Visa Policy for the Czech Republic
Exploring the Czech Republic is a whole adventure. Before you start planning your trip, you should check the Czech Republic visa policy for more details about having a smooth entry to the country. The policy determines the countries with free access to the Czech Republic and which ones need a visa.
First of all, we must confirm that the Czech Republic is part of the Schengen zone, a free movement space within the European Union. In other words, the Czech Republic follows all the immigration dispositions of the Schengen Area. Travelers from member states don’t even need a passport to travel, only a national ID. The Schengen zone is formed by 26 European countries.
On the other hand, the Czech Republic visa policy states that 90 nationalities can enter the Czech Republic without the need for a visa. In this case, the purpose of your trip should be tourism, business, transit, or medical. You can stay up to 90 days. We must mention that the free access will change by 2022, as EU authorities will start requesting the ETIAS authorization before your trip.
Any other nationality that isn’t exempt from a visa will need to acquire a Schengen visa to enter the Czech Republic. In case you have a visa to the Schengen zone, you can travel to the Czech Republic and the other 25 Schengen countries. If the first country you visit in Europe is the Czech Republic, you need to apply for a Schengen Visa at the Czech Republic Embassy or Consulate.
Keep learning more about the Czech Republic visa policy below.
Tourist Visa Policy for the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic visa policy explains that over 90 nationalities don’t need a visa to enter the Czech Republic for tourism reasons. This includes countries of the Schengen Area that don’t even need a passport, only a valid national ID to enter the country.
However, third-nationals of the Schengen zone will need to go through a new digital process known as ETIAS. This travel authorization will be available in 2022, and you must have it before landing in the Czech Republic. The ETIAS is simple to complete as you only need to provide basic details. It will only take you a few minutes to fill out before you have this authorization. It will allow a stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
In any other case, you need to apply for a Schengen Visa in order to have access to the Czech Republic. Head to an embassy or consulate and check what you need to do.
Learn more details about the Czech Republic visa policy in the following lines.
Schengen Visa for the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic visa policy outlines all the steps to obtain the Schengen Visa, which is mandatory for over 150 countries that would like to enter the Czech Republic.
Check the requirements to have a Schengen Visa for tourism reasons:
- Complete the visa application form, and don’t forget to sign it.
- Two passport photos. They must be recent.
- Valid passport. Your passport should be valid for at least 3 months after your planned stay in the Schengen Area. It must have two blank pages.
- Round Trip ticket.
- Travel health insurance that must cover a minimum of EUR 30,000.
- Accommodation details.
- Letter of a travel agency (if any).
- Proof of financial means. Bank statements or sponsor letters.
- Employment documents.
- Travel itinerary.
If you visit more than one country in the Schengen zone, you need to apply at the embassy that would be your first destination. In this case, if you plan to visit the Czech Republic, you need to apply for your Schengen Visa at the Czech Republic embassy or consulate. All this information is confirmed by the Czech Republic visa policy.
Once you have all the required documents, you need to make an appointment at the embassy. Go to your interview, pay for the procedure and wait for your Schengen Visa. We recommend applying at least 15 days before your trip because the embassy usually takes 10 working days to provide the visa. Don’t forget to request the multiple entry option so you can enter and leave all the countries in the Schengen Area.
The Czech Republic visa policy confirms that the following countries must apply for a Schengen Visa:
- Afghanistan
- Aland Islands
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Angola
- Anguilla
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bonaire
- Botswana
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cambodia
- Cape Verde
- Cayman Islands
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Christmas Islands
- Cocos Islands
- Comores Islands
- Congo (Rep.)
- Congo (Dem Rep.)
- Cook Islands
- Cuba
- Curacao
- Djibouti
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greenland
- Guadeloupe
- Guam
- Guernsey
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- India
- Ivory Coast
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Isle of Man
- Jamaica
- Jersey
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Mali
- Martinique
- Mauritania
- Mayotte
- Mongolia
- Montserrat
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- New Caledonia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Niue
- Norfolk Islands
- North Korea
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestinian Territory
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Pitcairn Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Reunion
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Barthelemy
- Saint Helena
- Saint Martin
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Sint Maarten
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tokelau
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Uganda
- United States Virgin Islands
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Wallis and Futuna
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Before you take your flight to the Czech Republic, you need to have the Passenger Locator Form. This mandatory document helps health authorities to keep a record of all incoming visitors. This is a result of the current pandemic.
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The Schengen Visa isn’t only available for tourism purposes. You can also apply for a business visa. In this case, you need to gather this documentation:
- Visa application. Provide all your personal details and sign the form.
- Two passport photos. Follow the Schengen visa photo requirements for this matter.
- Passport. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you finish your trip in the Schengen zone.
- Flight tickets. It should be clear what country you will be entering first and which one you will exit.
- Medical insurance. It should have a coverage of EUR 30,000 in case of emergencies.
- Hotel booking.
- Financial statements to prove you have enough funds for your trip.
- Cover letter. You must address the reasons for your trip and your plans when traveling to the Czech Republic.
- A short profile of the applicant.
- Letter from employer. It must state what business activities you will do in your destination.
- Invitation letter. Provided by the company in the Czech Republic.