Czech Red Tape and Visas

Are you taking that long sought after and exciting trip to the Czech Republic in the near future? Before you go, make sure you know about red tape and visas when it comes to travelling abroad. Take a few precautionary steps, and you will be able to enjoy your vacation without the hassle of red tape.

Many immigration restrictions for European Union members have been lifted after January 1993. It was then that the European Union took steps to increase movement amongst member countries by cutting the red tape and making travel much simpler. In many cases, all that travellers need to do is waive their passports to boarder officials upon entering another EU country.

In fact, in some instances border patrols are almost nonexistent. If you are driving from the UK to the Czech Republic, you will be passing through countries that are part of Schengen Group- a group comprised of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Luxemburg, and the Netherlands. The Schengen Group has joint visas valid for travel in all of them and in theory no border immigration controls movement between those nations. You still would be required to present IDS when travelling through these countries.

If you are a citizen of the UK (but not other British passport holders), Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, or the United States, a visa is not required to enter into the Czech Republic. Depending on your nationality you can stay inside the Czech Republic for up to three months without having to go cut through the red tape and apply for a visa.

In any case, your passport needs to be valid for at least six months beyond the end of your stay in the Czech Republic. Make sure to check on visa requirements before travelling because they can change, though it is unlikely that any country in the European Union will require a visa from British citizens.

In order to minimize the hassle of crossing boarders into the Czech Republic or anywhere in the European Union, it pays to look reasonably presentable and to be respectful at all times to boarder officials or other law enforcement personnel. If you are driving to the Czech republic, some boarder officials might ask for you to present an onward ticket to another destination or prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself while touring the country. As it turns out, most governments love the aspect of having a tourist willing to spend money in their country but merely tolerate scruffy backpackers who are relying on panhandling to get by.

Finally, plan ahead and make sure you have a passport and all applicable visas. Give your government and the Czech Republic plenty of time for the red tape and visas. In some cases it can take over a month to be granted a passport. Depending upon the time of the year, the office might be flooded with requests and may not be able to process your passport and visas before your intended travel dates.