Czech Embassy Washington DC – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Czech Republic Schengen Visa

The Czech Republic is a beautiful Schengen country and one that has lots of interesting things to see and do. If you visit, your days won’t be long enough to do everything it has on offer. There are cities with stunning buildings and plenty of bars, cafes, and restaurants to get your fill of delicious food. Head to Kutna Hora to visit the silver mines or if you fancy a refreshing beer or two, visit Pilsen where you can see how the local Pilsner beer is made. In this article learn more about how to apply for Czech Republic visa at the Czech embassy in Washington, DC, Czech visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Czech visa application center, flight itinerary for Czech visa, hotel bookings for Czech visa, Schengen travel insurance for Czech visa application, and Czech Visa Application Process at the Washington DC embassy.

Czech Schengen Visa

In 2017, there were a total of 623,255 Czech Republic Schengen visa applications received worldwide. 27,936 of them were rejected. The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington received 412 applications and issued 411.

Applying for a Czech Schengen Visa from the United States       

If you were born in the United States and you wish to go to the Czech Republic, you do NOT need a visa. However, if you were not born in the US, but you live there on a permanent basis, you DO need to apply for a Czech Republic visa.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Czech embassy and consulate. The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington DC deals with visa applications from within its jurisdiction, so if you live in the following areas, you may apply for your Czech Republic visa at the embassy’s office:

1. Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia

If you live in any other area, please check the embassy’s website to find the correct office where you can apply.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington DC

There are different types of visas you can apply for and the one you need will depend on the duration of your trip and your reason for traveling to Slovakia:

1. Short-term visa (up to 90 days) – this visa is for the purposes of tourism, business, visiting family or friends, cultural, sports, medical reasons, study, airport transit etc
2. Long-term visa (over 90 days) – this visa is for the purposes of medical, employment, cultural, family, invitation, business, sports, study etc

Please note, if you are planning on staying in the Czech Republic for more than 6 months, you will need to apply for a residence permit. Further information regarding this can be found on the embassy’s website.

When you apply for your visa, you can specify how many times you can enter the country within the dates of your visa. Visas are usually issued as:

1. Single entry – you can enter one time only
2. Double entry – you can enter twice
3. Multiple entry – you can enter the country as many times as you like

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington DC

You can apply for your Czech Republic visa up to 90 days before you plan to travel. Schengen visa applications are usually processed within 15 days from the date you submit your file, so you should aim to apply AT LEAST 15 days ahead of schedule. If you leave it too late, your application may not be processed in time, so it’s your responsibility to apply well in advance. Please be aware that certain types of applications may take longer to process – sometimes up to 60 days. Applications for long-term visas take between 90 and 120 days to process, so bear that in mind if you are applying for a long-term (over 90 days) visa.

To help you apply for your Czech Republic visa, here are a few steps to follow:

Step 1: Make an appointment

The first step is to make an appointment in order to submit your application to the embassy. All you need to do is call 202 274 9103 during the embassy’s opening hours – Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 11:30 am. You will be provided with an appointment within 14 days.

Step 2: Complete your application form 

Step 2 is to complete your application. Go to the embassy’s website and click on: “Visa and consular”:

On the next page, click on: “Application forms”:

Then, you can click on the relevant link and you’ll be able to download and complete your application form:

1. Schengen visa application form
2. Long-term visa application form

Step 3: Prepare your documents

Before you begin this step, it’s a good idea to check the requirements on the embassy’s website to familiarize yourself with what is needed for your type of visa. The embassy will not accept your application if you submit it with anything missing.

You need to submit originals as well as photocopies of everything, so remember to do this too!

