Coronavirus and practical information for foreigners (visas, stays, border crossings)

Aleš EppingerPartner, Schaffer & Partner

The state of emergency and the related restrictions will also affect foreign nationals and their stay in the Czech Republic to a large extent. Therefore, we provide you with a brief summary of the new rules that will be relevant for many foreigners. These measures took effect on 16 March, and it is not yet clear how long they will remain in force.

  • Foreigners, who are legally permitted to temporary residence in the Czech Republic by a long-term visa, long-term residence permit or permanent residence permit and were staying in the Czech Republic at the time of the emergency state declaration (on 12 March at 2:00 PM) they must consider carefully if they want to leave the Czech Republic. As soon as they leave the Czech Republic, they will not be allowed to return and will have to wait for the emergency state to be cancelled.
  • Foreigners – holders of temporary residence permit (long-term visa, long-term residence, permanent residence) who were staying outside of the Czech Republic at the time of the emergency state declaration are allowed to return to the Czech Republic. However, at the border crossing, they must undergo a medical check-up and, in case of disease symptoms, they will be subject to a 14-day quarantine, and if a foreigner is returning from a risk country (see the list below), then this quarantine is ordered automatically. This regime will probably also apply to foreigners who have been granted a residence permit but have not yet arrived in the Czech Republic.
  • Holders of short-term visas (Schengen visas) or nationals under the visa-free regime in the Czech Republic are not allowed to enter the Czech Republic, and this also applies to foreigners who left the Czech Republic before the declaration of the state of emergency and now want to return.

To illustrate the above, the Ministry of the Interior has prepared the following overview table:

At the same time, the following applies to all foreigners: if they are currently legally residing in the Czech Republic, their stay is considered legitimate for the entire duration of the state of emergency; The Ministry of the Interior states on its website that “for the duration of the state of emergency, foreigners do not have to deal with their residence matters”. However, this statement must be understood as meaning that if the foreigner’s residence permit is currently expiring, its validity is extended during the state of emergency; however, foreigners must still ensure that they fulfil other obligations, such as the obligation to notify a change of residence or employer (applicable to holders of employee cards and blue cards).

Submission of applications at embassies and consulates is now fundamentally limited. With some exceptions (see below), no new applications for residence permits will be accepted, regardless of their type.

As for the proceedings already initiated, it will depend on whether it is a short-term visa or a longer-term type of residence permit (long-stay visa, long-term residence or permanent residence). Short-term visa procedures are completely terminated, while other procedures are only suspended. Practically, this means that after the expiry of the measures, short-term visa applicants will have to submit new applications, including the need to submit new, up-to-date attachments. Other applicants may still count on the fact that their procedures will start automatically again after the current situation has ended. 

For the sake of completeness, we add that there are exceptions to the above rules, for example for foreigners whose stay in the Czech Republic is in the interest of the Czech Republic or for members of various healthcare professions. Exceptions will also apply to so-called commuting workers or, in some cases, family reunification (it must be a reunification of a child with a parent and one of the persons must be a Czech citizen). A comprehensive list of exceptions can be found here.

From a practical point of view, it is also important to know that all appointments for visits to the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy (OAMP), which have been made so far, are cancelled. A new rule is that all acts must be performed only by mail or data mailbox, which also applies to acts that a foreigner must typically perform in person (for example, submitting an application for a long-term residence).

Personal appointments will only be possible for biometric data collection and for delivery of bridging labels; the issue thereof, however, will be substantially limited. The labels will be issued only in cases where the foreigner proves that he/she needs to leave the Czech Republic, especially with a valid air ticket or train/bus ticket (a mere reservation is not sufficient). However, they must understand that they will be able to return to the Czech Republic only after the emergency has ended.

Risk countries:

  • Belgium
  • China
  • Denmark 
  • France 
  • Iran
  • Italy 
  • South Korea 
  • Germany 
  • The Netherlands 
  • Norway
  • Austria
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland 
  • United Kingdom 

The list may change over time. We recommend checking the website of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic (link here).