Permanent Residence Permit for the Purpose of Family Reunification (Child of a Foreign National with a Permanent Residence Permit)
Minor foreign nationals (i.e. foreigners under 18 years of age) who are children of foreigners with a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic can apply for a permanent residence permit without having to meet the requirement of previous residence in the Czech Republic if the purpose of their application is family reunification with their parents in the Czech Republic. Applicants must apply at one of the Czech Republic’s diplomatic missions abroad. It is possible to apply in the Czech Republic only under the conditions stipulated by law.
GENERAL INFO
TO APPLY IN CZECHIA
TO APPLY FROM OUTSIDE CZECHIA
EXTENSION
Who can apply for this residence permit?
A child or a child’s legal representative (most frequently one of the parents) can apply for a permanent residence permit for the purpose of family reunification under the following conditions:
- At least one of the parents holds a valid permanent residence permit.
- The child is under 18 years of age.
- The purpose of residence is family reunification of the foreigners in the Czech Republic.
How long is this residence permit valid for?
The permanent residence permit’s validity is not limited in time, only the permit document’s validity is. A permanent residence permit document is issued for 10 years, in the case of foreign nationals under 15 years of age for 5 years. The validity of the document can be extended repeatedly.
What does this residence permit look like?
What obligations does this residence permit mean?
If you hold a permanent residence permit, you must follow the obligations for foreigners stipulated by law.
What does this residence permit enable you to do?
If you hold a valid residence permit, you can leave and re-enter the Czech Republic repeatedly. You can also travel within the Schengen Area without a visa.
As permanent residence permit holders, you also have free access to the labour market, access to the public medical insurance and a right to social welfare benefits. You can also receive a retirement pension.
Who can apply for a permanent residence permit for the purpose of family reunification (child of a foreign national with a permanent residence permit)?
A child or a child’s legal representative (most frequently one of the parents) can apply for a permanent residence permit for the purpose of family reunification if the child is staying in the Czech Republic temporarily, that is based on:
- a visa-free stay
- a short-term visa
- a visa for a stay longer than 90 days
- except for a visa for a stay longer than 90 days for the purpose of leave to remain granted under Section 33 (1e) of Act no. 326/1999 Coll.
- a long-term residence permit
How and where can you apply?
Only in person at one of the Ministry of the Interior offices. A legal representative (most frequently one of the parents) must apply for an applicant under 15 years of age. The applicant (child), does not have to be personally present at the office upon application.
What is the administrative fee?
2,500 CZK, in the case of minors under 15 years of age it is 1,000 CZK. The fee is paid in the form of stamps.
What is the time limit to process the application?
60 days. The time limit is not running if the proceedings are suspended or if there is a legal ground for it.
STEPS TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR A PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR THE PURPOSE OF FAMILY REUNIFICATION IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC:
1. Prepare the necessary documents
To apply, you will need:
- Application form
- Travel document
- Photograph
- Document certifying the purpose of residence (child’s birth certificate)
- Proof of accommodation
- Proof of funds for the residence (finances)
- Parental consent
Upon request provide also:
- Medical report
- Document similar to an extract from the Penal Register record if the child is over 15 years of age.
- Consent to disclosure for the Tax Office, and if applicable, a consent to disclosure for the person that is being assessed together with the person who is a party to the proceedings if the person who is a party to the proceedings has attached to his/her application a proof of income of the person assessed together with him/her.
Upon application you must pay an administrative fee 2,500 CZK in the form of stamps. 1,000 CZK for minors under 15 years of age.
Please review the formal requirements that the documents must meet.
2. Fill in the application form
You can fill in the application form online. Then print out the filled-in form and sign it.
You can also download a blank application form, print it out and fill it in by hand – it must be filled in legibly, in block capitals, in Latin characters, and in Czech. You can also collect the form free of charge at one of the offices of the Ministry of the Interior.
3. Make an appointment to go to a Ministry of the Interior office
Make an appointment online or by phone beforehand in order to submit your application. Although a timely appointment reservation saves your time, it is not a necessary condition for submitting the application – with no appointment reservation you have to wait for your turn.
The lack of accessible slots in the schedule of appointments does not justify your failure to submit the application in due time. If the closest accessible date of appointment is after your time limit for submitting the application expires (for example your visa-free stay would already have expired), submit the application without prior reservation. For more details see your office’s opening hours (choose the appropriate office according to the location of your reported address) to find out, which is the earliest permissible date that you can appear in person, without having made a prior reservation.
