Czech citizenship in 2026: how to get it

Five years of permanent residence, Czech at B1 and about $360 in fees and exams, and since 2025 Russian citizens must also leave Russian citizenship.

The short answer: Czech citizenship is granted after 5 years of permanent residence or 10 years of legal residence in total, after exams in Czech and civics. The state fee is about $95 per adult, and the exams about $265 more. Russian citizens face a separate condition since 10 February 2025: a Czech passport is granted only after leaving Russian citizenship.

Who can get Czech citizenship

Marriage to a Czech citizen does not by itself give citizenship: the spouse needs a residence permit, the same years and the exams. Residence permits are covered in the article Czech residence permit.

How much Czech citizenship costs

Amounts are at the European Central Bank rate of 6 October 2026, about 21.7 koruna per dollar, rounded up.

• Application fee. About $95 for an adult and about $25 for a minor child.
• Czech language exam. B1 level, about $175.
• Civics, history and culture exam. About $95; both exams together about $265.
• Documents. Police certificates, translations and apostilles are paid at agency and translator rates.

The total in fees and exams for one adult is about $360. This excludes translations, certificates and the years on a residence permit. The cost of support depends on the route and your family, and a manager will calculate it in the chat.

Requirements: language, income and timing

The Czech Interior Ministry decides a case within 180 days by law. That is not the longest wait in Europe, but add the years of preparation: an application is checked as meticulously as a Prague tram keeps to its timetable.

• Residence. 5 years of permanent residence or 10 years of legal residence in total, with at least half of that period spent in the Czech Republic.
• Language and exams. Czech at B1 and a civics exam. Those who studied in Czech for at least 3 years, children under 15 and people over 65 are exempt.
• Income and taxes. For the 3 years before applying, income, paid taxes and contributions are checked, and that you did not live on social benefits.
• Law. No criminal record and no immigration violations.

Czech citizenship for Russians

The Czech Republic has allowed dual citizenship since 2014, but Act No. 24/2025 made an exception for Russian citizens. Since 10 February 2025 they are naturalised only if they present a document confirming they have left Russian citizenship. The rule does not apply to those with asylum in the Czech Republic or those applying for special contribution, and children of a Czech parent hold both citizenships from birth. Details are in the article Czech and Russian dual citizenship, and any pair of countries can be checked with the dual citizenship check.

You become a Czech tax resident after 183 days in the country in a year or with a permanent home there. Rates are on the page taxes in the Czech Republic.

How we help

The law does not stop you applying for Czech citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fees: a break in residence from long trips, incomplete income and tax records for 3 years, an exam passed after filing and, for Russian citizens, an application without a document on leaving Russian citizenship, which will not be considered. Murblz specialists count the years on your permits, gather certificates, prepare you for the exams and, for descendants of former citizens, find archive documents for the declaration. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and in most cases a result on the first application.

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