Also this year, the possibility of applying for a special long-term residence permit will open for holders of temporary protection from Ukraine in the Czech Republic. If the applicant meets the strict conditions for its issuance, the special long-term residence permit will be issued to him with a validity of 5 years. But what to watch out for and what are the differences compared to last year?
First of all, it is important for foreigners to check whether they meet the following conditions for the granting of special long-term residence permit:
If the foreigners meet the above conditions, they must express his or her interest in obtaining the special long-term residence permit in the Foreigner’s Information Portal. Since the expression of interest is valid for only one year, foreigners must renew their interest this year as well – even if they submitted it last year, but their application was not granted.
Registration for expressions of interest will be launched in April 2026. Until then, it is again necessary to register for the extension of the current temporary protection in order to extend it for another year. After the expression of interest, the application will be evaluated and if it is evaluated positively, then from October 2026 to the end of December 2026, the foreigner will have the opportunity to register for the date of biometric data scanning at the Ministry of the Interior workplace and then pick up a new residence card at the workplace.
The specificity of this application lies in the fact that, unlike other applications for residence permits, it is not subject to normal administrative proceedings and there is no entitlement to residence. It is rather a tool of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic to support self-sufficient, economically independent holders of temporary protection, the aim of which is to contribute to the suppression of the grey economy.
| Benefits | Responsibilities |
| This is a standard stay in the Czech Republic with legal status and greater stability | Foreigners over the age of 18 who are not employed must pay for comprehensive health insurance. |
| The validity of the stay is 5 years | There is no entitlement to non-insurance social benefits (e.g. housing allowance, parental allowance, child allowance). |
| The period of stay is counted towards the required period for obtaining permanent residence | The obligation to register the vehicle in the vehicle register and exchange the driving license within 3 months of receiving the residence permit. |
| Possibility to apply for a change of purpose to another residence permit (e.g. long-term residence for the purpose of study, blue card) | |
| Free access to the labour market | |
| The obligation to complete an adaptation and integration course is eliminated |
If the holder of temporary protection does not meet the requirements for the issuance of the special long-term residence permit, they still have the option of extending the temporary protection, based on registration, which must be by 15 March 2026 at the latest. The process of extending the temporary protection is the same as last year, the only change is that the applicant for extension must use the same profile in the Foreigner’s Information Portal as last year when registering.
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