Here you will learn that as a temporary protection holder, you can only switch to a long-term residence permit for family reunification. This is an exception because temporary protection holders are not allowed to switch to other types of residence permits.


Long-term residence
A long-term residence permit is a residence permit that is issued for a maximum period of two years and can be renewed repeatedly within 120 to 0 days before its expiry. During the entire period of stay, you must prove and then actually fulfill the so-called purpose - the reason for staying in the territory, which you prove to the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. In your case, this will be the purpose of staying together as a family - so-called family reunification.

Purpose of family reunification
The long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunification is intended for direct family members who reside in the Czech Republic together with their family members who are already in the Czech Republic or on the basis of a residence permit.

Who can apply
You can apply for a long-term residence permit for family reunification if you are:

  • spouse of a foreigner with a residence permit,
  • a minor, dependent child of a foreigner (or foreigner's spouse) with a residence permit (you must be under 18 years of age at the time the residence permit is issued),
  • a foreigner over 65 years of age or, regardless of age, a foreigner who cannot take care of himself or herself for health reasons, if the family reunification is with a parent or a child who is an authorized resident.

When you can apply
If you have been granted temporary residence in the Czech Republic, you can switch to long-term residence for the purpose of family reunification if the following conditions are met:

  • you have already had temporary protection for at least 6 months,
  • you meet the family member's condition. Only close family members can be reunited.
  • your family member with whom you are reuniting must be a long-term resident and have the following types of residence permits:
    - an employment card (long-term residence permit for employment purposes) and must have been in the Czech Republic for at least 6 months,
    - a long-term residence permit (for the purpose of study) and must have been in the Czech Republic for at least 15 months,
    - a blue card.

Where to apply
You can apply for a long-term residence permit in the territory at the office of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. The application form for issuing and extending the validity of a long-term residence permit is available on the MVCR.cz website.


Please attach to the application:

  • travel document,
  • proof of accommodation,
  • 1 photograph (if no image record has been taken)
  • proof of relationship (marriage or birth certificate)
  • consent of the parents (legal representatives or guardians, if they have not applied for the child themselves or will not be staying with the child in the territory, and if the foreigner proves that he/she cannot provide consent for reasons beyond his/her control)
  • means of residence - proof that the total monthly income of the family after reunification will not be less than the sum of:
    -the minimum subsistence allowances of the family members;
    -the family's living costs;
    -if you have provided proof of the family member's income, you are required to provide a declaration of waiver of confidentiality upon request,
  • a document similar to a criminal record extract (not required if you are under 15 years of age,
    on request, proof of compliance with the requirements of the precautions against introducing infectious diseases.                                                                                                                               

If they match your real appearance, documents must not be older than 180 days, except for your travel document, birth certificate, marriage certificate, and photograph.
Summary of obligations
When you change your temporary protection to a long-term residence permit for family reunification, you must prove, among other things, the amount of your income, provide health insurance for family members, and complete an adaptation and integration course (with exceptions provided by law) within 1 year after receiving your residence permit.

Source of information:
Integration Centres: https://www.integracnicentra.cz/headlines/z-docasne-ochrany-se-na-jiny-typ-pobytu-neprechazi-krome/
Ministry of the Interior - https://frs.gov.cz/docasna-ochrana/
Adaptation and integration course - https://www.vitejtevcr.cz/cs/