Who qualifies
- Likely CzechA parent who was Czech when you were bornYou don’t make a declaration. You register your birth in the Czech special register in Brno through the consulate, then apply for a certificate of citizenship and a passport.
- By declarationA parent or grandparent who lost Czech or Czechoslovak citizenship before 2014They needn’t be alive. You mustn’t be a Slovak citizen.
- Usually notOnly a great-grandparent, or a relative who became Slovak or lost citizenship as a German or Hungarian after 1945Those cases are excluded from the declaration route.
How to apply
- Check how your relative lost citizenshipFor example, a US naturalization certificate dated before 2014.
- Gather the family documentsApostilled, with certified Czech translations.
- Make the declaration at a Czech embassy or consulateIn person, by appointment. The forms are in Czech.
- Collect your certificateYou become Czech on the day you receive the certificate of citizenship.
Documents
- Valid photo ID, such as your passport
- Your birth certificate, and marriage or divorce certificates if applicable
- Your parents’ and grandparents’ birth, marriage or death certificates, as relevant
- Proof of when and how your relative lost citizenship, such as a naturalization certificate
- The personal data form and declaration form
- Apostilles and certified Czech translations (not needed for Slovak documents or US naturalization certificates)
For UK, Irish and US certificates, see where to order certificates.
Common questions
Can I keep my other passport?
Yes. Czechia has allowed dual citizenship since 2014.
Does losing Czechoslovak citizenship by becoming American count?
Yes. Losing Czech or Czechoslovak citizenship by naturalizing elsewhere before 2014 is the typical case.
Do I need to speak Czech?
No, though the declaration forms are in Czech. Consulates usually provide an English guide.
Can great-grandchildren use the declaration?
No. The declaration covers children and grandchildren only. A parent or grandparent in the line may be able to claim for themselves.
What a Czech passport gives you
The right to live, work, study and retire across all 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. See what an EU passport lets you do.
Living there
A Czech passport lets you live and work in any EU country, and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Not eligible? The long way round
If descent doesn’t work for you, you can still become a citizen by living in Czechia and applying to naturalize. It takes longer, but it’s open to anyone who meets the conditions.
A shortcut for people with Czech roots
Children and grandchildren of people who lost Czech citizenship can declare without living there. See the guide above.
- Time living there first
- 5 years with permanent residence (3 for EU citizens), or 10 years’ continuous residence in all.
- Language and tests
- Czech at B1 level and a civics test.
- Keep your current passport?
- Yes. Czechia allows dual citizenship.
- Main ways to get residence
- The employee card, the EU Blue Card, self-employment with a trade license, and study.
The fee is CZK 2,000 per adult.
Already have, or able to get, a passport from an EU country through another family line? Then you can live and work in Czechia without a visa. See what an EU passport lets you do.
General information, not immigration advice. Residence rules change often, so check the official source before you plan a move. Sources: Czech government portal: conferment of Czech citizenship.