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Adaptation and Integration Course - new obligation for foreign nationals

Every foreign national who, as of 1 January 2021, is issued a long-term residence permit for the territory of the Czech Republic, and also every foreign national who is issued a permanent residence permit after this date without the precondition of previous authorised stay in the territory is obliged to take the adaptation and integration course within one year of the date of collecting their residence permit.
 

 

 WHO EXACTLY MUST TAKE THE COURSE?

The obligation to take the adaptation and integration course applies to every foreign national who has been issued a long-term residence permit for the territory pursuant to § 42 or § 45 of Act No. 326/1999 Coll., on the Residence of Foreign Nationals in the Czech Republic and on amendment to certain acts, as amended, and also applies to every foreign national who is issued a long-term residence permit for the territory pursuant to § 66 or § 67 of this Act. Specifically, the course must be taken and completed by every foreign national who has been issued:

  • a long-term residence permit for the territory,
  • a long-term residence permit for the territory due to a change in purpose of stay,
  • a permanent residence permit for the territory for humanitarian reasons, specifically for a foreign national who is the spouse of an asylee, whose marriage took place before the asylee entered the territory; for an asylee’s minor child or a child dependent on the care of an asylee if that child has not applied for asylum; or for a foreign national who was a citizen of the Czech Republic in the past,
  • a permanent residence permit for the territory for reasons worthy of special consideration,
  • a permanent residence permit for the territory, if the foreign national’s stay is in the national interest of the Czech ,
  • a permanent residence permit for the territory for the child of a foreign national who holds a permanent residence permit for the territory of the Czech Republic and if the reason for the application is family unification of such foreign nationals in the territory,
  • a permanent residence permit for the territory after the cancellation of a previous permanent residence permit due to the former holder spending an uninterrupted period of six years outside the territory of the Czech Republic, or due to the former holder spending an uninterrupted period of twelve months outside the territory of the European Union,
  • a permanent residence permit having spend an uninterrupted period of four years in the territory for a foreign national residing in the territory after the completion of international protection proceedings.

 

WHO DOES THIS OBLIGATION NOT APPLY TO?

Foreign nationals who have already taken this course or who have been issued a long-term residence permit or a permanent residence permit pursuant to § 66 or § 67 before 1 January 2021 are not obliged to take the adaptation and integration course, under condition that their permit was valid as at 1 January 2021. The obligation to take the adaptation and integration course does not apply also to foreign nationals residing in the territory of the Czech Republic on the basis of:

  • a long-term residence permit for the purpose of study,
  • a long-term residence permit for the purpose of protection in the territory,
  • a long-term residence permit for the purpose of investment,
  • a long-term residence permit issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic,
  • an intra-company employee transfer card,
  • a European Union Member State intra-company employee transfer card.

The obligation to take the adaptation and integration course furthermore does not apply to foreign nationals under 15 years of age on the date of legal effect of the decision to issue their residence permit, or to foreign nationals 61 years of age or over on that date. Nor will holders of employee cards and blue cards issued under the Highly Qualified Employee and Key and Scientific Personnel governmental programmes be required to take adaptation and integration courses.

 

More information can be found on the web pages of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic.