Czech Republic Tourist Visa for Indians

Historically known as Bohemia, the Czech Republic is a beautiful country in Central Europe. A part of the Schengen Area, the country is known for its river valleys, numerous spa towns, enriching history, and of course, the capital city of Prague which is truly one of the most visited destinations in the continent. As holders of the Indian passport, you need to obtain a Czech Republic Tourist Visa in order to visit the country.

Depending on your purpose of visit, you can choose between a short stay visa (single, double, and multiple entry), an airport transit visa, and a long-term visa (1 year, 3 years, and 5 years).

In this post, I would mainly discuss the process and requirements for applying for and obtaining single and multiple tourist visas for the Czech Republic for Indian travelers.

As Indians, all of us require the above-mentioned visa to visit the country for tourism purposes or to visit friends and family in the Czech Republic.

Is the Czech Republic Tourist Visa For Indians and Schengen Tourist Visa the same?

Well, yes. The Czech Republic Schengen Visa and Czech Republic Tourist Visa for Indians are the same visas. It all depends on what you like to call it. Nonetheless, this is the visa you'll need if you plan to visit the Czech Republic for tourism purposes.

After reading through this guide, you'll be able to easily apply for your next Czech Republic Tourist Visa For Indians.

Here's what I'll cover in the post:

• General Information About Czech Republic Schengen Visa
• What Are The Required Documents For Czech Republic Schengen Visa?
• How To Apply For Czech Republic Schengen Visa?
• How To Get Czech Republic Schengen Visa Without Effort?

Before jumping into the Czech Republic visa for Indians application and its requirements, let us address some of the most popular queries most travelers traveling to the Czech Republic tend to enquire for before applying for a Czech Republic Visa For Indians.

• What Is The Czech Republic Schengen Visa?
• Do I Need A Czech Republic Schengen Visa?
• How Long Can I Stay In The Czech Republic With A Schengen Visa?
• Where Can I Apply For The Czech Republic Schengen Visa?
• What Is The Czech Republic Schengen Visa Processing Time?
• When Must I Apply For My Czech Republic Schengen Visa?
• How Much Is The Czech Republic Schengen Visa Fee?
• What Are The Minimum Financial Requirements To Visit Czech Republic?
• Can I Travel To Other Schengen Countries With The Czech Republic Schengen Visa?

If you already have a general understanding of the Czech Republic Schengen Visa, feel free to skip to the required documents or the visa application process.

What Is The Czech Republic Schengen Visa?

The Czech Republic Schengen Visa, also known as the Czech Republic Tourist Visa For Indians, allows you to enter the Czech Republic for tourism purposes. Such purposes include vacation, site seeing, leisure, and so on.

Short business trips are also allowed under the Czech Republic Visa For Indians. However, you can't work in the country. Acceptable business purposes include attending meetings, functions, meeting clients, etc.

If your trip to the Czech Republic does not include tourism or business, you need to apply for another type of visa.

Quick note: Some travelers refer to the Czech Republic Schengen Visa as the Czech Republic Tourist Visa For Indians and short-stay visa. These terms refer to a visa that allows you to enter the country (the only difference being the name). In this post, I'll use both these terms.

Do I Need A Czech Republic Schengen Visa?

Yes. As a citizen of the Indian sub-continent, all of us require to obtain a Czech Republic Tourist Visa From India before entering the Czech Republic.

How Long Can I Stay In the Czech Republic With A Schengen Visa?

The single-entry Schengen Visa allows you to visit Czech Republic for a maximum of 90 days within every 180-day period. To calculate your stay in Schengen, you can use the Schengen Visa Calculator. Please note that you are not allowed to take up residence or work on a Czech Republic Visa For Indians.

In some cases, you may only stay in the Czech Republic for the duration you specified in your visa application form. Therefore, always check the validity period on your Czech Republic Tourist visa from India sticker before traveling.

Remember:

Overstaying your welcome in the Czech Republic can lead to heavy fines, jail time, and even a ban.

Where Can I Apply For Czech Republic Schengen Visa?

Although it was possible to apply for a Czech Republic Tourist Visa for Indians at the Embassy and Consulate General of the Czech Republic located across the country before, the application process is now majorly handled only by VFS Czech Republic visa For Indians application centers across the country.

You can book an appointment at the closest VFS center by registering online with VFS.

Additionally, here is a list of VFS Application Centers across India so you can choose the one closest to you.

I have explained more on this below so you can directly jump to the section of [How To Apply For The Czech Republic Schengen Visa?](#how-to-apply-for-the-czech republic-schengen-visa)

What Is The Czech Republic Schengen Visa Processing Time?