4. Submit the application
You must submit the application for a permanent residence permit in person at a Ministry of the Interior office.
If you submit the application in person, you will receive a slip confirming the submission and a reference number assigned to your application. You need to know the reference number, for example, to be able to track the state of your proceedings.
5. Wait for the decision
The Ministry of the Interior will assess your application in administrative proceedings. If any errors are detected in the attached documents, you will be prompted in writing to remedy such errors. In the notice, the Ministry will explain in detail what the errors are and what you have to do to remedy them. It will also set a time limit for you to do so. When justified and if you apply for it in writing, this time limit can be extended.
The Ministry of the Interior also checks if you meet the requirements to obtain the residence permit you are applying for. In such case you may be invited for an interview.
In the course of the administrative proceedings you can:
- Add additional documents to your application.
- Be represented in the proceedings (a Power of Attorney).
- Ask for access to your file.
- Ask for a stay in the proceedings.
- Withdraw the application (Withdrawal of the Application).
You can track the state of your proceedings online on the website under Status of my Application or in your personal account. If you were prompted to provide documents or to remedy errors, the time limit for processing your application is not running until the errors are remedied or for as long as it is established in the notice.
For more information on the state of your application you can submit a written Application for a Notification on the State of the Proceedings. You can find the most common reasons for why processing may take longer in the Database of Frequently Asked Questions.
6. Learn the result of the administrative proceedings
On the website under Status of my application you can see the following states:
- Being processed: No decision has been taken yet. For more information on what you can do in the course of the administrative proceedings please see the previous section.
- Granted: The Ministry’s decision is affirmative. Please see the following section.
- Rejected: The Ministry rejected your application or closed the proceedings. In such a case you will receive the decision in writing. You can appeal against the decision within 15 days of the date you were notified of the decision.
- The decision to reject the application consists of three basic parts:
- The Statement: It contains specific legal provisions based on which the application was rejected. It may also advise you that you must leave the country, including the time limit in which you must do so.
- The Statement of Grounds: It explains why the application was rejected and what documents and proofs served as grounds for the decision on your application.
- Your rights: It informs you on how to proceed if you wish to appeal against the decision.
- The decision to close the proceedings consists of three basic parts:
- The Statement: It contains specific legal provisions based on which the proceedings were closed.
- The Statement of Grounds: It describes the procedure and grounds that led to the proceedings being closed.
- Your rights: It informs you on how to proceed if you wish to appeal against the decision.
7. Make your appointment to have your biometric data taken
If the application is granted, make an appointment by phone to have your biometric data taken. Please note that the appointment date is binding and you must follow the Administrative Procedure Code if you request a reschedule or cancellation.
8. Come to have your biometric data taken
Come to your appointment to have your biometric data taken and bring your travel document with you. At your appointment, you will be told when to come and collect your card when it is ready. You will also receive the decision for issuance of a permanent residence permit.
9. Collect your residence permit document (biometric card)
The final step is to collect your residence permit (biometric card). The time limit for collection is 60 days from the date you had your biometric data scanned.
How and where can you apply?
You can only apply in person at one of the Czech Republic’s diplomatic missions:
- in a country that issued you with a travel document or which you are a national of, or
- in a state in which you have been granted a long-term or permanent residence permit and have been legally residing there continuously for at least 2 years (for EU countries, you can apply only in Dresden visa centre), or
- at any of the Czech Republic’s diplomatic missions if you are a national of one of these countries.
For a list of all the Czech Republic’s diplomatic missions please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Applicants under 15 years of age must submit their applications through one of their legal representatives (most frequently through one of their parents).
What is the consular fee?
2,500 CZK paid in EUR, USD or local currency. For a complete list of consular fees, including exceptions for some countries, please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
What is the time limit to process the application?
180 days.
The time limit is not running if the proceedings are suspended or if there is a legal ground for it.
STEPS TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR A PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR THE PURPOSE OF FAMILY REUNIFICATION OUTSIDE THE CZECH REPUBLIC:
1. Prepare the necessary documents
To apply, you will need:
- Application form
- Travel document
- Proof of accommodation
- Proof of funds for the residence (finances)
- Photograph
- Parental consent
- Document certifying the purpose of residence (child’s birth certificate)
Upon request provide also:
- Medical report
- Document similar to an extract from the Penal Register record if the child is over 15 years of age
- Consent to disclosure for the Tax Office, and if applicable, a consent to disclosure for the person that is being assessed together with the person who is a party to the proceedings if the person who is a party to the proceedings has attached to his/her application a proof of income of the person assessed together with him/her
Upon application you must pay a consular fee 2,500 CZK. For a complete list of consular fees, including exceptions for some countries, please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Please review the formal requirements that the documents must meet.
