Foreigners who have been issued long-term residence permits in the Czech Republic from January 1st or thereafter must complete the integration course. In the case of failure to complete the course within one year of receiving a residence permit, a fine of up to CZK 10,000 may be issued. Photo credit: Freepik / Illustrative photo.
Czech Rep., Jan 21 (BD) [Updated 13:50] – This year, new obligatory integration courses started for foreigners who have been or will be issued a long-term residence permit in the Czech Republic as of January 1st, 2021. European Union citizens are exempt from this requirement, and are not legally obliged to take the course. Furthermore, the course is not required for foreigners who are under-15 or over-61. The course must be completed no later than one year from the date of receiving the residence permit.
The course covers the rights and obligations arising from residence in the Czech Republic, along with information about the culture and values of the country. In addition, course participants will receive information about institutions providing free counseling to foreigners. The course is led by a qualified lecturer, in Czech. The content is then interpreted into English, Arabic, French, Mongolian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Ukrainian or Vietnamese. The course takes four hours in total and there is no exam or test needed to complete it. Attendees will receive a certificate if they are present for the whole course.
Those obliged to complete the course can register at any one of the 18 Centers for the Support of the Integration of Foreigners. A fee of CZK 1,500 must be paid for the course. In the case of failure to complete the course within one year of receiving a residence permit, a fine of up to CZK 10,000 may be issued. The course does not apply to those foreigners living in the Czech Republic for the purpose of study or investment. More information on the course can be found here.
