Czechia · Permanent Residency
Permanent-residence routes: eligibility, required years of residence, and the official application steps — including any investment routes where a country offers them.
AI-drafted, editorial review pending. The official links below are checked — confirm specifics with the authority.
Non-EU nationals can apply for a permanent residence permit once they have lived in Czechia continuously for at least five years on a long-term residence permit (or with asylum or subsidiary protection). Blue Card holders can count time spent in another EU country if they have spent at least two years in Czechia on the Blue Card and at least one year as a Blue Card holder elsewhere in the EU. The main extra requirement is a Czech language exam certificate issued for the purpose of permanent residence; it is waived for applicants under 15 or over 60, and for those who studied for at least one school or academic year in Czech in the previous 20 years. Applicants also need proof of accommodation and funds, and may be asked for a criminal record extract and consent to tax-office disclosure. The application is made in person at a Ministry of the Interior office; the fee is CZK 2,500 (CZK 1,000 under 15) and the processing limit is 60 days. The permit itself does not expire — only the card does, and it is issued for ten years. Permanent residents have free access to the labour market, public health insurance and social benefits. Some people, such as certain children born in Czechia, can get permanent residence without prior residence.
- Five years’ continuous residence on a long-term residence permit.
- Czech exam certificate for permanent residence, with exemptions by age and Czech-language study.
- Fee CZK 2,500, decision within 60 days, card valid ten years.
- Blue Card holders can count time spent in other EU countries.
- Information Portal for Foreigners (Ministry of the Interior) — Permanent residence after five years
Conditions, the CZK 2,500 fee, documents and processing time.
- Information Portal for Foreigners (Ministry of the Interior) — Czech language exam certificate
Which certificate is accepted and who is exempt.
Government portals
- gov.cz — Public Administration Portal — Guides to life situations and online services, including emergency calls and annual leave.
- Public Register and Collection of Documents — Ministry of Justice search of the commercial register and companies' filed documents.
- Financial Administration (Finanční správa) — Tax filing, VAT registration and the VAT control statement.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Entry & Residence — Short-stay visas, Employee Card, EU Blue Card and residence registration.