Czech citizenship

The issue of state citizenship is governed by Act No. 186/2013 Coll., on the state citizenship of the ‎Czech Republic. Generally, a foreigner can acquire Czech state citizenship if they have been granted ‎permanent residence for at least 5 years or have been legally residing in the Czech Republic ‎continuously for at least 10 years. Recently, this law has entirely abandoned the principle of single ‎citizenship and inclined towards the possibility of dual or multiple citizenship for citizens of the ‎Czech Republic. This means that foreigners applying for Czech state citizenship do not have to give ‎up their original citizenship and may apply for citizenship of other states in the future.‎

This provision brings several advantages, especially the fact that holders of dual citizenship, whose ‎one citizenship belongs to a country outside the EU, can use the possibilities of free movement and ‎residence in the member states of the European Union after obtaining a Czech passport, as Czech ‎citizenship automatically means EU citizenship. Furthermore, they can have broader opportunities in ‎the job market within the European Union and easier travel thanks to the possibility of using the ‎passport of the state with less strict visa conditions.‎

Here we would like to note that a foreigner with permanent residence in the Czech Republic already ‎has most rights as a Czech citizen – they can freely work, do business, participate in the public health ‎insurance system, or receive social benefits. The main differences between a foreigner’s permanent ‎residence and granting Czech state citizenship lie primarily in acquiring active and passive voting ‎rights – a Czech citizen can vote in elections at all levels (municipality, region, Parliament, ‎presidential), as well as run for elections. Furthermore, a Czech citizen cannot be expelled and ‎cannot be denied entry to the territory.‎

Dual citizenship, however, can also bring problems, especially in matters of diplomatic protection. A ‎bipolite (person with dual citizenship) can be considered a citizen of multiple states, and each state ‎has the right to refuse diplomatic intervention on behalf of the bipolite if another state has already ‎done so. Additional complications may arise in the matter of compulsory military service, which may ‎be required by both states.‎

Although Czech law allows dual citizenship, this legality only applies to the exercise of Czech ‎citizenship. How dual citizenship is viewed in the case of other states depends entirely on their legal ‎systems. Some countries do not recognize dual citizenship at all or only under very limited ‎conditions. The Czech Republic does not notify other states that their citizens have been granted ‎Czech state citizenship, but some states automatically revoke their citizenship from their citizens ‎upon acquiring another.‎

Lex Ukraine VII and restrictions for citizens of the Russian Federation

As the title of this article suggests, the amendment to the Lex Ukraine VII law significantly restricted ‎the possibility of obtaining Czech citizenship for citizens of the Russian Federation, as part of the ‎measures in response to the armed conflict in Ukraine. Except for exceptions, Russian citizens must ‎now prove that they have renounced their Russian citizenship before acquiring Czech citizenship. At ‎the time of the application, the applicant must submit a document proving the loss of Russian ‎citizenship.‎

Exceptions to this restriction apply in cases such as asylum seekers, persons with a significant ‎contribution to the Czech Republic, or a child whose mother is neither a Czech nor EU citizen and a ‎mutual declaration of parental consent for determining the paternity of a Czech citizen is provided.‎

If the applicant meets the conditions set by the Czech Citizenship Act, i.e., is integrated into society, ‎does not endanger the state’s security, and meets the continuous residence conditions on the ‎territory, the Ministry of the Interior will issue a promise of granting citizenship. However, the ‎procedure will be suspended until the applicant submits a document proving the loss of Russian ‎citizenship. If the applicant does not submit this document within the specified period, the ‎procedure will be stopped.‎

This regulation also implies that all citizenship procedures will be automatically suspended until at ‎least the end of March 2026 (duration of temporary protection).‎

The process of renouncing Russian citizenship is very complicated and lengthy, taking at least 6 ‎months. Moreover, in some cases, it is not allowed at all. Such cases include situations where a ‎Russian citizen has outstanding financial obligations to the Russian Federation (taxes, fees, fines, ‎military service, etc.), is subject to enforcement proceedings, or is prosecuted or convicted in the ‎territory of the Russian Federation.‎

Czech citizenship brings many benefits to third-country nationals, especially within the European ‎Union. On the other hand, it can cause legal complications in international relations. Anyone ‎applying for second citizenship should carefully consider the legal impacts concerning their original ‎nationality.‎

Although Czech law permits multiple citizenships, the Czech Republic has now significantly ‎restricted granting its citizenship to Russian citizens. They can continue to stay in the Czech Republic ‎based on another valid residence permit and await legislative changes that may occur in 2026.‎

We already wrote about the Lex Ukraine VII law in our January article New opportunities for Ukrainians in Czechia: Transition from temporary protection status to special long-term residence.