US citizens are not required to hold a Schengen short term visa for a stay, which does not exceed 90 days under the condition that the stay is not profitable. Under these conditions, US citizens are allowed to travel to the Schengen Area without visa.

List of Schengen area countries may be found at europa.eu.

Visa applicants need to schedule an appointment in advance by email: visa.washington@mzv.cz. Our opening hours for public are every business day 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM. You can also contact us by phone 202-274-9103 from Monday to Thursday between 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM. You will be provided by an appointment at the earliest possible date.

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE

Please inform the consular officer if you:

• have visited any affected country or region in the past 14 days
• were in contact with any person infected with COVID-19
• did participate in any gathering that was attended by a person infected with COVID-19

 

All Schengen States´consulates in the USA use the Visa Information System (VIS). Schengen visa applicants will have to appear in person at the Embassy or Consulate General when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints and an interview.

If you reside in the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago, New York or Los Angeles, please contact these offices directly for information concerning visa application.

You can acquire more details concerning submitting fingerprints here

List of states whose citizens are exempt from Schengen visa requirement

List of states whose citizens are required to hold Schengen visa

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Where to apply

Who should apply

When should the application be submitted

Required documents

Additional documents may be required

VISA Information system

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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, according to the Visa Code, Article 5:

1. If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of that particular country.
2. 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 - main purpose of stay.
3. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries but do not have a main destination (a main purpose of stay), you should apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country where you intend to stay the longest time (if the lenght of time is the same in each Schengen country then you have to apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the county which is your first point of entry).
4. 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.

If the Czech Republic is the propriate country, you may submit your application at the Consular Office (of the Embassy or Consulates General of the Czech Republic) in accordance with the jurisdiction where you permanently reside.
 

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Who should apply

All visa applications must be made in person, during our business hours, well in advance at the Embassy or Consulate in which jurisdiction you reside.
 

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When should the application be submitted

Application for a Schengen (short-term) visa may be filed within 6 months before the planned trip. It is recommended not to file a visa application later than 15 days before the trip - as it cannot be guaranteed it will be reviewed in time. In most cases, visa applications are processed within 15 days. In exceptional cases, the review period can be extended up to 30 days. Holders of multiple Schengen (short-term) visa can file a visa application before this visa has expired, provided it has been valid for at least 6 months.
 

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Required documents

The following documents should be submitted by each applicant:

1. Completed visa application form  

You will find Schengen visa form in the article APPLICATION FORMS FOR VISAS AND RESIDENCE on the web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

This form can be completed and printed online but you have to sign the form in front of the visa officer. Please use the INTERNET EXPLORER browser to fill in the form.

Be sure to choose a SCHENGEN VISA FORM not a Long Term Visa Form.
 

2. Passport or official travel document

The applicant shall present a valid travel document satisfying the following criteria:

1. its validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory,
2. it shall contain at least two blank pages
3. it shall have been issued within the previous 10 years.

Please bring the original passport together with copies of its data page and all the schengen visas issued before (if available).

3. Documents proving the legal status in US - original Alien Registration Card (Green Card), a Green card Stamp in your passport, an
Advance Parole or a valid long-term US Visa (F1, H1B etc.) must be provided along with a valid I-94 departure record. Students should also submit the original validated I-20, DS-2019 or IAP-66.

The US residence permit or long-term visa should be valid at least 3 months beyond the intended departure from the Schengen member state territory.
 

4. 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 or black and white. It must be of clear and good quality and printed on regular photographic paper.

Photos that do not comply with these standards should not be accepted!

Children travelling with their parents on their parent´s passport do need their own visa with a photo (free of charge under 6 years of age). However, 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).

5. Proof that you can proceed to the next country after you have visited the Schengen countries, i.e. confirmed itinerary / airline reservation or airline ticket and required visa.

6. Proof of sufficient funds for your intended stay in the Czech Republic, e.g. personal bank statement  during last three monts (must show your name and address).

7. Letter of continued employment including income statement of the last three months. If you are self employed a business license and tax return forms are required.

