Erasmus Student Club - Useful info - Imigration, visa

Visa and residence permit (before arrival)

EU Students:

Students from the European Union countries, Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Switzerland and some other countries do not need a visa to come and study in Czech Republic. To enter the Czech Republic, EU students need only a valid passport or national ID card.

Non EU Students:

Students from other countries (non-EU) may be required to have a valid visa for their stay in the Czech Republic. For a stay longer then 30 days, students from Bulgaria and Romania need a visa. Students from Turkey need a visa in any case. It is no longer possible to apply for a visa on the territory of the Czech Republic; the application has to be submitted to the Czech embassy or Consulate in the student's home country. It is necessary to apply for visa as one receives the letter of acceptance. The procedure can take up to 90 days so do not leave it at the last moment. It can postpone your arrival to the Czech Republic even by several months.

The Czech embassy may require particular documents. The basic documents required for visa for a stay above 90 days are:

  1. Original visa application form
  2. Letter of Acceptance
  3. Valid passport (valid for at least half a year beyond expiry of the visa)
  4. 2 passport-size photographs
  5. Confirmation of accommodation in the Czech Republic
  6. Financial contract or other supporting documents of financial support for stay in Czech Republic (e.g. a valid internationally recognized credit card, a bank account statement of the applicant showing that you have sufficient funds to use during your stay in the Czech Republic, travellers cheque bearing the applicant's name)
  7. Official extract from the Czech Republic Criminal Record Register, confirming that the applicant has not been prosecuted and punished for criminal acts in the Czech Republic (it is enough to apply for the extract at the Czech Embassy when applying for a visa and agree that the extract will be sent directly to the respective immigration police department).

Departure

You should contact the Department of International Relations of the Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague sufficiently ahead of your departure from Prague to find out about the documents you will need to be issued. The Department will either prepare the required documents for you to collect on an agreed date or they will send them to the address of your home university. Make sure that you do not forget to cover the rent for accommodation for the last part of your stay in the halls of residence. Payment of all due fees is a precondition for the issue of documents on the conclusion of your exchange visit.

Non EU Students:

Students from countries (non-EU) are also required to check out 3 days before they leave Czech Republic at the address:
Olšanská 2176/2
130 00 Praha 3 - Žižkov

Getting to the Czech Republic

By air

The main international airport of the Czech Republic is Prague Ruzyně (PRG), which has daily connections from/to major European cities. Ruzyně airport is located on the north-west edge of city, about 15 km from the city centre. Prague airport official website

Getting from the airport to the city

Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague is at the metro station Dejvická (metro line A) close to the Prague airport and close to city centre.

Travelling to the city centre from the airport is quite easy and buses, cars or shuttle vans, which regularly leave the airport at fixed intervals, are available at the airport. Students should be cautioned that the TAXIS operating in front of the airport buildings are usually EXPENSIVE. Taxi is available right in front of the airport hall but bear in mind that the about 20 minute drive from the airport to Dejvická (our school locality) will cost you about 400 to 600 CZK.

There are two terminals at Prague's airport: Terminal 1 (usually for flights from/to non-Shengen countries) and Terminal 2 (for flights from/to Shengen countries).

You can get to the city center by buses No. 119, 100 and the AE bus (Airport Express).

Buses are cheap and comfortable. It takes about 25 minutes to city (metro A station Dejvická) with No. 119. Institute of Chemical Technology Prague is at terminus of bus No. 119 at Dejvická.

By bus

Bus is the cheapest mode of transport in Europe.There are ample bus connections between major cities of the Czech Republic and other European cities. Most international buses arrive at Florenc (main bus station in Prague). A few buses terminate at Roztyly, Černý most and Želivského metro stations. All bus terminals have an easy access to the metro. From Florenc you get to Dejvická by metro. At Florenc (Metro Line-C and Line-B) you will take the metro Line C (red one) and you will get to Museum. At station Museum you will change to Line A and Dejvická is a terminus of Line A (green).

By train

It is easy to travel to Prague by train. In summer you have to book seats at least a few weeks in advance.

Most international trains arrive at main railway station whose name is Praha-Hlavní nádraží (Praha Hl.n.). Others are Praha-Holešovice, Praha-Smíchovské nádraží, Praha-Masarykovo nádraží. Each station has an easy access to the metro.

Trains coming from the west (Paris, Frankfurt) and east (Budapest) mostly arrive at Main Station (Praha Hlavní nádraží), while those coming from north (Berlin) usually go to Holešovice. You can get to Dejvická (Institute of Chemical Technology Prague) from both railway stations by the metro C-Line (red) to the Museum station where you will change to the A-Line (green). The Dejvická is terminus of A-Line.

By car

Just take care on the road. You have to buy and display the obligatory motorway vignette (sticker) for driving on the Czech highways. Vignettes can be purchased at a post office, a border crossing and selected petrol stations.

How to Get to the Hall of Residence