Visa renewal and post-graduate visas

Full degree students who are required to have a visa to study in the Czech Republic will need to renew their visas during their time here. In order to apply for a Long Term Residence Permit, or extend one, in the Czech Republic, students must have submitted an application before their current visa expires. 

Students are encouraged to review the requirements in advance to be sure they have all necessary documentation. 

Students should be sure to have an appointment booked PRIOR to their current visa expiring at the MOI office to ensure they have summited their renewal application on time. 

For information about applying for a Long Term Residence Permit for the first time, please go to the MOI website here. 

For information about applying for extending a Long Term Residence Permit, please go to the MOI website here. 

Students should keep in mind that appointments get booked months in advance AND that a renewal of visa must be started prior to your visa expiring. Students are encouraged to book an appointment at the MOI as early as possible. For example, if your visa expires in September, students should start their application process by mid-August. In order to secure an appointment, students should go to the website at least 3 months in advance.

It is possible to submit the application without all the necessary documentation, students can send additional information to the MOI. Students can also send a request for the interruption of the process until they´ll have all necessary documents. 

Often, the process requires students to go to the MOI 3 separate times over about 2-3 months. Students should be sure they will be in the country to do so.

Key points

1. If the student has visa with validity period shorter than one year, he/she can extend it up to 1 year (which is the maximum duration of this type of visa). He/she can apply for the extension in person at regional offices on the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic or via post (how to extend a long-term visa). Student who was already granted by a long-term visa can also directly apply for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of “studies”. This new application has to be made in person at an OPC´s office (how to lodge a new application for a long-term visa).
2. If a student already has long-term residence for purpose of “studies” which validity is expiring soon, he/she can extend it in person or via post (how to extend a long-term residence permit). This is applied only in case the student continues his/her studies at the same school/university.
3. There is a special OPC office at Hládkov for foreign students with residence in Prague.
4. In some cases there is an application fee required. If you send your application via post, please do not forget to attach fee stamps of respective value. More information can be found under corresponding hyperlinks. Overview of fees can be found here.

Bridge-Visa

Students can apply for bridge visa in the situation when the application for Long Term Residence Permit or extending a Long Term Residence Permit is in the process, but their visa has expired and they need to leave the Czech Republic. There is no need to get the appointment for it, students can go directly to the MOI Office during walk in hours (as they apply).

Foreign nationals who are residing in the territory of the Czech Republic with a long-term residence permit for the purpose of studies and who successfully completed their university education are eligible to file an application for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of seeking employment or, as the case may be, an application for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of starting a business.

For more information on the requirements for obtaining a visa for the 'purposes of seeking employment', please visit the MOI website. 

In May 2021 a webinar was recorded with the Brno Expat Centre. The recording of this webinar can be found here, the presentation, with the links they mentioned can be found here. 

Please note: This visa can only be applied for in the territory of the Czech Republic at a MOI office. Students are encouraged to start the process as soon as they are able to. This visa is only available for students who have residence permits, a visa in your passport does not count.

EU citizens are not required to obtain a visa to study in the Czech Republic however they are required to do the following:

1. Register with the foreign police

   All EU nationals, includign students, who plan to stay in the Czech Republic for over 30 days, must register your place of residence in this country within 30 days of your arrival. If you are living in the dormitories they will register for you.

   The place to do this is the Foreign Police office at Cejl 62b.

2. If you applied for and now hold a residence card – a certificate of temporary residence of EU citizen – issued by the Immigration Office, you have to report any changes including a change or residence, or other official documents. 

Any non-EU foreigner who changes their accommodation is required to inform the Immigration Office (Tuřanka 1554/115b) within 30 days using the form for changes found here. 

If you need to send something to the MOI office, please use the registered mail (in Czech „doporučeně“) to have the evidence when it was sent. The full address for the MOI office is:
OAMP MV ČR
Oddělení pobytu cizinců Jihomoravský kraj
Tuřanka 1554/115b
627 00 Brno

If your passport changes you must inform the Immigration office  (Tuřanka 1554/115b)  within 3 days using the form for changes found here. 

If you need to send something to the MOI office, please use the registered mail (in Czech „doporučeně“) to have the evidence when it was sent. The full address for the MOI office is:
OAMP MV ČR
Oddělení pobytu cizinců Jihomoravský kraj
Tuřanka 1554/115b
627 00 Brno

Before deciding to interrupt their studies, students should research what it will mean for their visa. The University is required to inform the Ministry of the Interior every few months on the status of students. An interruption of studies could lead to student’s visa being cancelled.

With the interruption of their studies they lose their student status. It is also clearly stated in the Masaryk University study and examination regulations.

Section 10, paragraph 3: “A person whose studies have been interrupted (section 13) is entitled to reenrollment in these studies and to enrolment in an upcoming semester (section 12) once the interruption period has expired. That person becomes a MU student enrolled at the relevant faculty on the day of re-enrolment in studies.”

Section 13, paragraph 6 says: “A person ceases to be a student of MU on the day of interruption of studies or on the last day of his/her concurrent studies.” 

Students should discuss with the study office to determine what this means for them.