Temporary Residence Permit of an EU Citizen’s Family Member

A temporary residence permit of an EU citizen’s family member is type of a residence permit for stays longer than 90 days intended for third countries citizens who are family members of EU citizens, citizens of Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, and subject to conditions also for citizens of the United Kingdom.

GENERAL INFO

TO APPLY IN CZECHIA

EXTENSION

Who can apply for this residence permit?

You can apply for a temporary residence permit of an EU citizen’s family member if you are a family member of an EU citizen and you are going to stay in the Czech Republic for a period longer than 90 days.

There are close and distant family members.

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

Close family members are also foreigners who are in one of the above-mentioned relations to a Czech citizen who has a permanent residence in the Czech Republic.

A distant family member of an EU citizen is:

  • another family member (e.g. a sibling, cousin, aunt or uncle) who at the same time:
    • are supported by the EU citizen in their country of origin, or
    • are members of the EU citizen’s household in their country of origin, or
    • require a personal care of the EU citizen for serious medical reasons, or
  • his/her partner with whom they live together if they provide evidence of the long-term partnership.

Distant family members are also foreigners who are in one of the above-mentioned relations to a Czech citizen who has a permanent residence in the country.


How long is this permit valid for?

The maximum validity of the permit is 3 or 5 years.


What does a residence permit look like?

Residence card

A residence card is issued for the expected duration of the EU citizen’s residence in the Czech Republic, but for the maximum of 5 years. It is intended for close family members of EU citizens and also of Czech citizens who exercised the right of free movement – that is citizens who settled down in another EU Member State where they entered into a relationship with a third country national who then has become their family member and now they are returning to the Czech Republic together.

Example: A citizen of the Czech Republic moves to Austria for work. There he registers as an EU citizen residing in the country for a period longer than 3 months. By doing this, he exercises his right of free movement. He meets an Australian citizen who studies in Austria and they get married or they have a child. The Czech citizen moves back to the Czech Republic for work reasons and has a permanent residence there. The Australian citizen, therefore, applies for a temporary residence permit in the Czech Republic and can acquire a residence card.

Residence permit

A residence permit is issued for a maximum of 3 years. It is intended for close family members of citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, citizens of the Czech Republic who did not exercise the right of free movement and, in general, for distant family members.


What obligations and restrictions does this residence permit mean?

For the duration of your residence permit, you must reside in the country with an EU citizen and you must also follow the obligations for foreigners stipulated by law.


What does this residence permit enable you to do?

If you are staying in the Czech Republic as an EU citizen’s family member, you can work here without an additional permit (you have a free access to the labour market). You can also work during the time that you are waiting for a decision on your application – a visa sticker in your passport is sufficient. You can repeatedly leave and re-enter the Czech Republic for the whole duration of your residence permit’s or residence card’s validity. You can also travel within the Schengen Area without a visa.

If your application is granted, an employee of the Ministry of the Interior will apply for a personal identity number for you. This does not apply to foreigners who have already received a personal identity number.