1. Where to apply

An application for a long-term visa for over 90 days can be filed at a Czech Embassy. You are obliged to file the application only at the Czech Embassy in the state of which you are a citizen or which issued your current travel document or in the state in which you have a long-term or permanent residence permit.

The Embassy of the Czech Republic has consular territorial competence for the following countries: Republic of South Africa, Republic of Botswana, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Mauritius, Republic of Namibia, Kingdom of Swaziland, Republic of Angola and the Republic of Madagascar.

Due to temporary closure of the Visa Section of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Harare, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Pretoria also issues visas for citizens of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Republic of Zambia, Republic of Malawi and Republic of Mozambique.

An application for a long-term visa can only be filed inside the Czech Republic in legally set cases.

You should submit the application on the completed form along with all the necessary requirements laid down by law. You should, however, always submit originals or official copies of the documents. All of the documents submitted must be made out in the Czech language or officially translated into Czech. Moreover, foreign public documents must be supported by a higher verification (Apostille, superlegalisation).

All documents issued by the relevant South African Authorities (Police Clearance Certificate, Unabridged Marriage/Birth Certificates etc.) must be apostilled by Department of International Relations and Cooperation

(please see https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities/details3/?aid=345) and then officially translated into Czech.

Contact details of a sworn translator in South Africa: Mrs. Radka Hejmalová-Millar, telephone number: +27 82 468 1401, email address: radkahej@gmail.com

1. Required documents

Along with the application for a long-term visa you must submit:

1. a travel document (original),

2. 2 photographs; not necessary if a pictorial recording has been made of the foreign national

3. proof of accommodation,

4. document on the purpose of stay,

5. proof of funds,

6. a Consent of parents or any other statutory representative or guardian to the permanent residence of a child in the Czech Republic. Consent of a parent is not required, if the parent, statutory representative or guardian making the request for a child, will stay with a child in the territory and if foreign national proves that he / she is a unable to declare consent due to reasons beyond his / her control,

    upon request you are further obliged to submit

7. document similar to an extract from the Penal Register record, issued by the state of which you are a citizen, as well as the states in which, in the last 3 years, you have resided continuously for a period longer than 6 months, or a signed affidavit in the event that this state does not issue such a document (not required from a foreign national under 15 years).

8. upon request a document proving the fulfilment of conditions set out in the measure of Ministry of Health on prevention of the spread of infectious illnesses.

   If your application is approved, prior to affixing the visa, you are obliged to submit a proof of medical travel insurance that corresponds to the specified conditions (not required if the foreign national subscribes to public health insurance or if the costs for health care are covered on the basis of an international agreement or if the foreign national can demonstrate that health care is covered in another manner), and, upon request, a document on paying the insurance presented in the proof of medical travel insurance. 

Please bring also one set of complete documentation  in copy.

Application procedure

The Czech Embassy is only competent for receiving an application for a long-term visa, the competent body for processing it is the Ministry of Interior (MOI). During the procedure the Czech Embassy communicates with the applicant, invites him/her for a hearing or calls on him/her to pick up the visa.

The application procedures are governed by the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals, the Administrative Procedure Code, and any other associated acts.

If the specified requirements have not been submitted with the application or it has other discrepancies, then during the proceedings, the MOI or the Czech Embassy can invite you for an interview, request that you complete the requirements for the application; likewise the Czech Embassy is entitled to take your fingerprints or take a pictorial record of you.

It is always necessary to file the application for a long-term visa in person (the Czech Embassy can only waive this obligation in well-substantiated cases).

The documents that you have been asked to submit by the MOI should always be submitted within the set deadlines. Not providing the requirements is a reason for not granting a visa. Naturally, during the procedure, you can submit other documents that you consider important for your application. Remember that travel documents must always be submitted in person.

The Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals sets a standard deadline of 90 days for processing an application for a long-term visa from the day it was filed. In particularly complicated cases, it is 120 days from the day of filing the application and in certain cases (for the purpose of studies, pedagogical activity or research) within 60 days of filing the application.

This visa entitles the holder to multiple departure and entry to the Czech Republic.

In the case of a positive appraisal of your application, the Czech Embassy at which you filed the application will contact you – in most cases by email – to arrange a date for picking up the long-term visa.

 In the event of not being granted a long-term visa, the MOI will inform you in writing of the reasons for not granting the long-term visa. In such a case, within 15 days of receiving the information about not being granted the long-term visa, you may request the MOI directly for a new appraisal of the reasons for not granting a visa. Within 60 days, the MOI will inform you in writing of the result of the new appraisal of the reasons for not granting a visa.                                                                                                                                     

If you have any questions you can contact us via email (pretoria.visa@mzv.gov.cz). In case of emergency you call visa department (+27 12 431 23 80).

Useful link:

http://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/a-visa-for-a-stay-of-over-90-days-long-term.aspx