Czech Republic: rules of entry, obtaining a humanitarian visa and residence
Table of Contents
The Czech Republic has been actively supporting the Ukrainians since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Even in the first weeks of the war, the Czech Republic approved a program to help refugees from Ukraine, but in recent months it has made a number of adjustments. We have collected information about the basic rules for moving to the Czech Republic and the main changes in legislation in this article.
Rules of entry
Ukrainians can come to the territory of the Czech Republic on the basis of any available document. Within 3 days after arrival, citizens of Ukraine must contact the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy or the Regional Center for Assistance to Ukrainians to complete the registration procedure.
What is required to issue temporary protection?
• form
• have a valid foreign biometric passport with you
• confirmation that you were in Ukraine until February 24, 2022 and left the territory of Ukraine as a result of the invasion of the troops of the Russian Federation (for example: a stamp in your passport, confirmation of a humanitarian border crossing or another document issued in your name that would confirm your stay in Ukraine )
• a document on the provision of housing, if you are not provided by the anti-crisis committee
If housing is provided to you by an individual, use the form for individuals.
If housing is provided to you by a legal entity, use the form for legal entities.
We recommend that you bring a passport-sized photo (45 x 35 mm).
The list of centers is collected at the link.
After registration, you will receive temporary protection status for a year, which will allow you to live in the Czech Republic and receive social support.
Provision of temporary protection can be refused only in two cases:
◦ You have already received temporary protection in other EU countries;
◦ documents were not submitted in person or were provided by an unauthorized person.
Temporary protection status can be issued on the basis of any identity document:
◦ foreign passport (ordinary or biometric);
◦ passport of a citizen of Ukraine or ID card;
◦ children – passport or birth certificate;
◦ elderly people - pension certificate.
It is worth noting that the status of temporary protection is not the status of a refugee. You can return to Ukraine at any time, and you will also have the right to work legally in the Czech Republic.
If you do not wish to apply for temporary protection status, you can stay in the Czech Republic under the visa-free regime for up to 90 days. However, within 30 days of your arrival, you must notify the Police for Foreigners of the Czech Republic about your place of residence. We advise everyone who plans to stay in the Czech Republic without a visa to take out medical insurance before arrival, because it is a guarantee of your safety and a peaceful stay outside of Ukraine.
Quarantine restrictions due to the Covid-19 epidemic in the Czech Republic have been lifted, neither a vaccination certificate nor a PCR test is required when crossing the border.
Do I have to report that I have arrived in the Czech Republic?
So. It is the duty of every foreigner arriving in the Czech Republic to register with the police of the Czech Republic - the foreigner residence department of the Police Department for Foreigners within three days after arriving in the Czech Republic (in the case of accommodation in hotels or hostels, the landlord is responsible for registration). We recommend that you make sure that the landlord has actually done this.
According to Law No. 326/1999 Coll., On the Stay of Foreigners in the Territory of the Czech Republic, a landlord is considered to be a person who provides housing to persons fleeing Ukraine and meets the conditions stipulated in § 99 of this law. The lessor is subject to the obligations specified in § 100 of Law No. 326/1999 Coll.
Do I have to bring children under the age of 15 with me to register with the Aliens Police?
According to the provisions of Clause 1 of Article 93 of the Law on Residence of Foreigners 326/1999 Coll., a foreigner under the age of 15 is not required to report the place of residence. Therefore, they should not be registered. An application for temporary protection for a minor under the age of 15 is submitted by the minor's legal representative.
Do I have to bring a child under the age of 15 to OAMP MV or KAPCU?
We recommend that you come with your child in case their personal presence is necessary for some activities. It is possible that it will be necessary to come several times. If you will apply for temporary protection for a child without the child being present, you must have a foreign biometric passport, birth certificate and passport-size photos with you.
More detailed information about the rules of moving to the Czech Republic is collected at the link.
Housing search
The Regional Centers for Helping Ukrainians have special restrooms. If you have arrived in the Czech Republic and have neither relatives nor acquaintances there, you can contact the center's staff with a request to find you housing. You can also search for an apartment independently on the website.
If you have the opportunity to rent housing at your own expense, rent it on one of the resources: sreality.cz or bezrealitky.cz.
Financial assistance
The Czech Republic provides financial assistance to Ukrainians who have received the status of temporary protection. The amount is 5,000 Czech crowns per person and is paid over 6 months. The amount is the same for both adults and children. However, from the seventh month, the amount will be slightly reduced to 4,620 kroner for adults and 3,320 kroner for children.
It should be noted that assistance is not provided to all refugees, but only to those who do not receive free housing, food and hygiene products from the Czech Republic. We talked in more detail earlier.
You can receive financial assistance in cash or by bank card. To do this, you need to open an account in the Czech bank. Instructions at the link.
Medical services
The Czech Republic will pay medical insurance services for 150 days to Ukrainians who have obtained the status of temporary protection. With this policy, you will be able to receive free medical care in the country. However, after 150 days have passed since the status was issued, all refugees between the ages of 18 and 65 will have to pay for health insurance on their own, except for students, job applicants registered with the employment service and some other categories of citizens.
Ukrainians must notify the insurance company about the end of the 150-day period on their own, and they have 8 days to do so. You can come to the insurance company in person or fill out an online form. You also need to take care of new insurance. Information on how to get insurance while abroad at the link.
Where to look for work?
Ukrainians with the status of temporary protection have free access to the labor market of the Czech Republic. Of course, knowledge of the Czech language will be the main advantage when looking for a job. There are many online language courses on the Internet.
To search for a job, we advise you to register at the Czech state labor exchange or search on your own. How to do it?
Search here.
Education
Children who come to the Czech Republic with their parents have the right to attend kindergarten or school for free. However, psychologists advise enrolling a child in an institution after a certain period of adaptation. Special groups work in schools for the first acquaintance with peers.
More detailed information about the registration of Ukrainian children in Czech schools can be found at the link.
We also draw your attention to the fact that if you decide to return to Ukraine, the status of temporary protection is not automatically canceled after departure. To close the permit, it is necessary to contact the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy.
Attention! Temporary protection does not end when a foreigner leaves the territory of the Czech Republic.
If you have been granted a special long-term visa with the code D / VS / U - a special visa for citizens of Ukraine, you are automatically transferred to the system of temporary protection. With this visa, you can travel outside the territory of the Czech Republic, but only within Schengen and Ukraine, although it indicates the number of entries "00". Other trips outside the Schengen area will be allowed in emergency situations, provided that the necessity of the trip is justified (business trip, urgent medical procedures, care of relatives) and a plane ticket or ticket is presented.
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