Bridging Visa
If you are staying in the Czech Republic under the fiction of residence, a bridging visa certifies that you have been given permission for residence. The fiction of residence occurs when the validity of your previous residence permit has ended but you have applied for a new residence permit or visa or for their extension in the given time limit.
When is a bridging visa necessary?
While the application is being processed, you are staying in the Czech Republic legally until the final decision is taken. The Ministry of the Interior and the police can verify the state of your residence if needed. A bridging visa is not necessary and you need it most often if:
- you want to leave the Czech Republic while the application is being processed, or
- you work in international transportation, or
- you are extending the validity of your trade license.
What does a bridging visa look like?
How long is a bridging visa valid for?
The validity is determined by a Ministry of the Interior employee. Most often it corresponds to the time it is expected that the processing of the application will take.
Where will you receive a bridging visa?
At a Ministry of the Interior office – in order to receive the visa, you must come to the office only in person and bring your travel document with you. For children under 15 years of age, their legal representative (most frequently one of their parents) takes care of this, the child does not have to be present – it is necessary, however, to provide the original of his/her travel document.
What is the time limit for issuing a bridging visa?
The visa is usually issued right on the spot.
What does a bridging visa enable you to do?
A bridging visa helps you prove that you are staying in the Czech Republic legally although the validity of your visa or residence permit document has expired. A bridging visa during its validity also allows you to leave the Czech Republic and return.