Application for Temporary Residence – Unmarried Partner

An unmarried partner is classified as a so-called "extended" family member; the conditions for temporary residence for extended family members are stricter than those for "close" family members (typically a spouse). For instance, an extended family member must demonstrate sufficient financial means for their stay (see below) and faces a more complex process in proving their status as a family member.

Application

The application for a temporary residence permit must be submitted using a specific, mandatory form (available here).

The relationship of an unmarried partner falls under the category "Bb) UNMARRIED PARTNER," which must be selected on the application form.

Application attachments/requirements

1. Travel document

2. Photograph

3. Original document confirming that the partner (cohabiting partner) is a family member of an EU citizen (Czech citizen)

the application form itself mentions the option of submitting joint photographs taken at various locations and times, documents regarding shared holidays, joint investments, and the like; it also notes the possibility of proposing the questioning of witnesses (friends or family members), as well as the questioning of the applicant and the EU citizen (Czech citizen),

other documents proving the lasting partnership between the applicant and the EU citizen (Czech citizen), depending on the applicant's specific situation

4. Proof of accommodation

5. Health insurance

• standard practice is to submit travel health insurance covering the entire duration of the intended stay;
• submission is not required if the applicant is employed and thus covered by the public health insurance system; in such a case, the health insurance card is submitted

6. Proof of residence of the EU citizen (Czech citizen) in the territory

• if, for example, the person is a Czech citizen registered for permanent residence, no further documentation is required in this regard

7. Proof of sufficient funds for residence in the territory

• the applicant must demonstrate that the family's aggregate monthly income following reunification will not be lower than the sum of the subsistence minimum amounts for family members and the amounts for the maximum normative rent and energy flat-rate allowance (as established for the housing component of state social assistance benefits), or the amount the foreign national proves represents the actual, justified housing costs incurred by the family
• if the applicant or EU citizen (Czech citizen) receives income from employment, the employer must certify the relevant form, stating the amount of income;

8. Upon request, the applicant is also required to submit a declaration waiving the tax authority's duty of confidentiality—covering the full scope of data—for the purpose of verifying the family's total monthly income.

Place of submission

The application is submitted at an office of the Ministry of the Interior (Department for Asylum and Migration Policy); while the law does not mandate a specific local jurisdiction for Ministry of the Interior offices, it is recommended to submit the application at the office corresponding to the applicant's place of residence.

Administrative fee

An administrative fee of CZK 200 is charged for accepting the application; this can only be paid by payment card at the Ministry of the Interior office.

Personal submission

The application must be submitted by the applicant in person; this means it cannot be sent by mail, nor can it be submitted by an authorized representative.

Timing of submission

The Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals stipulates an obligation to submit the application within three months of the date the foreign national becomes a family member of an EU citizen; however, this does not preclude submitting the application at a later date.

Course of the proceedings

The decision should be issued within 60 days of the application being submitted, though in practice, it often takes considerably longer.

During the proceedings, the Police of the Czech Republic will routinely conduct a residence check at the applicant's home (briefly verifying that they actually live together with the EU citizen), and the Ministry of the Interior may also summon the applicant and the EU citizen (or Czech citizen) for separate interviews, asking both parties for details regarding their life together (circumstances of how they met, relationships with family members, etc.).