After successfully completing our preparatory course and gaining admission to the university, you will need to obtain a long-term residence permit (dlouhodobý pobyt). In this article, we will guide you through this process step by step. 

Scheduling an Appointment at the Department of Migration Policy (OAMP)

You can apply for a long-term residence permit 90 days before the expiry of the long-term visa issued for your preparatory course or a previously obtained long-term residence permit (the expiration date can always be seen on the back of the pink card). The latest date for submitting an application is on the last day of validity of a visa or a previously obtained permit. The website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs states that if that day falls on a weekend or holiday, you must submit an application no later than the last working day before your visa expiration date. Please note that it is much more convenient to visit the Department of Migration Policy (OAMP) with a prior appointment reservation. Time is limited, so never postpone your reservation until the last day as there will be no available slots, and and you will have to stand in a live queue waiting for a lucky chance to apply.

You can sign up for an application submission in two ways – by phone and online. 

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The easiest way, especially if you are not confident with your Czech, is to sign up online at https://frs.gov.cz/, where you can find an English version. 

Registration on the Website frs.gov.cz

As usual, you will be asked to enter your last name, first name, citizenship (Nationality), date of birth, passport number and expiry date of your passport. 

In the “Settings” field, I selected the part of Prague (District) in which I live, which is Prague 6. I checked the box next to “Study at university is the purpose of my stay in the Czech Republic”, and left the second box blank since I don’t have any EU citizens as relatives. 

Then it is very important to indicate your valid e-mail, since your PIN code will be sent to the indicated email, which will make it possible for you to receive an appointment card at OAMP. 

After you have signed up, click on Make an appointment and then do the following steps. 

1. Indicate how many people will be with you or you will come alone – you will come alone
2. Select the purpose of your reservation. I have the “Application for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of studies” option. 
3. Select a date for your visit to OAMP.
4. Choose the time. 

At the end of the procedure, your PIN will appear on the screen, you will need it when you come at the appointed time. Check your email – this information should be duplicated in a letter. 

Preparation of Documents

You need to bring the following documents to OAMP:

1. Completed green application form.
2. Passport + Pink (biometric) card (if you have one, i.e. if you are applying for extension of your dlouhodobý pobyt).
3. Kolky (stamps) in the amount of 2500 crowns.
4. Foreigner health insurance contract.
5. Photo, 35 mm × 45 mm.
6. Proof of Funds – a document about the availability of money in the account. 
7. Confirmation of study (Potvrzení o přijětí ke studiu / Potvrzení o studiu). 
8. Verified copy of the Accommodation contract. 

Green Application Form

You can get a green application form at any OAMP office. Its first page looks like this. It can also be downloaded from this link: Tiskopis žádosti o vydání a prodloužení doby platnosti povolení k dlouhodobému pobytu (včetně karet vnitropodnikově převáděných zaměstnanců)

The application forms are filled in in Latin letters, in capital block letters in Czech or English. We are not going to go through all of it – there are mostly standard questions. Let us dwell on only a few points that may be problematic. 

Head of the form. If you are applying for dlouhodobý pobyt for the first time, then you need to check the second box (O povolení k dlouhodobému pobytu). If you are applying for extension of your long-term residence permit, you need to check the third box (O prodloužení doby …). 

Point No. 3. If you have changed your surname, write your previous surnames. 

Point No. 8. Country of birth – write three letters as indicated on the back page of the application form. If you are from Kazakhstan, write in the letters KAZ. 

Point No. 10. The nationality is also written in three letters. 

Point No. 11. Write the highest degree you have (bachelor’s, master’s, etc.) 

Point No. 12. – write student or studentka 

Point No. 13. You can leave this one blank. 

Point No. 14. In the Zaměstnavatel section write the name of your university and faculty, and in the Pracovní zařazení section write “Student/ka”. Basically, you don’t need to fill in anything else. 

Point No. 15. Purpose of stay – write “Studium”. 

Point No. 17. If you are renewing for the first time, then write the date of entry into the country and the expiration date of the visa. If you, like me, are renewing your long-term residence permit not for the first time, then here you need to write the date of the issue and the expiration date of your previous permit.

Point No. 18. A very important point – here you need to write the address where you live, that is the one for which you have a residence contract. And although under the new rules, the address of residence should no longer be written on the card, you still need to write the correct address. 

Point No. 20. Date of your entry into the Czech Republic – you can find it in the stamp in your international passport. 

Point No. 28. Please write your mobile phone number and email address legibly.

Point No. 29. Write the city where you have filled out the application form (e.g. Prague), write the date and sign the form. 

Kolky (Stamps)

Kolky are the special kind of stamps. They are sold at any post office. You need to buy them for the amount of 2500 CZK. The stamps will be taken from you right on the day of submitting the documents – you must have kolky with you for the entire amount.

Health Insurance Contract 

The health insurance must be valid for 12 months, that is, it must fully cover the duration of the new residence permit.

