Czech Citizenship
The process of obtaining Czech citizenship
Written by Attorney Eran Wagner
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The process of obtaining Czech citizenship
New – German citizenship for descendants of Czech émigrés
In many cases, the descendants of Czech nationals may obtain German citizenship, even if the bestower of the right was not a Czech citizen but only a resident of Czechia, and even if they are not entitled to Czech citizenship under Czech law.
Entitlement to German naturalization is contingent upon the following requirements:
- The bestower of the right to German citizenship must have lived under the Protectorate regime in Czechia after March 16, 1939 and before the end of the Second World War, on 08.05.1945. It should be noted that some parts of Czechia, for example, the Ostrava region and the city of Těšín, were not under the Protectorate regime. Czech residency under the Protectorate regime must be proved by German and Czech documents.
- The dates of birth of the bestower of the right’s descendants is immaterial – all of them are entitled (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great- grandchildren).
- The bestower of the right’s gender, male or female, is immaterial.
- If the bestower of the right perished in the Holocaust, but met the other requirements, his descendants shall be entitled to German citizenship.
The laws regulating Czech citizenship are intricate and complex. Entitlement to Czech citizenship is influenced, inter alia, by international conventions between Czechia and other countries that formerly belonged to the Communist Bloc.
Over the years, the process of renewing and obtaining Czech citizenship has become more complicated and since the Czech authorities carefully examine the substance of each application, the probative value of the documents proving the entitlement, and the consanguinity between the Czech parent and the applicant, the handling of it sometimes takes many years.
Using the firm’s skilled team to deal with the acquisition of a certificate of Czech citizenship increases the likelihood of obtaining it and reduces the processing time.
Navigation of the process of obtaining Czech citizenship by someone who is not well versed in all the intricacies of the law, may cause damage in the process of obtaining the citizenship, delays, and unnecessary pecuniary expenses.
Who is entitled to Czech citizenship?
Czech citizenship is transmitted by consanguinity. In other words, the applicant must be a direct descendant of a Czech citizen. It is possible to hold both Czech and Israeli citizenship simultaneously, and the acquisition of Czech citizenship is not contingent upon knowledge of the Czech language.
Czech law distinguishes between persons who were born before and after 08.05.1969:
An applicant for a Czech citizenship certificate who was born before 08.05.1969 must prove that he is a former Czech citizen or that both his parents were entitled to Czech citizenship on the date of his birth and their entitlement to Czech citizenship was not revoked while he was a minor.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, an amendment to the Citizenship Law which came into force in January 2014, enables an applicant for Czech citizenship who was born before 08.05.1969 to obtain Czech citizenship if he can prove that he satisfies three cumulative conditions: that his father was a Czech citizen on the date of his birth, that his parents were married on or before 23.06.1947, and that he is not entitled to receive Slovak citizenship, in which case Czech citizenship may be arranged for all the descendants.
An applicant for a Czech citizenship certificate who was born after 07.05.1969 need only prove that one of his parents was entitled to Czech citizenship on the date of his birth and that such parent did not relinquish that entitlement while the applicant was a minor. In this case the origin of the applicant’s non-Czech parent and his/her parents is also carefully examined, and due to various dual citizenship conventions between Czechia and states that formerly belonged to the Communist Bloc, the application for Czech citizenship will often be denied,
unless it was appropriately handled in advance.
All Czech citizenship applications must be supported by appropriate documents which prove entitlement to Czech citizenship. Where necessary, the firm undertakes the tracing of the relevant documents in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Ukraine.
Regarding applicants for Czech citizenship whose parents were born in the Carpathian region, which is now part of Ukraine but was formerly part of Czechoslovakia, other additional arrangements apply.
For further information and an initial assessment of entitlement to Czech citizenship, please contact the firm.
Czech Citizenship - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
In 1993, following the Velvet Revolution, Czechoslovakia split into two countries – Czechia and Slovakia. Both of these republics are members of the European Union, so their citizens enjoy various benefits that are only available to those who hold European citizenship. Some tend to get confused and think that if they receive Czech citizenship then they will also have Slovak citizenship. The confusion is logical since in the past Czechia and Slovakia were one country, but it is important to know that these are two different passports and there are also substantial differences in the citizenship laws between these two countries.
If you are descendants of parents or grandparents who originally came from Czechoslovakia, you should thoroughly check the details about them. Only through comprehensive examination can you know which citizenship is preferable or right for you to try to obtain. In both cases, this is a complex process that includes thorough investigation and presentation of various documents intended to prove your family connection to the Czech Republic – or any other country that is a member of the European Union.
Czechia is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. In fact, only about ten years ago Czechia joined the European Union and because of this, more and more people are checking how they can obtain Czech citizenship. A person with Czech citizenship can benefit considerably from this and the advantages of a Czech passport are many and varied – among other things, someone who holds Czech citizenship can study in Europe at no cost, move between European Union countries without any problem, conduct business, purchase residential properties at relatively low cost and many other attractive options that are not relevant for those who do not have a Czech passport. There is another prominent advantage for those who hold Czech citizenship and that is the ability to pass the citizenship to your children. That is, Czech citizenship can be transferred from one generation to the next, so that your children, your grandchildren and even great-grandchildren will be eligible to receive Czech citizenship.
Czech law stipulates that if you were born after April 1969 and on the day of your birth one of your parents held Czech citizenship – you are also eligible for Czech citizenship. If you were born before 1969 you will need to meet one of the following conditions: both your parents held Czech citizenship on the day of your birth. Or one of the parents is eligible for Czech citizenship and the other is eligible for Slovak citizenship or the parents married before July 1947
The process of obtaining Czech citizenship is considered a complex process that takes several months and sometimes may also last much longer. In order to apply for Czech citizenship you must meet the basic conditions we detailed earlier. Subsequently, relevant certificates of the applicant and the applicant’s parents must be presented to the Czech authorities. These certificates strengthen the claim and proof attempts that eligibility for citizenship indeed exists.
Also, these are usually old records and certificates that are not always readily available. In many cases, to locate them it is necessary to search in archives and contact representatives in Czechia and around the world. This is not a simple process and it is advisable to hire the services of a recommended attorney who specializes in obtaining citizenship and Czech passport. Attorneys who work in this field will be able to manage the process for you more smoothly and quickly, assist you in obtaining the necessary documents and certificates and perform all the exhausting bureaucratic procedures in the most efficient manner.
The cost of obtaining Czech citizenship through an attorney is approximately 5,000 NIS for the applicant including regular expenses. The price is not fixed and may change. However, it is important to note that in order to obtain certain forms and documents that may be required of you at the embassy, you will have to pay an additional amount.
For example, if you contact an archive and request copies and various certificates – it is almost certain that you will be required to pay for this. That is, many times the process of obtaining Czech citizenship requires considerable financial expenditure and in order to avoid frustration and unnecessary rejection by the embassy – it is recommended to use a professional who can help and guide you during the application process for citizenship and Czech passport.
As part of the process you may be asked to provide various documents when some of them are not always clear to the applicant. The purpose of bringing these documents is solely to strengthen your claim that there is indeed a blood relationship between the applicant and their parents or relatives who have a Czech passport. The documents are not fixed and from one case to another there may be different requirements.
Usually, you will be asked to bring birth certificates, marriage certificates or death certificates. It is important to note that all documents you obtain must be in Czech. If the documents are not written in this language, you must arrange for accurate and clear notarized translation and in this regard too you must ensure that the translation is proper and acceptable from the perspective of the Czech embassy. Also, the Czech embassy requires that the translated documents you present undergo comprehensive examination and be translated only by a translator who has been authorized for this by the Czech authorities.