8. Proof establishing the purpose of your trip (the submitted documents cannot exceed the 90 days limit):

1. tourism (confirmed hotel reservation, invitation letter with verified signature, itinerary etc.)
2. medical treatment (health/medical facility confirmation etc.)
3. business trip (business relations confirmation, invitation/application for participation in consultations, supporting letter from the hosting company)
4. seminar/conference (invitation/ticket for congress, expo, conference, seminar etc.)
5. culture/sport (confirmation about cultural/sport activities in the Czech Republic etc.)
6. study (acceptance letter from the school, registration letter etc.)
7. scientific research (hosting agreement with a research institution etc.)
8. emloyment (work permit issued by the Employment Office or employment contract,if the type of work is exempt from the work permit in accordance with Act. No. 435/2004 Coll. on employment)
9. official invitation (formal invitation authorized by the Alien Police)

-         the formal invitation replaces some required supporting documents as financial funds and proof of accommodation

-         the invitation form is submitted in its original by the visa applicant

9. Proof of accommodation

Documents relating to accommodation can include a hotel booking, hotel voucher, spa voucher, private invitation with name and address of the inviting person and visit dates, official invitation issued by the Alien Police, undertaking of an inviting party to provide accommodation etc.

 

10. Travel medical health insurance covering medical expenses while travelling that meets the following criteria:

1. It is valid throughout the Czech Republic/Schengen territory.
2. It is valid during the entire period that you will be in the Czech Republic/Schengen territory.
3. The coverage is at least € 30,000 (US $45,000).
4. The coverage includes evacuation, repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical care and/or emergency treatment in a hospital.
5. Please be aware that we require your insurance to have NO DEDUCTIBLE

11. For the visa fee click here - cash or money order payable to Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington only.

Personal or business checks are NOT accepted. Visa fees vary depending upon the exchange rate between the Czech and EUR currency.

Visa fees are non-refundable.

12. If you would like to send your passport back, please bring a certified pre-paid envelope with a sufficient stamp or an already pre-paid and valid label (only certified mail with a tracking number). You can use for example USPS PRIORITY MAIL FLAT RATE ENVELOPE - EP14F  or  PRIORITY MAIL EXPRESS FLAT RATE ENVELOPE - EP13F with appropriate stamp or label or UPS envelope with an already pre-paid and valid label or FedEx envelope with an already pre-paid and valid label. It is recommended to use following envelope size 12.5"L x 9.5"W.  Don´t forget to print/write your full postal address on the envelope. We will send the passport with visa in it. ​

 

• For future tracking, we suggest you to make a record of the of tracking number. 

 

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Additional documents may be required

Please note:

The Consular Department has full authority to evaluate and request more documents than those submitted by the applicant. The applicant is hereby informed that submitting the aforementioned documents does not guarantee automatic issuance of the visa.

According to the Visa Code, Article 24, a uniform visa allows the holder to travel in the entire territory of the Schengen area.

Previous stays within the territory of a Member State on the basis of a national long-stay visa or a residence permit have no influence on the stays allowed by a uniform visa or a visa with limited territorial validity.
 

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VISA Information system

As from 15 May 2014 all Schengen States´ consulates in the USA  use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security.

The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State´s consulate.

For the purpose of the VIS, applicants are  required to provide their biometric data - fingerprints- while applying for a Schengen visa. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database.

Therefore, all Schengen visa applicants will have to appear in person at the Embassy or Consulate General when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS.

Exemptions from the fingerprinting requirement are provided for:

- children under the age of twelve

- persons for whom the collection of fingerprints is physically impossible

- heads of State, members of the national Governments, sovereigns,members of a royal family (under specific conditions)

 

Important!!! Visa applicants need to schedule and appointment in advance!!!  Preferred by email: visa.washington@mzv.cz. Our opening hours for public are every business day 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM. You can also contact us by phone 202-274-9103 from Monday to Thursday between 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM.. Our opening hours are every business day 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM.

Important!!! If you would like to send your passport back, please enclose to your visa application package a certified pre-paid envelope USPS with a sufficient stamp. For future tracking we suggest to make a record of the tracking number.

We recommend using:

• a certified pre-paid envelope with a sufficient stamp or an already pre-paid label (only certified mail with a tracking number). You can use for example USPS PRIORITY MAIL FLAT RATE ENVELOPE - EP14F  or  PRIORITY MAIL EXPRESS FLAT RATE ENVELOPE - EP13F with appropriate stamp or label or UPS envelope with an already pre-paid label or FedEx envelope with an already pre-paid label. It is recommended to use following envelope size 12.5"L x 9.5"W.   Don´t forget to print/write your full postal address on the envelope. We will send the passport with visa in it.

 

• For future tracking, we suggest you to make a record of the of tracking number. 

 

*Please be advised that visas can be collected in person at the Embassy. Should a client prefer to use mail services, they are free to select their preferred delivery service (USPS, UPS, FedEx). IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE EMBASSY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY IN SUCH DELIVERY SERVICES AND THEIR SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY TO THE INTENDED ADDRESS.

 

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Useful links

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
• Visa Code