The usual Czech Republic visa processing time In India is between 15 to 30 days. However, you can apply up to 6 months in advance.

When Must I Apply For My Czech Republic Schengen Visa?

At the latest, you can start your Czech Republic visa application for Indians 15 days before your planned trip. Sometimes it can take up to 45 days in case it is necessary to make a more detailed exam of the application.

The earliest you can apply is 6 months before your trip. I recommend starting your application as soon as you can so you have enough time should something unexpected happen (like a longer Czech Republic visa processing time in India).

How Much Is The Czech Republic Schengen Visa Fee?

You can expect to pay the following Czech Republic visa fees for India:

• For adults: INR 6700 | EUR 80
• For children 6 - 11 years: INR 3400 | EUR 40
• For children under 6 years: Free

Note: An important thing to know here is that holders of diplomatic and service passports as well as students and researchers traveling for research or educational training do not need to pay for the visa fee (to be evaluated case per case). The same also applies to representatives of non-profit organizations, aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events by non-profit organizations.

What Are The Minimum Financial Requirements To Visit Czech Republic?

You'll find that all Schengen Member States have their own minimum financial requirements when visiting. This requirement has been implemented to ensure that visitors have the financial means to support themselves during their stay.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic stipulates that for Czech short-term visa applicants, the amount of required financial means they have to evidence when applying is 1,100 CZK equivalent to 42,50€/day of stay. If the overall planned days of stay in the Czech Republic, exceeds 30 calendar days, the visa applicant has to attest to the Czech Embassy or Consulate a total amount of 33,000 CZK or 1,274€ together with an additional amount of 4,400 CZK equivalent to 170€ by the end of each month of stay.

Remember, this is only the minimum amount. Your visa application will look much more compelling if you prove you have more finances. Anything within the ballpark of INR 8 to 10 lacs should solidify your application even further.

Can I Travel To Other Schengen Countries With Czech Republic Schengen Visa?

You're allowed to travel to any Schengen state with your Czech Republic Schengen Visa. Nonetheless, you need to clearly state that you plan to travel to other countries in your application.

You can visit the following Schengen Member States with your Czech Republic Tourist Visa: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Now that you have a general understanding of the Czech Republic Schengen Visa, we can look at its requirements and application process.

One of the first things you would need to do before you begin the application process is to ensure that you have all the necessary documents ready to be presented at the visa center. The VFS Czech Republic Visa Application Center provides a Document checklist for Schengen Tourist Visa.

Here are the documents you'll need to submit at the Embassy:

• A duly completed Czech Republic Visa Application form to be filled online, downloaded, printed, and signed.
• One passport photo of yourself. It must meet the requirements set out by the Czech Republic.
• A valid passport or travel document with at least two blank pages. It must be valid for 3 months after the end of your trip and be issued no later than 10 years ago.
• Schengen Travel Insurance/Medical Insurance provides a minimum coverage of EUR 30,000 and is valid for the entire duration of travel. The insurance must cover the entire Schengen area and not just Czech Republic. Also, Travel insurance must cover all COVID-19-related health emergencies.
• Proof of accommodation. This can be private accommodation, a rental agreement, hotel reservations, etc. but it has to cover the duration of the whole stay and all the Schengen countries you plan to visit other than the Czech Republic. If you have booked a packaged tour, attach a detailed travel itinerary.
• Proof of financial funds. This includes a cover letter as well as a bank statement of the last 3 months, stamped and signed by your bank manager, a copy of Income Tax Department Return + ITR V acknowledgment of the previous financial year, and a signed and stamped leave permission from your employer.
• Proof of employment/studies on official letterhead, stamped and dated; containing contact information (address, email, telephone number) as well as a name, position, and signature of the countersigning officer. The letter must state the name and position of the applicant, salary, years of employment/studies, and approval of absence/position after leave. For unemployment: unemployment certificate and proof of income, if any (married: employment certificate of spouse, a document of the income of the spouse, and a marriage certificate).
• A return flight ticket that proves you plan to return to your home country.
• A cover letter explaining the purpose of your trip, what you plan to do, and when you'll return home. Basically, it just proves the purpose of your trip.
• Your employment status.

