Czech Consulate General in Los Angeles – Visa Guide for US Residents

Introduction

Permanent citizenship of the USA exempts the itinerant from the hectic visa procedure as the itinerant can stay in the Czech Republic for up to 90 days. However, if you aim to stay for more than 90 days, then you are supposed to apply for the Czech National Visa at Czech Consulate General Los Angeles.

Likewise, if the itinerant resides in the USA but is not a permanent resident, he will apply for both short-stay visa and the Czech Republic’s Schengen Visa; depending upon nature of the visit.

Likewise, if you’re not a permanent of the USA, then you have to apply for a short-term visa or long-term visa depending on your number of days of stay in the country.

The Czech Republic at a glance

The Czech Republic emerged as the legal successor of Czechoslovakia (a federation comprising the Czech Republic and Slovakia) in 1993. The country has been enjoying sustained economic growth since 1995 and is categorized as a high-income economy.

The diverse landscape of the Czech Republic its medieval castles have made it one of the top tourist destination in the world. Every year, millions of tourists throng the country to enjoy an exotic history.

The country spans over an area of 78,866km2 and is home to 10.6 million residents.

Schengen Area

The Schengen Area zone spreads over an area of 26 European states. A citizen of the signatory state can circulate freely as there are no internal border checks.

All signatories to the Schengen Agreement had dissolved their borders for a uniform border.

Jurisdiction of Czech Consulate General Los Angeles

The Czech Consulate General Los Angeles covers the following states:

Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Visa officers of the Czech Consulate General Los Angeles are issuing 2 types of visa. They are:

Schengen Visa

A visa allowing its holder to roam freely in as many 26 states of the Schengen Area is called Schengen Visa.

National Visa

As mentioned in the above paragraphs, if you are a permanent citizen or reside in the United States and are planning to stay in the central European nation for more than 90 days, you are required to get your visa application for the Czech Republic Residence Permit approved to formally enter the country.

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Czech Consulate General Los Angeles

The visa application process has become quite simpler with the advent of the internet. Below are some easy steps through which you can get your application approved without any stress.

Step One: Determine Category of Visa

The first and foremost step is to determine the category of the visa that you need to apply for. For instance, if you are going to visit the Czech Republic for study purpose, then you will apply for the Czech Republic Study Visa and if your intention is to get yourself a state-of-the-art treatment in the Czech Republic, then you would apply for the medical visa.

Step Two: Make an Online Appointment

After determining the category, the itinerant will secure an online appointment with the staffers of the Czech Consulate General Los Angeles by dropping an email at losangeles@embassy.mzv.cz. The email should be accompanied by the following mandatory information:

• Full name of the itinerant,
• Name of the state which issued itinerant’s passport,
• Expiry date and number of the passport,
• Type of visa/permit you are applying for (long-term visa, residence permit, employee card, etc.),
• Purpose of your stay (study, scientific research, employment, business, family reunification, etc.),
• Scan (attachment in PDF or JPG format only) of the document written in the Czech language and confirming the purpose of your stay (for study: confirmation of enrollment, for scientific research: signed hosting agreement, for employment: signed contract of employment, for business: statement from the Czech Trade Register or from the Czech Commercial Register, for family reunification: certificate of vital records demonstrating applicant’s relationship to the holder of the authorization for reunification),
• Intended date of arrival to the Czech Republic,
• Preferred date for the appointment at the Consulate.

Step Three: Prepare Documents

Once you secure the appointment with the visa officer of the Czech Consulate General Los Angeles, you must initiate preparing your visa documents at the earliest.

Application form: The Czech Republic has extended facility for all aspirants to down the visa application form without any cost from the website.

Application form: Download the application form and fill the information with the utmost care.

Following types of the visa application forms are available on the Czech Consulate General Los Angeles’s website:

• Application for a Schengen visa (also used for the airport transit visa)
• Application for a long-term visa
• Application for a long-term residence or permanent residence
• Application for a Blue card and Green card is generated by the system of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs

Roundtrip Flight Itinerary for visa application: A roundtrip flight itinerary is a mandatory supporting document in the visa application. It illustrates dates your arrival in and departure from the Czech Republic accompanied by itinerant’s details, the name of the airline, unique IATA and PNR codes.

Travel Visa Health Insurance: Visa officers of the Czech Consulate General Los Angeles wants you to get medically insured before traveling to the Czech Republic. The itinerant should get minimum travel insurance of 50,000 USD or 30,000 EUR.

