A visa-free mode enables you to enter and stay in the Czech Republic only with a passport. That is possible if you are a citizen of a country with which the EU, or the Czech Republic individually, has concluded a visa waiver agreement.

Other persons who can stay in the Czech Republic without a visa are:

• EU citizens,
• holders of a residence permit in another EU Member State or EU citizens’ family members if, at the same time, they hold a residence card or a permanent residence card in another EU Member State,
  • Holders of a long-term visa or a long-term residence permit for the purpose of scientific research issued by another EU Member State or their family members. However, they must reside in the Czech Republic for the same purpose and for no longer than 1 year.
  • Holders of a long-term residence permit for the purpose of studies issued by another EU Member State. However, they must reside in the Czech Republic for the same purpose and for no longer than 1 year.
• third country nationals who are pupils with residence in another EU Member State travelling on a school trip with a group of pupils accompanied by a teacher if they are included on a list of pupils issued by the school on a unified form stating the pupils’ identities, purpose and length of their stay or transit,
• EU citizens’ family members whose short-term visa has expired, the length of their stay not exceeding 3 months and who are, at the same time:
  • spouses,
  • parents in case of an EU citizen under 21 years of age of whom they take primary care,
  • offspring under 21 years of age or the offspring of the spouse of an EU citizen,
  • offspring and predecessors, or the offspring and the predecessors of the spouse of an EU citizen if they are dependent on the support or other primary care provided by the EU citizen or his/her spouse to satisfy their essential needs or, immediately before entering the Czech Republic, they were dependent on this support or other primary care in the country whose citizens they are or in the country where they had a residence permit.
• foreigners under 15 years of age during hospitalisation if they arrived together with a foreigner in whose passport they are included and if this foreigner has left the Czech Republic,
• foreigners who are minor children and who, based on a provisional measure of a corresponding authority, have been placed in a facility for children requiring immediate help or a child-care institution, or whose custody, based on a provisional measure of a corresponding authority or based on a decision of an authority of social and legal protection of children, was awarded to a physical person,
• foreigners placed in security detention, custody or serving a custodial sentence, or those placed in a police cell or a facility for the detention of foreigners,
• foreigners senteced to house arrest, or children, who are in prison with their mother, for a serving time of the sentence.

Who can stay in the Czech Republic without a visa?

Citizens of the countries for which a visa requirement was waived, which means that when they cross the external borders they do not have to have a visa. Furthermore, also foreigners to whom the visa requirement does not apply én the basis of bilateral international treaties.

In order to enter and move in the Schengen Area, you must carry a valid travel document. For more information, a complete list of countries and possible exceptions and restrictions, please see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

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How long can you stay in the Czech Republic without a visa?

You can temporarily stay without a visa in the Schengen Area for 90 days in any 180-day long period.

Do you have trouble counting the number of days in the visa-free mode? The Schengen calculator will help you.

A temporary stay without a visa cannot be extended. You must leave the Schengen Area after 90 days.

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What obligations does a visa-free stay mean?

You must get registered at the Foreign Police within 3 days from the day you arrived in the Czech Republic. In the course of the whole stay, you must have sufficient funds and medical insurance.

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What does a visa-free stay enable you to do?

A visa-free stay enables you to stay and move freely in the Czech Republic and the Schengen Area. Cyprus and Ireland are not part of the Schengen Area; therefore, it is not possible to enter these countries on a visa-free stay. Apply for a corresponding national visa before you travel to these countries.

You can also use a visa-free entrance and stay to collect your long-term or permanent residence permit. That is, you do not have to necessarily wait to receive a DV/R entry visa from a diplomatic mission. You must complete the whole process – registration at a Ministry of the Interior office, collection of biometric data and collection of the document – within the time limits given by the visa-free stay, i.e. usually within 90 days from your entrance into the Schengen Area.

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What restrictions apply to a visa-free stay?

A visa-free stay is intended exclusively for non-profit purposes, therefore, you cannot be employed or do business. If you wanted to be economically active in the Czech Republic for a period shorter than 90 days, you can apply for a Schengen visa for the purpose of employment.

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Can you use a visa-free stay to apply for a residence permit in the Czech Republic?

A visa-free stay is not intended, except in some cases, to apply for a long-term visa or a long-term residence permit in the Czech Republic. You must apply for these residence permits at a diplomatic mission in the country that issued you a travel document, where you have a long-term or permanent residence permit or of which you are a citizen.

However, you can use a visa-free stay to apply for a temporary or permanent residence permit of an EU citizen’s family member.

Who does this type of a visa-free stay apply to?

Only to the citizens of Argentina, Chile, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Uruguay and Singapore; that is countries which have concluded a bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement with the Czech Republic.

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How long can you stay in the Czech Republic without a visa?

The maximum length of a temporary stay without a visa in the Czech Republic is in this case given by the particular agreement and, therefore, varies for each country.

The citizens of Argentina, Chile, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Costa Rica, Malaysia and Uruguay can stay without a visa in the Czech Republic for a maximum of additional 90 days beyond the scope of the 90/180 rule.

The citizens of Singapore can stay without a visa in the Czech Republic for a maximum of additional 30 days beyond the scope of the 90/180 rule.

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What obligations does a visa-free stay mean?

You must get registered at the Foreign Police within 3 days from the day you arrived in the Czech Republic. In the course of the whole stay, you must have sufficient funds and medical insurance.

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What does this type of a visa-free stay enable you to do?

A visa-free stay under a bilateral agreement enables you to stay and move freely in the Czech Republic.

You can also use a visa-free entrance and stay to collect your long-term or permanent residence permit. That means, you do not have to wait to receive a DV/R entry visa from a diplomatic mission. The whole process must be completed – registration at a Ministry of the Interior office, biometric data sampling and collection of the finalized document – all has to be done within the time limit of the visa-free stay.

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What restrictions apply to a visa-free stay?

A visa-free stay is intended exclusively for non-profit purposes, therefore, you cannot be employed or do business. If you want to be economically active in the Czech Republic for a period shorter than 90 days, you can apply for a Schengen visa for the purpose of employment.

During a visa-free stay under a bilateral agreement, you cannot travel to other EU Member States or Schengen countries – the possibility to stay applies only to the Czech Republic as it raises from a particular bilateral agreement.

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Can you use a visa-free stay to apply for a residence permit in the Czech Republic?

A visa-free stay is not intended, except in some cases, to apply for a long-term visa or a long-term residence permit in the Czech Republic. You must apply for these residence permits at a diplomatic mission in the country that issued your travel document, where you have a long-term or permanent residence permit or of which you are a citizen.

However, you can use a visa-free stay to apply for a temporary or permanent residence permit of an EU citizen’s family member.