I'm going for permanent residence
Whether your five years count, the two separate absence limits, the A2 exam and its fee, and which minimum your income is tested against.
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What to do next
Check the rules that decide it
Your time outside Czechia, the Czech exam and the fee are each set out below, with the page they were read from.The form you will file
This is the third-country form, which is what every figure on this page is scoped to. If you are an EU citizen or the family member of one, your route is a different form and a different rule — you count your five years differently and there is no Czech exam.
The rules behind this, with sources
Each rule says who it applies to, the sentence it was read from, and the date someone opened the official page. Where we cannot confirm a figure, it says so.
How much time you may spend outside Czechia
No single absence longer than 6 consecutive months, AND no more than 310 days absent in total. Separately, one absence of up to 12 consecutive months for serious reasons — pregnancy and birth, serious illness or study — does not break continuity, but that period does not count toward the 5 years either.
Third-country nationals counting the 5 years of continuous residence for permanent residence under § 68(1). TWO limits apply at once and both must be met. EU citizens are under a different rule entirely: § 87g(7) preserves continuity if absence does not exceed 6 months in total per year.
Show the Czech textHide the Czech text
The wording the rule above was read from. It is the authoritative text, and it is in Czech.
“§ 68 odst. 2 písm. e): "e) období nepřítomnosti cizince na území v průběhu doby pobytu podle písmen a) až d) , pokud tato jednotlivá období nepřítomnosti nepřesáhla 6 po sobě jdoucích měsíců a pokud ve svém souhrnu nepřesáhla 310 dnů; pokud jedno období nepřítomnosti cizince na území nebylo delší než 12 po sobě jdoucích měsíců ze závažných důvodů, zejména jde-li o těhotenství a narození dítěte, závažné onemocnění nebo studium, nepřetržitost pobytu je zachována, přičemž toto období se do doby pobytu podle odstavce 1 nezapočítává,"”
Read from e-sbirka.gov.cz on 13 September 2026Check it yourself(opens the official page in a new tab)
The Czech exam, and what it costs
3,200 CZK
Third-country nationals applying for permanent residence who are not exempt, and EU Blue Card holders. EU and EEA nationals are not required to take it.
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The wording the rule above was read from. It is the authoritative text, and it is in Czech.
“Kolik zkouška stojí? Cena zkoušky je 3 200 Kč.”
Read from cestina-pro-cizince.cz on 9 September 2026Check it yourself(opens the official page in a new tab)
The application fee
2,500 CZK
Third-country nationals applying IN the Czech Republic. EU citizens and their family members pay 200 Kč under a separate schedule.
“Permanent residence | Application submission | 2,500”
Read from ipc.gov.cz on 9 September 2026Check it yourself(opens the official page in a new tab)
More for this situation
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