What Czechia's Ministry of the Interior and embassies actually charge, and what the fee schedule omits.
Overview
Czech immigration fees are set under Act No. 634/2004 Coll. on Administrative Fees and collected at two points: the consular post abroad (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs schedule) and the Ministry of the Interior's offices inside Czechia. The two schedules are not identical. An Employee Card or Blue Card applied for from abroad carries a consular fee of CZK 5,000; the same permit extended or applied for inside Czechia costs CZK 2,500 at the Ministry of the Interior. A standard long-term residence permit (for family reunification, studies, business or other purposes) is CZK 2,500 at both stages. A Schengen short-stay visa costs EUR 90 regardless of nationality, with reduced rates of EUR 35 for citizens of several countries with bilateral facilitation agreements. Permanent residence applications are CZK 2,500. Children under 15 pay CZK 1,000 for most permit types. Fees can be paid by bank transfer or credit card at Ministry of the Interior offices; cash is only accepted for duplicates and certified copies. Consular fees must be paid before a visa application is accepted. Verified against ipc.gov.cz and mzv.gov.cz as of June 2026.
Fee Schedule — Key Permit Types
| Permit / application | Fee (consular / abroad) | Fee (MoI / in-country) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schengen short-stay visa (type C/A) | EUR 90 | N/A | EUR 45 for children 6–11; free under 6. EUR 35 for nationals with facilitation agreements (e.g. Ukraine, Serbia, Georgia). |
| Long-term visa (type D) — abroad | CZK 2,500 | N/A | Applies to study, family, general long-stay D visas at Czech diplomatic missions. |
| Employee Card (combined work + residence) | CZK 5,000 | CZK 2,500 | CZK 5,000 is the consular fee when applying abroad. Extension or in-country application is CZK 2,500 at MoI. |
| EU Blue Card (high-qualification) | CZK 5,000 | CZK 2,500 | Same dual-fee structure as Employee Card. Salary threshold: at least 1.5× average gross salary. |
| Intra-Company Transfer Card | CZK 5,000 | CZK 2,500 | For intra-company transferees under EU Directive 2014/66/EU. |
| Long-term residence permit (other purposes) | CZK 2,500 | CZK 2,500 | Family reunification, studies, business, scientific research, investment, cultural/sports purposes. |
| Permanent residence | N/A | CZK 2,500 | Application fee; document renewal also CZK 2,500. Children under 15: CZK 1,000. |
| Long-stay visa / permit — children under 15 | Reduced | CZK 1,000 | Applies across most long-term permit categories. |
What the Fee Does Not Cover
- Certified translations: All foreign-language documents submitted to Czech authorities must be accompanied by a certified Czech translation (soudní překlad), made by a court-appointed translator listed on the Ministry of Justice register at seznat.justice.cz. Translation costs are set privately and vary by language pair and document length.
- Apostille or legalisation: Documents from Hague Convention countries require an apostille from the issuing country's competent authority; those from non-Hague countries require full superlegalisation. Neither fee is included in the immigration fee schedule.
- Adaptation and Integration Course: Every third-country national issued a long-term residence permit on or after 1 January 2021 must complete a mandatory adaptation and integration course (kurzy.frs.gov.cz) within one year. The course itself carries a registration fee — check the current schedule at the FRS integration portal.
- Health insurance: Prior to collecting a residence permit card, applicants arriving from abroad must show proof of travel medical insurance covering the gap between arrival and commencement of employment (when public health insurance begins).
Payment Rules at the Ministry of the Interior
- Accepted methods: Bank transfer or credit/debit card at Ministry of the Interior offices. Cash payments are accepted only for duplicates, transcripts, copies or extracts from the case file (CZK 50 per page, CZK 40 on a data carrier).
- Refund policy: Administrative fees paid to the Ministry of the Interior can be refunded if the application is withdrawn or rejected in certain circumstances; the refund request form is available on ipc.gov.cz. Consular fees charged by diplomatic missions are not refunded on refusal.
- Fee-free cases: Applications by children under 6, EU-citizen family members applying for visas, researchers on EU-funded stays, and US Peace Corps volunteers qualify for zero-fee processing at the Ministry of the Interior in specific circumstances — see ipc.gov.cz for the current list.
Frequently Asked Questions
I applied for an Employee Card at the Czech embassy. The consular fee was CZK 5,000 — but I see CZK 2,500 on the Ministry of the Interior's website. Which is correct?
Both are correct for different stages. When applying from outside Czechia, you pay the consular fee of CZK 5,000 to the Czech diplomatic mission under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs fee schedule. Once you are in Czechia and need to extend or apply in-country, the Ministry of the Interior charges CZK 2,500. The two agencies run separate fee schedules under Act No. 634/2004 Coll. Always check mzv.gov.cz for the consular schedule and ipc.gov.cz for in-country MoI fees.
Are there any nationalities that pay less than EUR 90 for a Schengen visa to Czechia?
Yes. Citizens of countries with EU visa-facilitation agreements — including Ukraine, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and others — pay EUR 35 for a standard Schengen short-stay visa. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an outlier: its nationals pay CZK 17,000 for a long-term visa. South Africa and Japan citizens pay nothing for a Czech long-term visa. The full schedule is on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website at mzv.gov.cz.
My Blue Card application was refused. Do I get the CZK 5,000 consular fee back?
No. Under Act No. 634/2004 Coll. and the Visa Code, consular fees are charged for submission of the application, not for its grant. A refusal does not trigger a refund of the consular fee paid at the diplomatic mission. The Ministry of the Interior's separate administrative fee (CZK 2,500 for in-country applications) may be subject to a partial refund if the application is withdrawn before a decision — use the refund request form on ipc.gov.cz.
My child is 12. What fee applies for a Czech long-term residence permit?
Children aged 15 and under pay reduced fees at the Ministry of the Interior: CZK 1,000 for a long-term or permanent residence permit application, and CZK 1,000 for renewal of the permit document. Children under 6 are entirely exempt from fees for visa applications. Consular fee reductions at Czech diplomatic missions follow the same basic age bands — check mzv.gov.cz or contact the relevant embassy for the exact consular schedule for minors.
Can I pay the Ministry of the Interior immigration fee in cash when I attend my appointment?
No, for standard permit applications. The Ministry of the Interior accepts payment only by bank transfer or credit/debit card for permit applications, renewals and document changes. Cash is accepted only for a narrow set of administrative acts: issuance of duplicates, transcripts, copies, photocopies or extracts from your case file. If paying by bank transfer, use the QR-code payment generator at ipc.gov.cz/en/generator-for-payment-of-the-administrative-fee/ to produce the correct payment details.
I am extending my long-term residence permit for the same purpose. What is the total minimum cost?
The Ministry of the Interior administrative fee for extension of a long-term residence permit is CZK 2,500 (CZK 1,000 for under-15s). On top of this you will typically need a certified Czech translation of any updated foreign documents (market rates apply), and if your foreign-country documents have changed, a new apostille. Health insurance proof is required if your current public insurance will lapse. There is no additional biometric or application-handling surcharge beyond the CZK 2,500 statutory fee.