Application for Czech Citizenship – Conditions, Application Requirements, and Procedure

Conditions for granting Czech citizenship

I. Basic prerequisites for granting Czech citizenship:

The applicant:

1. is integrated into the society of the Czech Republic, particularly in terms of family (the intensity and number of the applicant's family and personal ties to citizens of the Czech Republic), employment (the applicant's standing in the labour market), and social aspects (e.g., participation in the functioning of society, involvement in associations, the extent of the applicant's engagement in social life, and the adoption of cultural traditions)

it is not necessary to meet all three conditions simultaneously; for instance, a lack of family integration does not necessarily constitute an obstacle to the granting of Czech citizenship

2. does not endanger state security, state sovereignty and territorial integrity, democratic foundations, or lives, health, or property

The Ministry of the Interior shall request an opinion from security agencies

II. Additional conditions for granting Czech citizenship

1. The applicant has held permanent residence continuously for at least 5 years (3 years for EU citizens), or currently holds permanent residence and has a total period of residence of at least 10 years.

2. The applicant must prove actual presence in the Czech Republic for at least half of the total residence period. The following count towards this period:

• periods of absence not exceeding 2 consecutive months
• periods of absence not exceeding 6 consecutive months for a serious reason

3. The applicant has not been convicted with finality of a negligent criminal offense resulting in an unconditional prison sentence, or of an intentional criminal offense; in certain cases, this also applies to convictions abroad (in the country of origin or a country of previous residence).

4. The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of the Czech language; this requirement does not apply to applicants who can prove they previously attended primary, secondary, or higher education for at least three school years with Czech as the language of instruction.

5. The applicant demonstrates knowledge of the Czech Republic (the constitutional system of the Czech Republic and a basic understanding of the cultural, social, geographical, and historical context of the Czech Republic) – a former student is exempt from this requirement, just as with the previous point.

6. The applicant has not, within the last 3 years, seriously breached obligations arising from legal regulations governing:

• the entry and residence of foreigners in the territory of the Czech Republic
• public health insurance
• social security
• pension insurance
• employment
• taxes, customs duties, levies, and fees
• maintenance obligations towards a child with permanent residence in the territory of the Czech Republic
• public law obligations to the municipality where the applicant is registered for residence, regarding obligations imposed by the municipality within its independent jurisdiction.

7. The applicant demonstrates the amount and sources of their income and that they pay tax on the declared income; the applicant is required to prove this for the 3-year period preceding the date of the application.

8. The applicant demonstrates that their stay in the territory of the Czech Republic during the 3 years preceding the date of the application did not place a significant burden—without serious reason—on the state social support system, the state social assistance benefit system, or the material need assistance system.

Requirements for the application for Czech citizenship

The application must be accompanied, in particular, by the following documents:

• birth certificate,
• marriage certificate, or proof of divorce (if the marriage was dissolved) or the death certificate of the deceased spouse,
• a curriculum vitae (CV) written in Czech, in which the applicant details, in particular, their residence in the Czech Republic (including the duration of any stays abroad during that period), employment or other gainful activity, studies in the Czech Republic, and family and social life,
• documents proving the applicant's residence in the Czech Republic and any stays abroad,
• a foreign criminal record extract – required only if the period of residence in the Czech Republic is less than 10 years,
• proof of having passed the Czech language exam and the exam on Czech Republic,
• documents proving the sources of the applicant's financial means for covering living expenses in the Czech Republic,
• an applicant who performs or has performed dependent work in the Czech Republic must also attach the following to the application:

1. confirmation of employment, including information on income level,
2. employment contracts or confirmation of employment, or other documents proving the applicant's work activities in the Czech Republic.

• confirmations from the tax authority and the customs authority, issued no more than 30 days prior, stating that the applicant has no recorded outstanding arrears
• confirmations from the Czech Social Security Administration (ČSSZ) and the health insurance company stating that the applicant has no outstanding arrears regarding social security contributions or public health insurance premiums
• confirmation from the Labour Office regarding the receipt (or non-receipt) of state social support benefits or material need assistance
• depending on the applicant's specific situation, the Ministry of the Interior may request additional documents—for example, regarding employment and business activities (extract from the Trade Register, tax returns, etc.), public health insurance, and compliance with obligations concerning taxes, levies, fees, and social security

Document verification and translation

Documents issued by foreign authorities (e.g., civil registry documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, etc.) must bear higher-level verification (super-legalization or an Apostille)—unless an international treaty stipulates otherwise—and must be officially translated into Czech if issued in a foreign language.

Procedure

The application for the granting of Czech citizenship must be submitted in person.

The application for Czech citizenship in the Czech Republic is submitted to the municipal district office (Prague 1 through 22) or the regional authority (Krajský úřad in Czech) having jurisdiction over the applicant's place of permanent residence. The competent authority fills out the questionnaire and the application for the granting of state citizenship together with the applicant; it then forwards the application—along with its own opinion, the opinion of the municipal authority from the applicant's place of residence, and other supporting documents—to the Ministry of the Interior. The Ministry decides on the application within six months of receiving it from the municipal district or regional authority.

An administrative fee is payable upon submission of the application: CZK 2,000 for an adult applicant, or CZK 500 for a minor applicant or a person granted asylum.

The information provided is based primarily on Act No. 186/2013 Coll., on Czech citizenship and amending certain acts (the Act on Czech Citizenship), and on the website of the Ministry of the Interior: www.mvcr.cz.