Ukrainians residing in the Czech Republic under temporary protection now have a great opportunity to secure a more permanent solution for their stay. Once the president signs the final version of the Lex Ukraine VII law (reviewed by the Czech Senate and forwarded to the President on 22 January 2025), registration will open for extending temporary protection for another year. As part of this process, individuals will also have the chance to express their interest in obtaining a special long-term residence permit, valid for five years.
What are the most common questions, and what might interest potential applicants?
Holders of a special long-term residence permit will be able, under certain conditions, to transition to other types of long-term residence permits (for purposes such as family reunification in the territory of the Czech Republic, studies, scientific research, or based on a Blue Card) that better reflect their current situation or personal preferences.
Example: You arrived in the Czech Republic in March 2022 and received temporary protection. After meeting all the conditions, you have obtained a biometric card for special long-term residence, valid for 5 years. After fulfilling all the requirements for the issuance of a Blue Card, including proof of high qualifications and confirmation of income reaching at least 1.5 times the average gross salary in the Czech Republic, it is possible to apply for a change of residence permit type to a Blue Card and transition to the standard residence regime for foreigners in the Czech Republic.
Important Notice: The conditions for changing the type of residence permit vary depending on the specific type of permit you are applying for. Before applying for a change, we recommend carefully reviewing all information and requirements related to the given type of residence. Transition to an employee card will not be permitted at this time.
It will be possible to apply for permanent residence after fulfilling the condition of 5 years of continuous residence. The duration of special long-term residence is fully counted, while residence based on a temporary protection visa is counted at half its length.
Example: You arrived in the Czech Republic in June 2022 and received temporary protection. In November 2025, you obtained a biometric card for a special long-term residence. However, due to specific rules for calculating the residence length, you can apply for permanent residence no earlier than February 2029. The time spent under temporary protection is counted as half – for example, if you spent 40 months in the Czech Republic, the calculation will be as follows: 40 × 0.5 = 20 months, which equals 1 year and 8 months of counted residence for permanent residence purposes. This means you will need to spend an additional 3 years and 4 months with long-term residence before you can apply for permanent residence.
The new special long-term residence permit now falls under the residence conditions established by Act No. 326/1999 Coll., on the Residence of Foreign Nationals. The most common reason for the cancellation of this residence permit is an absence from the territory of the Czech Republic for more than two consecutive years. Other, less common, cases can be found in the relevant law.
Obtaining a special long-term residence permit does not automatically result in the issuance of a personal identification number (rodné číslo) in the Czech Republic. If an institution or bank requests your personal identification number, you may temporarily provide your date of birth instead. A personal identification number will only be assigned to you after obtaining permanent residence in the Czech Republic or a standard residence permit (e.g., Blue Card, long-term residence for scientific research, family reunification, and studies).
If a special long-term residence permit is not granted, you will be provided with the specific reason for the decision. It is not possible to appeal this decision. To address any identified issues and reapply, you will need to wait for the next round of application processing.
The conditions for obtaining a special long-term residence permit may change. Therefore, we recommend regularly checking the latest information on the official website of the Information Portal for Foreigners.
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