Proof of Funds

I have my money in two accounts at the same bank – in crowns and in dollars. This means that I needed to take Výpis z účtu from both of them. Make sure to inform the bank right away that you need not just a simple Výpis z účtu, but with a stamp (s razítkem) for OAMP. The confirmation for each account had to be paid separately, so I spent 240 CZK (120 CZK for each document).

If you still do not have a bank account in the Czech Republic and are obtaining a statement from a bank in your country, don’t forget to order a court translation of the statment into Czech.

Confirmation of Study

You have successfully passed the entrance exams, which means that you can enroll as a student (zápis ke studiu) and receive confirmation of your study from your faculty. If you have not yet registered as a student and cannot obtain this confirmation, then see the paragraph What should be done if you do not have all the necessary documents? below.

Let’s say you have enrolled as a student and can receive confirmation of study from your faculty.

You need at least two confirmations: one when submitting your documents, and the second when moving into a student dormitory. Better yet, obtain four copies – you can never have too many. You never know when you might find a part-time job (brigáda) and need to provide a confirmation of study for employment purposes.

Accommodation Contract 

In theory, the accommodation contract completely covers the time of your stay in the Czech Republic. However, you can usually move into a new university dormitory not from September 1, but from mid-September. In addition, the contract is often issued only for the academic year, until the end of June. So, what should you do?

1. If you are moving into a new dorm not from September 1, you are required to provide two accommodation contracts – one expiring (for example, until September 15) and one new (from September 15) – ensuring that their dates fully cover the duration of your stay in the Czech Republic.
2. If the accommodation contract is issued for the academic year, typically 9-10 months, usually no one makes a problem out of it. So, no need to worry. It’s generally understood that you will extend your stay in the dormitory repeatedly.

An important note is that all documents submitted to the migration department will not be returned to you. Therefore, please ensure you obtain a verified copy at a Czech Point. This will allow you to retain an original set of your documents for future use.

What should be done if you do not have all the necessary documents?

Let us recap once again that you must bring a set of the following documents to OAMP:

1. Completed green application form.
2. Passport + Pink (biometric) card (if you have one, i.e. if you are applying for extension of your dlouhodobý pobyt).
3. Kolky (stamps) in the amount of 2500 crowns.
4. Foreigner health insurance contract.
5. Photo, 35 mm × 45 mm.
6. Proof of Funds – a document about the availability of money in the account. 
7. Confirmation of study (Potvrzení o přijětí ke studiu / Potvrzení o studiu). 
8. Verified copy of the Accommodation contract. 

What should you do if some documents are missing? Let’s say you realize you have an appointment at OAMP a couple of hours before the appointed time. You cannot fail to show up on the day and time you choose. This is punishable by a fine and other sanctions. Therefore, you must come with at least what is listed in the first two points of our list, i.e. green application form and passport with visa/biometric card. While everyone will be unhappy with you, this generally suffices. If possible, stop by the post office on your way to OAMP to purchase kolky. If you apply on the last day of your visa validity, you must also have a foreigner’s health insurance contract with you.

For any missing documents, you will be issued a výzva, listing all the required documents and indicating the lhůta, or deadline, by which you must submit these documents or send them by post.

Most commonly, students need to additionally provide a confirmation of study and an accommodation contract, as many faculties simply do not issue them before mid-September. OAMP employees are aware of this and allow a sufficient time period, or lhůta, for submission.

Application submission

Check the address you need to go to – it is indicated in the email with the PIN that you have received. The address of my OAMP office is Hládkov 682/9, Prague 6. By the way, that is the one where only students submit documents.

You need to arrive at least 30 minutes before the appointed time, 15 minutes at the very latest. 

Inside you are going to see the waiting room and a terminal. 

On this terminal, you need to select a language, for example, English.

On the screen that appears, select the top button (if you have scheduled an appointment via the Internet). 

Then enter your PIN 

And get your number in the waiting line.

I like the Hladkov office because if you sit in the corner by the window, there is a chance to connect to the Eduroam wi-fi there. So you can kill time surfing the Internet while waiting for your turn. 

When your number and the number of the window lights up on the board, feel free to go there to submit your documents. As far as I can tell, at OAMP Hladkov all staff can speak English, but don’t be afraid to speak Czech, they won’t ask you anything complicated. 

If all the documents that we have mentioned are in order, you will be given a confirmation that your documents have been accepted. That’s it, you can bid farewell to the Foreigners‘ Affairs department with a „Na shledanou!“ Now, you need to wait for your documents to be processed. You may often have to wait quite a long time for a decision – but don’t worry.

Signing up for biometrics

You can check whether your documents have been processed or not on the website https://frs.gov.cz/en/status-of-your-application/.The confirmation given to you by OAMP will have an OAM number at the top, below the address.

It is the number you need to enter on the website to find out whether you have obtained a residence permit or not. 

If you discover that your application has been approved, you can call 974 801 801 yourself and request to schedule a convenient appointment time. If you do not call, OAMP staff will contact you – do not be alarmed if you receive a call from a blocked number. During the call, you will arrange the appointment date, and on the agreed-upon day, you will return to OAMP to have your biometrics taken.

Soon after, you will receive a pink card allowing you to stay in the Czech Republic for another year.

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