or damaged documentation.

Please note:

The Visa Office of the Embassy has the authority to evaluate and request more documents than those submitted by the applicant, therefore, always include your mobile or home or office telephone number with your application.

The applicant is hereby informed that submitting the aforementioned documents does not guarantee the automatic issuance of the visa.

If you are a family member (the spouse, the partner with whom the EU citizen has contracted a registered partnership, the direct descendants who are under the age of 21 or the dependent direct relatives in the ascending line) of citizens of the EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or Liechtenstein, your visa application will be processed free of charge. You will have to proove your relation to the EU citizen and his/her EU citizenship, but you will not have to present your TMI, airline ticket, proof of sufficient funds and employment letter. In case your visa application would be refused, you would receive a visa refusal information stating full reasons for such decision. You may appeal against the decision within 15 (fifteen) days after the delivery of the visa refusal information. Written appeal needs to be addressed to the Embassy or Consulate which processed your visa application and must contain full name of the applicant, date and place of birth, nationality, passport number and a specification of the grounds on which the appeal stands.

Further information can be found at the EU Commission website.