Czech RepublicStudy and training

Czech Republic language course visa

Long-term visa for the purpose of study (language and other courses)

In short

Language schools and other courses in Czechia that last longer than 90 days but do not count as study under the residence permit rules are covered by a long-term visa for study. It is issued for up to one year; shorter courses use an ordinary Schengen visa.

Apply on Ministry of the Interior – application status (frs.gov.cz) checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Up to one year; can be extended in Czechia for up to another year.
Fee
Long-term visas are charged at the standard rate of CZK 2,500 in the Czech MFA fee table; the table sets reduced or free rates for some nationalities, Türkiye among them, so the mission confirms the amount due.
Funds required
CZK 46,950 for the stayBase amount for a long-term stay (15 × CZK 3,130), plus CZK 6,260 for each full month; applicants under 18 need half. Students may instead show a stipend, a grant or an undertaking by an institution.
Processing time
Legal time limit of 60 days for study purposes.
Work
Not automatically; work would need a separate authorisation.
Where to apply
In person at the Czech embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence, after registering for an appointment as that mission instructs.

Which courses it covers

The Czech MFA directs language and other courses, and secondary or higher professional school attendance outside exchange programmes, to the long-term visa for study. Language preparation organised by a public university for a specific accredited degree programme is different: it falls under the residence permit for study.

Short courses

A course of up to 90 days is attended on a Schengen visa for study, lodged at the Czech mission responsible for your place of residence or its external service provider with the school’s confirmation. Pupils and students on study trips are exempt from the Schengen visa fee.

Rules for all long-term documents

Supporting documents must be in Czech or come with an official Czech translation; untranslated papers are treated as not submitted, and the missions do not translate them. Foreign public documents need an apostille, documents may not be older than 180 days (passport, civil status records and diplomas excepted), and the passport and the main purpose document are shown in original.

Required documents

Identity

  • Application form and two passport photos; fingerprints are taken at the mission

Travel

  • Valid passport (original) and a copy of the data page

Money

  • Proof of funds: CZK 46,950 plus CZK 6,260 per full month

Study

  • Confirmation of enrolment from the Czech language school or course provider

Insurance

  • Travel medical insurance for the stay with Czech translation, shown only when collecting the visa

Other

  • Proof of accommodation in Czechia for the stay
  • Criminal record extract from your country of citizenship (and, where required, from other countries where you recently lived), with apostille and Czech translation

Insurance and registration after arrival

When collecting the visa you show travel medical insurance for the stay in Czech translation. For long-term stays it must cover comprehensive care, including preventive care and pregnancy, with at least EUR 400,000 and no co-payment. In Czechia you report your address within three working days of arrival; residence permit holders also give biometrics at the Ministry of the Interior office for their card.

Extension

If the course continues, you can ask the Ministry of the Interior office in Czechia to extend the long-term visa for up to one more year before it expires, or apply to change to a residence permit if you are admitted to a degree programme.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Enrol in a course that lasts longer than 90 days and obtain the school’s confirmation.
  2. Register for an appointment with the Czech mission responsible for your place of residence, choosing study as the purpose.
  3. Prepare the long-stay visa form, funds, accommodation and criminal record, all in Czech or translated.
  4. Lodge the application in person and give fingerprints.
  5. After approval, show insurance, collect the visa and report your address within three working days of arrival.

Forms

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch from a language course visa to university studies?

Yes. After admission to an accredited programme you can apply in Czechia to change the purpose of stay to a residence permit for study.

How much does the long-term visa cost?

The standard rate in the Czech MFA fee table is CZK 2,500; the table lists reduced or free rates for some nationalities, Türkiye among them. Residence permits, such as the study permit, carry their own fee.

Can I travel to other Schengen states with this visa?

Yes. A Czech long-term visa allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180 days in other Schengen states for non-gainful purposes.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Czech Republic

Visits and short stays

Business and self-employment

  • Business visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
  • Self-employed and freelancer visa Maximum stay: Up to one year; extendable or convertible into a long-term residence permit for business in Czechia.
  • Investor visa Maximum stay: Issued for up to two years; renewable in Czechia.

Study and training

Work

  • Job seeker visa Maximum stay: Up to nine months, no extension.
  • Work visa Maximum stay: For the length of the contract, at most two years per card; renewable in Czechia.
  • Skilled worker visa Maximum stay: Depends on the permit obtained (employee card up to two years, Blue Card up to three).
  • EU Blue Card Maximum stay: Contract length plus three months, at most three years; renewable.
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: Duration of the transfer: at most three years for managers and specialists, one year for trainees.
  • Seasonal work visa Maximum stay: Long-term seasonal visa: at most nine months in total, extensions included.
  • Digital nomad visa Maximum stay: Long-term visa for up to one year, then a long-term residence permit for the same purpose in Czechia.

Family

  • Family reunification visa Maximum stay: Same validity as the sponsor’s permit, at least one year; two years if the sponsor holds permanent residence.
  • Spouse and partner visa Maximum stay: Residence card for the expected length of the EU citizen’s stay, at most five years.

Residence

  • Permanent residence Maximum stay: Permanent; the residence card itself is renewed periodically.

Faster processing

Protection

  • Asylum and international protection Processing time: Time limits follow the amended Asylum Act and the EU Asylum Procedure Regulation applicable since 12 June 2026; manifestly unfounded claims go through an accelerated procedure.

Czech Republic visa guide