Record number of foreigners apply for Czech citizenship exams

Amid soaring demand for Czech citizenship, a record number of foreigners registered last year for the mandatory Czech language and civic knowledge exams—prompting Charles University’s Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies (ÚJOP) to expand its testing capacity and trial a new registration system.

In 2024, 4,783 applicants took the Czech language exam, up from 3,624 the previous year. Registrations for the civic knowledge exam—commonly referred to as the "realities exam"—also rose sharply, from 3,550 in 2023 to 5,130.

Ukrainians made up the largest group of test-takers: 2,452 registered for the language exam and 2,572 for the realities exam. They were followed by Slovaks (723 language, 818 realities) and Russians (629 language, 767 realities).

“For 2025, we plan to increase capacity by approximately 50 percent compared to last year,” said Pavel Pečený, deputy director of ÚJOP, in an interview with Czech Television.

“We continuously monitor the occupancy of exams at all sites and adjust future schedules accordingly.”

To reduce the stress of last-minute sign-ups, the institute is also testing a new registration system that includes a “waiting queue” feature. “From mid-year onward, applicants will no longer need to monitor the site constantly for new openings,” Pečený said.

Despite high participation numbers, success rates remain strong. According to ÚJOP data, 82 percent of applicants passed the Czech language test, while 98 percent succeeded in the realities exam. Unlike the language test, the civic knowledge portion draws from a public set of questions—similar to a driver’s license test.

“The National Pedagogical Institute publishes the official set of questions and answers. Each test draws 30 from this database,” Pečený noted.

The language test, however, assesses individual competence and requires deeper linguistic ability.