Continuous Residence

A permanent residence permit may be granted if a foreigner submits application for it and if the foreigner have resided in the territory of Czech Republic continuously for at least 5 years to the day of submission. Here you can find out what counts towards the period of continuous residence.

What counts towards the period of continuous residence in full length (with exceptions listed below)1:

  • residence in the territory based on a visa for stay longer than 90 days and with a long-term residence permit (including the period during which the foreigner legally resided in the Czech Republic based on of the fiction of residence),
  • residence as a person granted asylum or subsidiary protection in the Czech Republic,
  • residence in the territory as a Blue Card holder in another EU Member State, if:
    • the Blue Card holder is holder of the Blue Card issued by the Czech Republic and based on this permit had resided in the territory of the Czech Republic for at least 2 years, and at the same time
    • the Blue Card holder had resided in the territory of another EU Member State for at least 1 year.
  • Residence in the territory for the purpose of scientific research or study in another EU Member State in the case of Blue Card holders,
  • residence in the territory under temporary protection, of the application is submitted by a family member of an EU citizen,
  • residence in the territory based on a temporary residence permit as a family member of an EU citizen, including the processing period during which the application was processed, if the Ministry of the Interior terminated your temporary residence permit and you subsequently:
    • acquired a long-term residence permit, or
    • directly applied for a permanent residence permit.

If the Ministry of the Interior did not revoke your temporary residence permit, you may apply for a permanent residence permit of an EU citizen’s family member.

What counts towards the period of continuous residence in half its length2:

  • residence in the territory based on a visa for stay longer than 90 days for the purpose of studies and with a long-term residence permit for the purpose of studies,
  • the duration of administrative procedure on international protection that resulted in a decision to grant asylum or subsidiary protection, including the duration of an appeal procedure, if the processing took less than 18 months,
  • residence under temporary protection3.

Continuous residence is maintained even in case of leaving the territory of the Czech Republic under the following conditions4:

  • Each individual instance of leaving the territory of the Czech Republic did not exceed 6 consecutive months and did not exceed 310 days in total.
  • If your employer transferred you abroad and each leave did not exceed 10 consecutive months and did not exceed 560 days in total. If you were a member of statutory body of the employer who transferred you abroad, the absence does not count towards the continuous residence.
  • Leave due to serious reasons that was not longer than 12 consecutive months. Serious reasons include, for example, pregnancy and childbirth, illness, studies, or professional training. In such case, continuous residence is maintained, but the period is not counted towards the required period of residence. Therefore, if you resided in the territory of the Czech Republic for 5 years and 2 months out of which you were absent from the Czech Republic for serious reasons for 12 months, your residence is considered continuous, but only 4 years and 2 months count for the purposes of applying.

What is not counted towards the period of continuous residence5:

  • residence in the territory based on a visa for a stay longer than 90 days for the purpose of seasonal employment or based on a special work visa,
  • residence with a visa for a stay longer than 90 days for the purpose of tolerated stay. If you hold a long-term residence permit for the purpose of tolerated stay, this condition does not apply and the period of stay in the territory based on a visa for a stay longer than 90 days for the purpose of tolerated stay is counted towards the continuous stay,
  • residence for the purpose of working as an au-pair,
  • transfer to the Czech Republic by a foreign employer, legal entity or a foreign natural person,
  • serving a custodial sentence; the continuity of residence is terminated from the day you start a custodial sentence until the day you are released from prison.

1 § 68(2) Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals

2 § 68(2d) Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals

3 § 68 Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals

4 § 68(2e) Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals

5 § 68(3) Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals