Visa and insurance

For full information about the student visa application please see the website of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic.

EU citizens

EU citizens (or citizens of Schengen Area – Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland) need neither a visa nor a permit to study in the Czech Republic. They only need a valid passport or another equivalent ID.

Non-EU citizens

Exchange students accepted to study at Prague University of Economics and Business (VSE) who are not EU citizens (further on as applicants) are required to have a long-term visa for the purpose of studies (further on as VISA) before arriving in the Czech Republic. Please note that it is necessary that the applicant be physically present in the country where they applied at the time the VISA is issued in the passport.

The application procedure for obtaining a VISA takes min 60 days since the completed VISA application was submitted to the local Czech Embassy/Consulate. A list of Czech diplomatic missions abroad can be found here.

The information below is to be read carefully, and the application procedure is to be started immediately after receiving the Supporting Documents from VSE. Approximately 3 months prior to the start of the semester, the Supporting Documents will be sent by post. The Supporting Documents contain:

• Confirmation of Study (“Potvrzení o přijetí ke studiu/o studiu”) – this document is to be handed in with the VISA application
• Binding Preliminary Agreement on Accommodation (“Smlouva o smlouvě budoucí”) confirming that the applicant is eligible to sign an Accommodation Agreement with the VSE dormitories (given that certain conditions are met) at the beginning of her/his stay in the Czech Republic. Applicants, who are not going to stay at VSE dormitories, have to get the Accommodation Agreement or Binding Preliminary Agreement on Accommodation from their landlord.

„Confirmation of Study“ and „Binding Preliminary Agreement on Accommodation “ are necessary for the VISA application. It is important to contact the local Czech Embassy/Consulate for details on the VISA application and to read the instructions on filling in the application properly. Different Czech Embassies may require different forms.

In general, the filled-in application form must be accompanied by:

• Confirmation of Study “Potvrzení o přijetí ke studiu/o studiu”– issued by VSE and sent by post
• Binding Preliminary Agreement on Accomodation “Smlouva o smlouvě budoucí” – issued by VSE and sent by post
• Financial Statement – a statement confirming that the applicant has financial resources to cover their stay in the Czech Republic- i.e., confirmation of a scholarship (if granted) or a bank account statement: the minimum amount required is approx. 35,000 CZK (approx. 1,200 EUR) for each month of the stay in the Czech Republic.
• Criminal Record Check verifying that the applicant has no criminal record (issued by the state of which you are a citizen and also of states where you have resided for a total of six months during the three years preceding your application)
• Health insurance for VISA purposes
• 2 passport-sized photos (45mm x 35mm)
• Valid passport

Please note that some documents must be translated into Czech language by a translator with an official stamp. For details, please contact the local Czech Embassy/Consulate. If the applicant plans to travel in the Schengen area, it is necessary to make sure the particular type of VISA allows it.

In case any assistance with the VISA procedure is needed, it is advisable to contact an NGO, which should be able to assist and answer related questions. VSE is not entitled to provide advising in VISA matters, and neither is it entitled to obtain any information regarding the VISA status of any applicant.

EU citizens

Students from EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, are entitled to the provision of necessary and urgent health care free of charge. It is only necessary that they have a certified E 128 form from their home country or a European Health Insurance Card, which replaces the paper forms needed.

It is, however, highly recommended to enter into a contract with one of the commercial insurance companies. To rely on the EU blue card is not a good idea, since it only covers the very basic interventions. Some situations are not always considered urgent, even though they involve a lot of pain.

In our experience, it is way easier to book an appointment at the doctor’s, given that the student is commercially insured.

Non-EU citizens