Documents include:

1. Completed visa application form – you can complete and print this form online or download it, but you must sign it in front of the visa officer
2. Passport or official travel document – must have at least three months remaining after your trip, at least two blank pages and issued within the previous 10 years
3. Documents proving the legal status in the US – original Alien Registration Card (Green Card), a Green card Stamp in your passport, an Advance Parole, or a valid US Visa must be provided along with a valid I-94 departure record. Students should also submit the original validated I-20, DS-2019 or IAP-66 (The US residence permit or visa should be valid for at least 3 months after your trip)
4. One recent passport photograph of your entire face without sunglasses or head covering, unless for religious or medical reasons). The photo must be taken against a plain, light background with good contrast in color or black and white. It must be of clear and good quality and printed on regular photographic paper
5. Proof that you can proceed to the next country after you have visited the Schengen countries, i.e. confirmed itinerary and/or airline reservation/ticket and required visa
6. Proof of sufficient funds for your intended stay in the Czech Republic – bank statement and/or travelers checks, etc
7. Letter of continued employment including income statement. If you are self-employed a business license and tax return forms are required
8. Flight reservation
9. Confirmed hotel reservation and/or invitation letter with verified signature, itinerary
10. Health/medical facility confirmation
11. Business relations confirmation, invitation/application for participation in consultations, supporting letter from the hosting company
12. Invitation/ticket for congress, expo, conference, seminar etc
13. Confirmation about cultural/sports activities in the Czech Republic
14. Acceptance letter from the school, registration letter
15. Hosting agreement with a research institution
16. A work permit issued by the Employment Office or employment contract
17. Schengen Travel medical health insurance covering evacuation, repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical care and/or emergency treatment in a hospital for at least € 30,000 ($45,000)
18. Criminal history affidavit
19. A certified pre-paid envelope with a sufficient stamp or an already pre-paid label (only certified mail with a tracking number)

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: Submit your file

On the day of your appointment, remember the following things:

1. Don’t forget any of your documents – incomplete applications will not be processed
2. Arrive at the embassy early – if you are late, you may have to reschedule your appointment
3. Dress smartly – this helps to give a good impression

Your application will be reviewed and if the embassy requires any more information from you, they will ask you questions like:

1. Have you visited the Schengen area before?
2. What is your job in the US?
3. How much do you earn?
4. Do you have any children?
5. Are you meeting anyone in the Czech Republic?

If you are asked any questions like these, simply answer politely and, above all, truthfully. The embassy needs all the facts from you in order to make a fair decision about your visa.

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You will also pay the fee for your visa. You can pay in cash and by money order payable to the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington.

If this is your first time applying for a Schengen visa, you will also provide a scan of your fingerprints and you will have your photograph taken. If you have applied within the last 5 years, this biometric data can be reused.

Step 5: Receive your visa

Once a decision about your visa application has been reached, you can either:

1. Collect your passport from the embassy
2. Have your passport returned to you by mail

There are 2 outcomes:

1. Approved – your visa application has been accepted and you will find your visa inside your passport
2. Denied – your visa application has been rejected for a specific reason

Common rejection reasons include:

1. Invalid passport – your passport must be valid, i.e. 3 months remaining after your trip, issued at least 10 years ago, and have 2 blank pages. If it isn’t, you must obtain a new one before applying for your visa.
2. School acceptance letter not included – if the purpose of your stay is to study at an educational facility in the Czech Republic, you must provide proof that you have been accepted on the relevant course
3. Lack of funds – you must have enough money to fund your trip and the documents you provide must prove this
4. You have applied at the wrong visa office – each of the visa offices in the US has its own jurisdiction and you must apply to the correct office. Check the embassy’s website for further details

Contact details for the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington DC

Address: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008

Telephone: +1 (202) 274-9103

Fax: +1 (202) 469-8161

Email: visa.washington@mzv.cz

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 11.30 am

Conclusion

There are just 5 easy steps to apply for your Czech Republic visa:

1. Make an appointment
2. Complete your application form
3. Prepare your documents
4. Submit your file
5. Receive your visa

Once you have your visa, you can start to prepare for your awesome trip to the Czech Republic.

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

How To Apply for Czech Republic Schengen Visa at Czech Consulate in Los Angeles, California

How To Apply for Czech Republic Schengen Visa at Czech Consulate in Chicago, Illinois

How To Apply for Czech Republic Schengen Visa at Czech Consulate in NYC, New York

Worldwide Visa Requirements