Residence of a Child Born in the Czech Republic
If your child is born in the Czech Republic, s/he can stay temporarily in the country for a maximum period of 60 days. Within this period, s/he must either leave the country, or you can apply for a residence permit or a visa for the child at a Ministry of the Interior office.
Under what conditions can you apply for a residence permit for a child born in the Czech Republic?
The child´s parent (or legal representative) must file the application within 60 days from the date of the child´s birth. You can apply for:
- Permanent residence permit – if at least one of the parents is a holder of a valid permanent residence permit.
- Long-term residence permit – if at least one of the parents is a holder of a valid long-term residence permit (including, for instance, an employee card).
- Long-term visa – if at least one of the parents is a holder of a valid long-term visa.
- Short-term visa – if at least one of the parents is a holder of a valid short-term visa. In this case, apply at the Foreign Police.
The 60-day time limit is deemed to be extended if the application could not be submitted within this time limit for reasons beyond one’s control. The time limit is deemed to be extended until these reasons cease to exist. You must notify the Police or the Ministry of the Interior of these reasons immediately.
How to handle the child’s insurance?
- In the case of a permanent residence permit application, the child’s medical insurance is fully covered by the State. The child is deemed to have a permanent residence permit from the moment s/he was born until the decision on the application is final – the child is, therefore, covered by the public medical insurance system from the moment s/he was born. Upon application, you receive a slip confirming the application submission, which you then give to the medical insurance company.
- If the child’s mother is a long-term residence permit holder, such a child remains a participant of the Public Health Insurance System for the entire period during which proceedings on the application for a long-term residence permit are running.
- However, an Application for a Residence Permit must be filed within 60 days from the birth of the child.
- The child’s legal representative, trustee or guardian is obliged to pay the premium. S/he is also obliged to fulfill the duty of registering the child with a Health Insurance Company of his/her own choice, within 8 calendar days of the birth of the child.
- After obtaining a long-term residence permit, the child remains covered by public health insurance until the age of 18.
- If neither of the parents holds a permanent residence permit or if mother does not hold a long-term residence permit, the child must be insured with comprehensive medical insurance from the date of his/her birth at any insurance company authorised to provide the insurance in the Czech Republic.
How and where can you apply?
Only in person at one of the Ministry of the Interior offices. The application must be submitted by a legal representative (most frequently one of the parents). Neither the other parent nor the child needs to be present.
What is the administrative fee?
1,000 CZK 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 RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR A CHILD BORN IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC:
1. Prepare the necessary documents
To apply, you will need:
- Application form (according to the type of requested residence permit)
- The child’s travel document.
- The child’s birth certificate.
In the case of a visa application also:
- Proof of travel medical insurance for the child’s stay in the Czech Republic or a sworn declaration that the parents will cover the costs related to the health care received by the child.
Upon application you must pay an administrative fee 1,000 CZK in the form of stamps.
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.
A lack of free appointment slots will not be considered a reason for a late submission. If the offered appointment slot is after the 60-day time limit since the child’s birth expires, submit the application without an appointment. Please see your office’s (according to your reported address) opening hours to find out when you can visit the office without an appointment.
4. Submit the application
You must submit the application 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.
In the case of a permanent residence permit application, you will receive a slip confirming the submission when you submit the application. Give the slip to your medical insurance company.
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.
In the case of a long-term visa, make an appointment to receive the visa.
8. 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.
In the case of a long-term visa application, you will receive the visa in your passport when you come to the Ministry office. By this, the whole process will be concluded and no more visits to the Ministry offices will be necessary.
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.