If a third-country national is a holder of a valid long-term residence permit in the territory of the Czech Republic or a holder of a permanent residence permit and he/she has been living in the territory of the Czech Republic for at least 15 months or if a third-country national is a holder of the Employee Card and he/she has been living in the territory of the Czech Republic at least 6 months and if his/her family members intend to live in the territory of the Czech Republic together with him/her, they are entitled to apply for family reunification.
According to the Law, as family members of this third-country national are considered:
- spouse ( inc. registered partner);
- minor children or dependent adult children of those third-country national of his/her spouse;
- minor children under a care of a third-country citizen;
- lonely relatives older than 65 years or dependent relatives being under a supervisor of a third-country national due to health reasons.
Where and how to apply
The application for issuing a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification has to be lodged at the Embassy of the Czech Republic abroad. A third-country national is entitled to lodge the application at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in the state of which he/she is a citizen, or that issued his/her travel document or in the state where he/she has a long-term or permanent residence permit. Compliance with this condition is waived for a third-country national who is a citizen of a state that belongs to the list of countries whose citizens are entitled to file the application at any Embassy of the Czech Republic abroad. A third-country national who is already residing in the territory of the Czech Republic based on a long-term visa or a long-term residence permit for another purpose (i.e. different than family reunification) is entitled to lodge this application at the office of the Ministry of the Interior in the territory of the Czech Republic. In that case, he/she is obliged to lodge the application until the very end of validity of such residence permit. The application for issuing a long-term residence permit has to be filled in an official form. Submission of this application is charged with the administrative fee equal to 2 500 CZK. In case the administrative fee is paid at the Embassy of the Czech Republic abroad, it is generally paid in the foreign currency. Otherwise, if the application is lodged in the territory of the Czech Republic, the administrative fee has to be paid in the form of a revenue stamp(s). | |
Documents required | To obtain a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification, a third-country national must submit:
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Further requirements | Originals or other officially authenticated copies of all of the attached documents must be submitted. Travel documents must be submitted in original. All submitted documents in foreign languages must be submitted in their original version and with an officially certified translation into the Czech language. The required attachments to the applications must not be older than 180 days, except for travel documents and the photograph of the third-country national, provided that corresponds to his/her current appearance. If a third-country national has applied for issuing the long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification at the Embassy of the Czech Republic abroad and his/her application has been approved, If the application was lodged at the Embassy of the Czech Republic abroad and if it was approved, the appropriate Embassy will issue a long-term visa for the purpose of receiving a long-term residence permit. Upon arrival in the Czech Republic, a third-country citizen is obliged to visit an appropriate office of the Ministry of the Interior within 3 days. A third-country citizen has to provide biometric data at this office because of the production of a residence card. The residence card then will be issued at latest 60 days. |
Duration of validity of permits | A long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification will be issued for a period corresponding to the validity of the residence permit issued to the person with whom you are to be reunited, however no less than:
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Conditions for renewal | The validity of a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification can be repeatedly extended. The application for an extension of the validity of this residence permit has to be lodged in the territory of the Czech Republic at the office of the Ministry of the Interior. A holder of this residence permit has to lodge the application for an extension of the validity before the expiration of the validity of the previous permit at the latest, but not sooner than 120 days before its expiry. The validity of a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification could be extended for a period corresponding to the validity of the residence card issued to the person with whom the applicant is reunited, or for five years if the person with whom the applicant is reunited is a holder of a permanent residence permit. Detailed information about an extending the validity of this residence permit |
Appeals | A third-country national can appeal a refusal to issue a long-term residence permit by requesting that the Ministry of the Interior reassess his/her application within 15 days of the original decision being delivered to him/her. A special Commission at the Ministry of the Interior will examine and make a decision about the request. |
Further information | Detailed information about a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification |
Access to employment
A third-country citizen who resides in the territory of the Czech Republic based on a valid long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification is entitled to work without any special permit (i.e. he/she does not need to apply for the Employee Card, the Blue Card, for issuing the working permit, etc.). A holder of this residence permit has a free access to the labour market in the territory of the Czech Republic for Detailed information about a free entry to the Labour market | |
Change of the employment | In the context of free access of a holder of this residence permit to the labour market in the territory of the Czech Republic there are no limits for changing the employment. Therefore, a third-country national who resides in the territory of the Czech Republic based on this residence permit is not obliged to report to the Ministry of the Interior any changes or apply for a working permit anyway. |
Access to education | A third-country national who resides in the territory of the Czech Republic based on a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification is not limited in access to education. If he/she will decide to participate in education, he/she will not be limited by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. |
Change of status | A third-country national who is a holder of a long-term residence permit in the territory of the Czech Republic (incl.the long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification) who intends to reside in the territory for another purpose than the one that he/she was granted the permit is obliged to apply to the Ministry of the Interior for a new long-term residence permit. If he/she intends to stay in the territory of the Czech Republic for the purpose of business (i.e. if a third-country national intends to became a self-worker), it is possible to lodge the application if he/she has been living in the territory for longer than 3 years or if he/she reaches 18 years of age. Detailed information about the change of the purpose of residence |