Long-term Resident Status in the European Community

Under what conditions can you acquire the status of a long-term European Community resident?

• If, as a third country citizen, you are granted a permanent residence permit after 5 years of continuous temporary residence.
• If, as an EU citizen’s family member, you apply for a permanent residence permit after 5 years of continuous temporary residence and you state as the purpose of the application that you also want to apply for the status of a long-term European Community resident.
• If, as a blue card holder, you have met the requirement of 5-year continuous residence in the EU Member States and you have resided in the Czech Republic as a blue card holder continuously for two years.
• If you apply for the status of a long-term European Community resident additionally and the decision on the application is to grant the status (for more details please see the section Application).

You can submit the application for Long-term Resident Status in the European Community at a Ministry of the Interior office, send it by post, Data Box or by e-mail with a recognised electronic signature, or you can submit it through an authorised representative.

Applicants under 15 years of age must submit their applications through one of their legal guardian (most frequently through one of their parents), using one of the above-mentioned ways.

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What is the administrative fee?

500 CZK. The administrative fee can only be paid by credit card at the Ministry of the Interior office.

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What is the time limit to process the application?

30 days if you are applying as a permanent residence permit holder to additionally acquire the resident status.

60 days if you are applying for a permanent residence permit as well as for the resident status.

These time limits are not running if the proceedings are suspended or if there is a legal ground for it.

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STEPS TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR THE STATUS OF A LONG-TERM EUROPEAN COMMUNITY RESIDENT:

• 1. Prepare the necessary documents

  To apply you will need:

  • Application form
  • Travel document
  • Proof of funds for the residence (finances)

  Upon application you must pay an administrative fee 500 CZK.

  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. You can send the application, or you can make an appointment at a Ministry of the Interior office

  If you are applying as a permanent residence permit holder to additionally acquire the resident status, you can submit the application at a Ministry of the Interior office, send it by post, Data Box or by e-mail with a recognised electronic signature, or you can submit it through an authorised representative.

  If you are applying for the resident status as well as for a permanent residence permit, you can only submit the application in person at a Ministry of the Interior office.

  If you wish to submit the application in person, please make an appointment online or by phone beforehand. 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. If you do not submit the application in person, you can learn the reference number by calling our information hotline. In this case, it is recommended to call the hotline no sooner than a week after the application was sent as it takes a few days to assign a reference number to an application.

  Applicants under 15 years of age must submit their applications through one of their legal guardian (most frequently through one of their parents), using one of the above-mentioned ways.

• 4. Wait for the decision

  The Ministry of the Interior will assess your application in an administrative procedure. If any errors or missing documents are identified, you will receive a written notice to correct errors in submitted application. The notice will specify:

  • what is the error or missing document,
  • what must be done to correct it, and
  • the period for correction.

  In justified cases, this period may be extended upon written request.

  The Ministry of the Interior also verifies whether you meet the conditions for issuing the requested residence permit. Related to this, an interview may be conducted with you.

  During the administrative procedure you may, for example:

  • Supplement the application with additional documents.
  • Be represented by a legal representative.
  • Request access to your file.
  • Request a suspension of the administrative procedure.
  • Withdraw your application.

  You can track the status of your application online via the Status of your application section on the Information Portal for Foreigners or in your personal account. If you receive a notice to submit supplementary documents or to correct errors, the processing period is suspended until the error is corrected or until the period set in the notice has passed.

  For information on the state of your application you may also submit a written Request for a Familiarisation with the Status of the Administrative Procedure. The most common reasons for longer processing are listed in the FAQ section.

• 5. Learn the result of the administrative proceedings

  In the Status of your application section you may see one of these outcomes:

  • Being processed: Your application is still being processed. For more information on what you can do during the processing period, see the previous step.
  • Preliminarily assessed positively: The Ministry of the Interior has preliminarily assessed your application positively. Proceed to the next step.
  • Rejected: The Ministry of the Interior has rejected your application or discontinued the administrative procedure. In such case, you will receive written notification on the decision or resolution. You may appeal against the decision or resolution within 15 days from the day the notification was delivered.

  • The decision to reject the application consists of three parts:
    1. The Statement: Legal grounds on which your application has been rejected. It may also state any obligation to leave the Czech Republic, including the period for departure.
    2. The Grounds of the statement: It explains why the application was rejected and what documents and proofs served as grounds for the rejection.
    3. Your rights: It informs you on how to proceed if you wish to appeal against the decision.

  • The resolution to discontinue the administrative procedure consists of three basic parts:
    1. The Statement: Legal grounds on which the administrative procedure was discontinued.
    2. The Reasoning: It explains the processing and grounds that led to the discontinuation of the administrative procedure.
    3. Your rights: It informs you on how to proceed if you wish to appeal against the resolution.

  Načítavání obsahu

• 6. 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.

• 7. 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.

• 8. 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.