Czech-language exam required for permanent residency will cost more

The Czech Interior Ministry is preparing to significantly change the language exam requirements for non-EU individuals seeking permanent residence in Czechia. The exam will become more expensive and subsidies for it will end.

Based on a proposal by the Education Ministry, the issuance and reimbursement of vouchers or subsidies for the language exam will be discontinued. If passed by the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, the move is set to take effect from the beginning of 2024. Additionally, the price for taking the exam will rise from CZK 2,500 to CZK 3,200. 

The decision to end the issuance of vouchers is largely influenced by the recent influx of refugees from Ukraine, as well as the high demand for the exam from applicants who came to Czechia under the highly skilled worker scheme.

The Interior Ministry estimates that the number of applications for permanent residence in the Czech Republic will reach 30,000 this year, while about 2,500 applicants took the exam in 2020. 

The proposal is part of an amendment to a government regulation enabling the Education Ministry to expand the range of exams wherein applicants for permanent residence can prove their knowledge of the language. This is because some of them have exams for a higher level of language proficiency than is required.

The government noted that applicants are showing a greater interest in the A2 level Czech language exam compared to the expected A1 level, which is more basic. This indicates a willingness among applicants to show a higher level of language competency.

Apart from the current lower-level language exam, applicants will have the option to utilize the more difficult Czech language exam to prove their knowledge of the country's history and institutions. The approbation exam, which assesses professional competence in medical fields – such as doctors, dentists, and pharmacists – can also be used to show proficiency in the Czech language when applying for permanent residence.

One of the primary benefits behind the proposed amendment is the simplified administration and access for foreign doctors to the Czech healthcare system. By enabling foreign medical practitioners to more easily prove their language proficiency, the amendment aims to facilitate their integration into the local healthcare workforce.