If you are applying for any type of Czech visa or residency, you need to present proof of accommodation or a rental contract.
Since you will not be given your original contract, you will have to make a legalized copy of the rental contract, which can be expensive depending on the number of pages (100 CZK for the first page and 50 CZK for each additional page). That is why we recommend everyone get proof of accommodation in the Czech Republic
Advantages of Having Proof of Accommodation Instead of a Rental Contract
0 Costs If you use your rental contract for the residency file, then you must leave the original rental contract or make legal copies. The legalization copy fee is 100 CZK for the first page and 50 CZK for each additional page.
Incomplete Documents If your rental contract has been extended in the last few years, you should provide the "Amendments," which you might not find.
Signature For proof of accommodation, only one legal owner can sign, but for a rental contract, all of them must sign.
Databox Option Proof of accommodation can be sent by the landlord’s databox, in case they do not live in the Czech Republic.
Signatures and Authorizations
Proof of accommodation should be signed by the legal owner of the property. It can also be signed by a person representing them, in which case you would need to provide the original power of attorney or a legal copy of it.
If you are a non-EU citizen, the signature of the owner must be legalized.
If you are an EU citizen, the signature does not need to be authorized unless you are applying for Czech permanent residency.
If the apartment has multiple owners, the proof of accommodation should be signed by at least 50% of the shareholders. For EU citizens applying for permanent residency in the Czech Republic, the proof must be authorized.
Duration of the Proof of Accommodation in the Czech Republic
If you are an EU citizen, the duration of the proof of accommodation doesn’t have a fixed period requirement.
After the recent immigration law updates starting 1.7.2023, non-EU citizens’ duration of Czech residency/visa doesn't depend on the duration of the accommodation proof.
For example, if you are applying for an employee card that will be valid for 24 months, the proof of accommodation period can be valid for 12 months, and you will still receive long-term residency for 2 years.
It is important to have proof of accommodation for a maximum period of time if you are applying for a freelancer visa. According to Czech immigration, the first long-term visa is issued for a maximum of 12 months from the date of approval.
If you are hoping to get your first visa for the maximum period, your accommodation proof should be for at least 16 months from the date of visa application, because the visa approval process can take up to 4 months.
How to Arrange Czech Proof of Accommodation
If you are renting an apartment, you should double-check the ownership of the apartment where you are living and ask the legal owner of the apartment to issue the proof of accommodation online here
Your landlord can generate the proof of accommodation in Czech language and, by following the instructions, provide it either to you or directly to the immigration office using a databox.
Note: If you are applying for your first visa outside of the Czech Republic, you must provide a paper version with a wet signature of the proof of accommodation from the legal owner.
Need Help with Proof of Accommodation?
If you need virtual proof of accommodation and a virtual residency address, please check out our service package here
