Home EU Nationals and Their Family Members

EU Nationals and Their Family Members

If you are a citizen of the European Union, you have the right to move freely within the countries of the European Union. This means that you can come to the Czech Republic, live and work here without applying for a residence permit. However, as an EU citizen, you can apply for a registration certificate or a permanent residence permit (and also state citizenship). These documents and statuses can give you certain rights and make some administrative procedures easier (see below). If you are a citizen of a Schengen Area country, you can travel to other Schengen Area countries without border checks. All you need is a valid identity card or passport.

If you are a family member of an EU citizen and a national of a third country (neither the CR – first country, nor any EU country – second country) and you plan to stay in the CR for more than 90 days, you can apply for a temporary residence permit, followed by a permanent residence permit for a family member of an EU citizen.

European Union Citizens and their residence in the CR (registration certificate, permanent residence and Czech citizenship)

Registration Certificate

If you are a citizen of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland (or, under certain conditions, the United Kingdom) and you intend to stay in the CR for more than 3 months, you may (but do not have to) apply for a registration certificate. The registration certificate is valid for 10 years (for EU citizens) or 5 years (for some UK citizens). With the registration certificate, you will receive a personal identification number, which will simplify certain administrative procedures. It can help you prove your residence status for purposes such as voting in municipal and European Parliament elections and prove the length of your stay in the Czech Republic if you later apply for permanent residence.

Permanent Residence Permit

The permanent residence permit is available to EU citizens and, under certain conditions, to citizens of the United Kingdom. Having a permanent residence permit is a condition for obtaining Czech citizenship. You can apply for a permanent residence permit after 5 years of continuous residence in the Czech Republic, or after 2 years of continuous temporary residence if you have been a close family member of an EU citizen or Czech citizen for at least 1 of those 2 years. With permanent residence, you have access to public health insurance, you are entitled to social welfare benefits, you get free access to the labour market, you can do business, and have the right to vote in municipal and European Parliament elections.

Czech Citizenship

Czech citizenship is not a legal entitlement; its granting is decided by the Ministry of the Interior. Comprehensive information about applying for Czech citizenship is available on the Public Administration Portal.

Family members of EU citizens and their residence in the CR (temporary and permanent residence)

Who is considered a family member of an EU citizen?

We distinguish between close and distant family members of EU citizens.

A close family member of an EU citizen is:

  • A spouse,
  • A same-sex registered partner,
  • A parent who is the primary carer of an EU citizen under 21 years of age,
  • An EU citizen’s descendant (a child, grandchild) who is under 21 years of age,
  • A descendant of an EU citizen’s spouse who is under 21 years of age,
  • An EU citizen’s descendant or ancestor (a parent, parent-in-law) who is or immediately before his/her arrival in the Czech Republic was dependent on the support or primary care (satisfaction of essential needs) of an EU citizen,
  • A descendant or ancestor of an EU citizen’s spouse who is or immediately before his/her arrival in the Czech Republic was dependent on the support or primary care (satisfaction of essential needs) of an EU citizen.

A distant family member of an EU national is:

  • A partner (if they can prove a long-term partnership),
  • Another relative (e.g. a sibling, cousin, aunt or uncle), who:
    – is supported by the EU citizen in their country of origin, or
    – is a member of the EU citizen’s household in their country of origin, or
    – requires personal care of the EU citizen for serious medical reasons.

Temporary residence permit for a family member of an EU citizen

The temporary residence permit is available for third-country nationals who are family members of citizens of the EU, Norway, Lichtenstein, Iceland, Switzerland or the Czech Republic and, under certain conditions, the United Kingdom. This permit allows a stay in the Czech Republic of more than 90 days and is issued for the length of the EU citizen’s expected stay, but for no more than 5 years. You must reside in the Czech Republic with the EU citizen for the duration of the permit.

With this permit, you have free access to the labour market and can start working once your application is pending (all you need is your visa sticker in your passport). The permit also allows you to leave and re-enter the Czech Republic, travel without a visa in the Schengen Area and to obtain a personal identity number if you do not have one yet.

Permanent residence permit of an EU citizen’s family member

You can apply for permanent residence:

  • After 5 years of continuous residence in the Czech Republic or
  • After 2 years of continuous temporary residence, if you:
    • are a close family member of an EU citizen who has permanent residence permit in the CR, or
    • have been a close family member of a Czech citizen with permanent residence in the CR for at least 1 year.

The permit is issued for 10 years and can be repeatedly extended for another 10 years. For family members of citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland under 15 years of age, the card is valid for 5 years.

With this permit, you have access to public health insurance, you are entitled to social welfare benefits, you get free access to the labour market, and you can do business.

If you are a third-country national, you can apply for  EU long-term resident status when applying for permanent residence.
For more information about EU citizens and their family members, visit the official Information Portal for Foreigners. You can also find information there about different types of visas and residence permits, together with the necessary forms.

Obligations of EU citizens and their family members

Reporting your presence in the CR

If you plan to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 30 days, you are obliged to report your presence to the Foreign Police within 30 days of your arrival in the Czech Republic. This obligation does not apply if your accommodation provider, such as a hotel or hostel, reports your presence on your behalf, or if you are under 15 years of age. If you are a family member of an EU citizen who does not reside in the Czech Republic, you must notify your presence within 3 working days.

Providing information about data changes

It is important to report any changes to your personal data during your stay, such as a change of name, surname, marital status (for example, marriage or divorce), or travel document. These changes must be reported within 15 working days. If your address changes and you plan to stay at the new address for more than 180 days, you must report the change within 30 working days.

Returning your residence document

If your residence in the Czech Republic is coming to an end, you must return your residence document no later than 3 days before your departure. If your residence document is lost, stolen or damaged, you must report it within 3 working days. If your travel document gets lost or stolen, you must report it to the police immediately.

For more information about your obligations, visit the Information Portal for Foreigners operated by the Czech Ministry of the Interior.

European Union

The European Union (EU) is a group of 27 European countries that have decided to cooperate to make people’s lives better, easier, and safer. These countries work together in various areas such as trade, travel and security and cooperate on issues affecting their residents. The Czech Republic joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

European Union member countries are:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden

Schengen Area

The European Union has created a travel area called the Schengen Area, which allows people to travel between participating countries without routine passport controls. People of any nationality can generally travel between Schengen countries without going through internal border controls. However, national authorities may carry out police checks at internal borders and in border areas.

List of Schengen countries:

EU member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

The Schengen Area also includes non-EU countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Bulgaria and Romania joined the Schengen Area on 31 March 2024. Ireland and Cyprus are not members of the Schengen Area.
For more information about the European Union and the Schengen Area, visit the official website of the European Union.

 

16. September, 2026