Document Requirements Depending On Employment Status

• If you are self-employed, you need to present a copy of your business license in India, company income tax returns for the past two years, and a copy of the company’s bank statement for the past 3 months, signed and stamped by the bank manager.
• If you own a business in India, you need to present the certificate of registration of the company (Form B, rule 5(1) or Form ST3, rule 11)
• If you are a student, you have to present a copy of the enrolment paper that serves as a proof that the applicant has planned to study in that school/university and a copy of the No Objection Certificate from the respective school or university.
• If you are salaried, proof of employment/studies on official letterhead, stamped and dated; containing contact information (address, email, telephone number) as well as a name, position, and signature of the countersigning officer. The letter must state the name and position of the applicant, salary, years of employment/studies, and approval of absence/position after leave.
• If unemployed, unemployment certificate and proof of income, if any (married: employment certificate of spouse, a document of the income of the spouse, and a marriage certificate).

What Are The COVID-19 Required Documents?

Covid requirements and protocols can change without notice. For this reason, I can't specify the exact documents you require as they might have already changed.

One thing I can include is that you must have fully recovered from COVID-19 in the past 6 months or be fully vaccinated against the virus. Keep in mind that only approved vaccinations will allow entry into the Netherlands.

You won't be able to visit the Czech Republic with only a negative COVID-19 test result.

You now know the documents you need to submit for a successful Schengen Visa application. Next, I'll walk you through the steps you need to take when you start your application.

• Step 1 - Collect The Required Documents
• Step 2 - Fill In Your Schengen Visa Application Form
• Step 3 - Find Where You Need To Apply At
• Step 4 - Schedule Your Visa Appointment
• Step 5 - Attend Your Visa Appointment
• Step 6 - Receive Feedback From The Embassy

Step 1 - Collect The Required Documents

Start collecting the required documents first.

Why?

It's the most time-consuming part of the process. Doing this first will allow you to leave enough time for unexpected delays, such as collecting an incorrect document, finding accommodation, and so on.

When gathering all your required documents, make a list of what you need to get. It's the easiest way to keep track of the documents you've collected.

Step 2 - Fill In Your Schengen Visa Application Form

Ok, so you've got all the required documents. Now, fill the Czech Republic Tourist Visa Application Form .

Remember, all the information you provide must be correct and accurate.

The form is self-explanatory, but ensure that you fill in all the details carefully. Once done, download, print, and sign the form.

Quick tip: Keep your passport close when filling out your visa application form. Always refer to your passport when entering your personal details.

Did you know:

Most visa applications get denied due to incorrect information on a visa application form. Here's a guide highlighting the mistakes you should avoid when applying for your Schengen Visa.

Step 3 - Find Where You Need To Apply At

As I mentioned, not all countries have a local Czech Republic representative. Therefore, you should always check where you need to apply before submitting your application.

Step 4 - Schedule Your Visa Appointment

After you've determined where you need to apply, you must schedule a visa appointment.

Be mindful that you might not find an appointment time suitable to your needs. As a result, you may have to keep your schedule open for the next few weeks, or at least until you find an appointment. This is another reason why you should start your visa application procedure at the earliest so as to receive your visa in time for your travel.

Step 5 - Attend Your Visa Appointment

On the day of your appointment, visit the visa application center at the scheduled time. Arrive at least half an hour early in case there is a rush at the center and make sure you carry all the documents with you.

Once the visa officer checks your document, they might interview you for a short while but there is nothing to be nervous about. Answer each question truthfully and it should be okay.

Quick tip: You can use your required documents to support your answers. For example, should they ask where you plan to stay in the Czech Republic, you can present your proof of accommodation.

After attending your interview and submitting your documents, you'll be requested to submit your biometric information.

What's that?

It's just your fingerprints and a digital photo of yourself. This is not required if you've been to the Schengen Area in the last 59 months.

Step 6 - Receive Feedback From The Embassy

After completing steps 1 - 5, you're basically done. The only thing left is to wait for your visa to be processed. As mentioned, this can take between 15 - 30 days.

After it's processed, you'll receive feedback from the visa application center via email, a call, SMS, or your preferred contact method. You can Track Your Application here.

If your visa is approved, you can travel back to the visa application center to collect your passport. Attached inside, you'll find your brand new Czech Republic Schengen Visa.

Now, if you are someone who values your time and energy, we've got some great news for you! You don't need to read through this entire guide on getting the Czech Republic Schengen Visa. Instead, all you need to do is download Atlys and use it to complete your application for you.

With Atlys, you can immediately start your next Czech Republic Tourist Visa application. A benefit of Atlys is that you don't need to stress about the visa application process and everything it entails. All you need to do is select a destination, and travel date, and enter your relevant details. Afterward, Atlys will do all the tedious paperwork for you. With Atlys, you can receive your next Tourist Visa in no time!

Now you know how to apply for your Czech Republic Tourist Visa!

Ensure that you follow my exact steps, and you'll have your visa in no time. The final step is to make some unforgettable memories in the Czech Republic!

Enjoy.