How do EU citizens get Czech permanent residence?
On request, after 5 years of continuous temporary residence in Czechia. Continuity survives absences up to 6 months per year, with longer carve-outs for serious reasons. Shorter doors exist for people reaching pension age here, invalidity cases, long-standing cross-border workers and spouses of Czech citizens. The fee is a modest one from the EU schedule.
Who this is for: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens with five years of Czech life behind them, and those approaching it who want the count to survive scrutiny.
Not for: Third-country nationals, whose 5-year rule counts differently and more strictly, see what counts toward the 5 years.
The door and its clock
Permanent residence for an EU citizen — the 5-year door
On request, after 5 years of continuous temporary residence in the country
EU citizens who have resided in Czechia continuously for 5 years as temporary residence. The Ministry issues permanent residence on request. Shorter doors exist for people reaching pension age, third-degree invalidity after 2 years, cross-border workers after 3 years, and spouses of Czech citizens, each with its own conditions in § 87g(1)(b) to (d) and (5).
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The wording the rule above was read from. It is the authoritative text, and it is in Czech.
“§ 87g odst. 1: "Ministerstvo vydá občanu Evropské unie na jeho žádost povolení k trvalému pobytu a) po 5 letech jeho nepřetržitého přechodného pobytu na území, ..."”
Read from e-sbirka.gov.cz on 14 October 2026Check it yourself
EU citizens — how much time you may spend outside the Czech Republic without breaking continuous residence
6 months in total per YEAR. Longer is still allowed for compulsory military service, or for one absence of up to 12 consecutive months for serious reasons — pregnancy and birth, serious illness, study or vocational training, or a work posting abroad.
EU citizens, and by extension EEA and Swiss nationals, building continuous temporary residence towards permanent residence under § 87g(7). THIS IS NOT THE THIRD-COUNTRY RULE. Third-country nationals are under § 68(2)(e), which sets a 6-month cap per single trip and a 310-day cap in total. Quoting 310 days to an EU citizen is wrong, and quoting 6 months a year to a third-country national is wrong.
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The wording the rule above was read from. It is the authoritative text, and it is in Czech.
“§ 87g odst. 7: "(7) Podmínka nepřetržitého přechodného pobytu je zachována, pokud nepřítomnost občana Evropské unie 1b) na území nepřesáhne celkem 6 měsíců ročně, nebo přesáhne-li tuto dobu" The two exceptions are separate fragments: a) z důvodu plnění povinné vojenské služby, nebo b) pokud jedna nepřítomnost nebude delší než 12 po sobě jdoucích měsíců, a to ze závažných důvodů, zejména jde-li o těhotenství a narození dítěte, závažné onemocnění, studium nebo odborné školení, anebo z důvodu pracovního vyslání do zahraničí.”
Read from e-sbirka.gov.cz on 13 September 2026Check it yourself
Compare the third-country rule and feel the difference: EU continuity allows 6 months of absence per year; the third-country rule caps the whole 5-year period at 310 days total. If you have lived both statuses, each stretch counts under its own rule.
Proving five years that nobody registered
Because EU residence needs no permission, many applicants arrive at year five with thin paper. The office will want the residence to be shown, not asserted: the registration certificate dated years back, employment and study records, leases, insurance history. If you are early in your Czech years, this is the argument for getting the optional certificate now.
- 1Assemble the residence evidence across the whole 5 years, gaps draw questions.
- 2File with the EU permanent residence form at the Ministry office for your address.
- 3The card that follows is a document of a permanent status, renewals are clerical, as for other permanent residents.
EU citizen or their family member — fee for a registration certificate, temporary or permanent residence document, or a change to one
200 CZK
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members of any nationality, including UK nationals covered by Part Two of the Withdrawal Agreement. Third-country nationals outside that group pay the much higher Položka 116 fees instead.
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The wording the rule above was read from. It is the authoritative text, and it is in Czech.
“Act 634/2004, Sazebník, Položka 116: "5. Přijetí žádosti o vydání osvědčení o registraci, povolení k přechodnému nebo k trvalému pobytu občanu Evropské unie a jeho rodinnému příslušníku bez ohledu na státní příslušnost, o prodloužení doby platnosti nebo provedení změny těchto dokladů Kč 200"”
Read from e-sbirka.gov.cz on 13 September 2026Check it yourself
After permanent residence
For EU citizens the status mostly formalises a life already lived here, but it still matters: it is independent of work or study, and it is the platform for citizenship, where EU citizens enjoy a shortened 3-year permanent-residence requirement, see the citizenship guide.
Quick questions
- I never got the registration certificate. Is my clock at zero?
- No, the residence itself builds the right; the certificate is evidence, not the substance. Expect to prove the years by other records, which is slower but routine.
- Do student years count?
- Temporary residence as an EU citizen includes study; continuity is about presence, not purpose. The absence limits are what you check against your travel.
- My spouse is Czech. Do I wait the full 5 years?
- Spouses of Czech citizens are among the shorter doors of § 87g; the conditions are specific, so check them against your facts before counting on the shortcut.
Official sources, and when we read them
- Act 326/1999 Sb., § 87g, consolidated text in force (2026-06-12) read 14 October 2026
A summary to help you act in time, not legal advice. Rules change; the dates above say when each source was actually read, and the fact boxes carry their own.
What to do next
Related answers
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