Hotel Booking Reservation/Proof of accommodation: It illustrates that itinerant has sorted out means of accommodation in the Czech Republic either through booking a hotel online or the same is being offered to him by his friend or relative residing in the Czech Republic.

A hotel booking or proof of accommodation includes:

• A hotel/hostel booking; and
• A rental agreement; and
• A letter of invitation from a host at whose house you will be staying.

Bank statement/proof of financial means: This document proves to the visa officers that itinerant is financially able to cover the cost of his trip to the Czech Republic.

Cover Letter: A document abridging the purpose of the itinerant’s intention before the visa officer is known as a cover letter.

Means of subsistence: All Schengen states want the itinerant to maintain means of subsistence before entering their territory.

For the Czech Republic, the means of subsistence stands at 1100 CZK or 42.50 EUR.

If the overall planned days of stay in the Czech Republic, exceeds 30 calendar days, the visa applicant has to attest to the Czech Embassy or Consulate a total amount of 33,000 CZK or 1,274€ together with an additional amount of 4,400 CZK equivalent to 170€ by the end of each month of stay.

Affidavit of Support: If you do not have a valid bank account, then the visa officer will ask itinerant to submit the said document.

The relative or friend of the visa applicant—who is a permanent resident of the Czech Republic—will submit this document on behalf of the former.

If employed:

Employment contract; and

Current bank statement of the latest 6 months; and

Leave permission from the employer; and

Income Tax Return (ITR) form or Certificate of Income Tax deducted at the source of salary; and

Letter of Invitation.

If self-employed:

A copy of your business license; and

Company bank statement of the latest 6 months; and

Income Tax Return (ITR).

If a student:

Proof of enrollment; and

No-objection certificate from school or university.

If retired:

Pension statement of the latest 6 months.

If applicable:

Regular income generated by property proof of the latest 6 months.

*Note: The signed application form must be accompanied the rest of the above-mentioned mandatory documents and handed personally at the appropriate embassy/consulate or its representative in your home country.

Apart from the general documentation required, accompanying should be other additional documents depending on the nature of your visa application.

Recent nationwide criminal history check.

US work permit.

Confirmation of participation in any type of event or activity.

Self-addressed, pre-paid US express mail envelope (if applicable).

Documents proving the legal status in 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 at least 3 months beyond the intended departure from the Schengen member state territory.

Letter of continued employment including income statement. If you are self-employed a business license and tax return forms are required.

Step Four: Appear for Interview

After completing the document, wait for an interview call from the Czech Consulate General Los Angeles.

For further information, you can visit the website of the Czech Republic Embassy, Washington D.C.

As of May 15, 2014, each individual applying for a Schengen visa in the USA must appear in person, so that the necessary biometric data – ten fingerprints and a digital photo – can be collected. The biometric data are stored for a period of 59 months and can possibly be reused. This means that future applications during that period of time may be filed through correspondence, provided your data are of good quality and can be retrieved from the VIS.

San Francisco, Atlanta, and Washington: visaonweb.diplomatie.be (printed application form and documentation must be sent by postal mail or courier service

San Francisco: by postal mail or courier service only

Exemptions for the fingerprinting requirements are granted to:

• Children less than 12-year-old;
• Persons for whom the collection of fingerprints is physically impossible;
• Government officials.

Step Five: Receive Your Visa

As mentioned earlier, Czech Consulate General Los Angeles usually take up to 15 days to process your visa application.  The Czech Consulate General Los Angeles will notify you once they arrive on a decision on your visa application. The applicant has the option to collect his passport and visa (in case the application is approved) via UPS or USPS in the envelope that the applicant has provided.

Arrive at Czech Consulate General Los Angeles timely;

Dress properly;

Remain calm and answer confidently. Don’t get anxious if additional questions are asked.

Possible Reasons for Visa Rejections

We wish you all the best for your visa application but there are certain reasons upon which your visa application may get rejected.

These reasons include (but are not limited to):

• The applicant forget to sign the application
• Invalid passport
• Damaged passport
• Invitation Letter is missing
• Sponsorship Letter is missing
• NOC is missing
• Czech Consulate General Los Angeles fails in establishing a clear reason for your travel

Address

10990 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA, 90024-4879 (located on the South-East corner of Wilshire Blvd. and Veteran Ave.)

Phone:

a) Calling from the USA: 1-(310) 473-0889

b) Calling from the Czech Republic: 001-(310) 473-0889

Fax:

1-(310) 473-9813 (from USA)

001-(310) 473-9813 (from the Czech Republic)

E-mail: losangeles@embassy.mzv.cz