Czechia: ordinary naturalisation
Ordinary naturalisation requires permanent-resident status and qualifying residence, integration and tests. Russian-national applications face a separate statutory suspension, so the general route is not universally available.
Permanent-residence routes
Permanent residence is required at application: normally five continuous years, or three for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens; alternatively, permanent residence plus immediately preceding lawful stay can total ten years. Lawful residence before age 18 is credited. Statutory duration waivers do not remove permanent-resident status.
Actual presence and credited absences
Normally at least half the qualifying period must be actual presence. Absences up to two consecutive months count; up to six can count for serious reasons. Specified family and minor cases can obtain a waiver.
Czech language and civic knowledge
Normally Czech at CEFR B1 and civic knowledge are required. The language examination covers reading, listening, writing and speaking. Exemptions cover three Czech-medium school years, applicants under 15 or over 65, and disabilities preventing acquisition of the relevant knowledge. Accepted equivalent language examinations and exceptional discretionary waivers are separate possibilities.
Integration, income and oath
Integration, security and criminal-record conditions apply, alongside recent legal compliance and adult income-source evidence. Excessive welfare reliance is assessed with defined health, study, parental and caring exceptions. A grant normally becomes citizenship upon the oath, unless the oath is lawfully waived.
Multiple nationality: general rule
Czech law generally allows dual or multiple nationality. This does not resolve the former country's law or the separate restrictions affecting Russian nationals; no general retention assurance is given to that cohort.
Russian-nationality processing restriction
Ordinary Russian-national applications pending at the ministry by 10 February 2025 were suspended on 11 February; later arrivals are suspended the following day. The ministry ties resumption to section 2 of Act 65/2022 losing effect. Asylum holders and guardian applications for children under 15 are excluded; exceptional section 16 grants are separate.
Effective from
Scope and limitations
- Naturalisation is not an entitlement; waivers and equivalent documents require the competent authority's assessment.
- Russian-nationality cases require separate confirmation of current nationality-loss requirements as well as the suspension. The current consolidated section 7x text was not readable through e-Sbírka, so this candidate does not treat the general multiple-nationality rule as an exemption.
- The ordinary guidance does not enumerate every special grant or declaration route.
Next review due . An official update can change these requirements sooner.
Official sources
- Granting citizenship of the Czech RepublicMinistry of the Interior of the Czech Republic · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · CS
- CitizenshipMinistry of the Interior of the Czech Republic — Cizinci.cz · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · EN
- Information about the Czech language citizenship examinationNational Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · CS
- Citizenship: suspension of ordinary Russian-national applicationsMinistry of the Interior of the Czech Republic · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · CS
- Information response MV-1477-9/OSO-2026 of 11 February 2026Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · CS