2. Fill in the application form
You can fill in the application form online. Then print out the filled-in form and sign it.
You can also download a blank application form, print it out and fill it in by hand – it must be filled in legibly, in block capitals and in Latin characters. You can also collect the form free of charge at a Czech Republic’s diplomatic mission.
3. Contact the diplomatic mission where you want to submit your application
Before submitting the application, contact the diplomatic mission and make an appointment. For a list of all the Czech Republic’s diplomatic missions and their contact details please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
4. Submit the application
You must submit the application in person. In justified cases a diplomatic mission may waive the obligation to submit the application in person.
5. Wait for the decision
The diplomatic mission will turn your application over to the Ministry of the Interior.
The Ministry of the Interior will assess your application in administrative proceedings. If any errors are detected in the attached documents, you will be prompted in writing to remedy such errors. In the notice, the Ministry will explain in detail what the errors are and what you have to do to remedy them. It will also set a time limit for you to do so. When justified and if you apply for it in writing, this time limit can be extended.
The Ministry of the Interior also checks if you meet the requirements to obtain the residence permit you are applying for. In such case you may be invited for an interview.
In the course of the administrative proceedings you can:
- Add additional documents to your application.
- Be represented in the proceedings (a Power of Attorney).
- Ask for access to your file.
- Ask for a stay in the proceedings.
- Withdraw the application (Withdrawal of the Application).
You can track the state of your proceedings online on the website under Status of my Application or in your personal account. If you were prompted to provide documents or to remedy errors, the time limit for processing your application is not running until the errors are remedied or for as long as it is established in the notice.
For more information on the state of your application you can submit a written Application for a Notification on the State of the Proceedings. You can find the most common reasons for why processing may take longer in the Database of Frequently Asked Questions.
6. Learn the result of the administrative proceedings
On the website under Status of my application you can see the following states:
- Being processed: No decision has been taken yet. For more information on what you can do in the course of the administrative proceedings please see the previous section.
- Granted: The Ministry’s decision is affirmative. Please see the following section.
- Rejected: The Ministry rejected your application or closed the proceedings. In such a case you will receive the decision in writing. You can appeal against the decision within 15 days of the date you were notified of the decision.
- The decision to reject the application consists of three basic parts:
- The Statement: It contains specific legal provisions based on which the application was rejected. It may also advise you that you must leave the country, including the time limit in which you must do so.
- The Statement of Grounds: It explains why the application was rejected and what documents and proofs served as grounds for the decision on your application.
- Your rights: It informs you on how to proceed if you wish to appeal against the decision.
- The decision to close the proceedings consists of three basic parts:
- The Statement: It contains specific legal provisions based on which the proceedings were closed.
- The Statement of Grounds: It describes the procedure and grounds that led to the proceedings being closed.
- Your rights: It informs you on how to proceed if you wish to appeal against the decision.
7. Collect your entry visa at the diplomatic mission and provide your medical insurance document
If the application is granted, come to the diplomatic mission in order to collect your entry visa – visa for a stay longer than 90 days for the purpose of collecting a residence permit (D/VR). A diplomatic mission’s employee will contact you beforehand in order to schedule an appointment with you. You do not need a D/VR visa if you can enter the Czech Republic in another way, e.g. without a visa with a biometric passport.
8. Get registered at a Ministry of the Interior office upon your arrival
In case you have been granted a D/VR visa, you have to register at an office of the Ministry of the Interior within 30 calendar days of your arrival to the Czech Republic. If you are able to legally enter the Czech Republic in a different way, for example without a visa while having a biometric passport, you have to register within 3 days of your arrival. You will also receive the decision for issuance of a permanent residence permit.
9. Come to have your biometric data taken
Come to the scheduled biometric data scanning appointment. Take your travel document with you. At the biometric data scanning you will agree on a date to collect your completed biometric card.
10. Collect your residence permit document (biometric card)
The final step is to collect your residence permit (biometric card). The time limit for collection is 60 days from the date you had your biometric data scanned.
Under what conditions can you apply for an extension of the validity of your permanent residence permit?
The permit itself does not need to be extended. What needs extending is only the validity of the residence permit document.