Record surge in foreign applications for Czech citizenship leads to delays

A growing number of foreigners are vying for Czech citizenship, with a 36-percent increase in applications over the past two years. However, this surge has created a bottleneck in language and other exams, leaving applicants waiting weeks or even months for a test date.

The Ministry of the Interior reported 5,254 citizenship applications last year, a 9 percent increase from 2023. The rise in demand has put pressure on the Institute of Language and Vocational Training of Charles University (ÚJOP UK), which administers the exams.

According to Magda Faltová, director of the Association for Integration and Migration, part of the problem lies in the limited availability of test dates. "Foreigners deal with it by trying to find a free date anywhere—if they're lucky and 'catch' a date, they travel across the country for the test," she explained.

“It is very difficult to get an appointment in the internet system. It opens at a certain time, and within two minutes, all the spots are occupied," Brit James Pearcy-Caldwell told Czech news outlet Deník N. He has lived in Prague on and off for over 10 years.

ÚJOP UK has been recording increased interest since last year, with deputy director Pavel Pečený attributing it to the current geopolitical situation and the fact that those interested in permanent residence also apply for citizenship. The institute tested almost 5,000 candidates in the first half of this year, a 14-percent increase from last year, with a mammoth 98-percent pass rate.

To address the shortage, the institute is working to increase its capacity by involving more examination centers and training new examiners. "For the second half of the year, we increased capacity by almost 30 percent compared to our [original] plan. We are currently negotiating an increase in capacity for 2025, the plan is to list more exam dates than in 2024 and at the same time increase the number of exam boards," Pečený said.

People do not have to demonstrate knowledge of the Czech language and history if they have completed at least three years of teaching in the Czech language at primary, secondary, or university levels. 

Nearly 4,500 people obtained Czech citizenship last year, an increase of 477 compared to 2022. The largest group of new citizens came from Ukraine, followed by Russia. The Ministry of the Interior also granted citizenship to a high proportion of people from Slovakia, Belarus, and Vietnam.

Obtaining Czech citizenship offers several key benefits beyond permanent residency, including active and passive voting rights and protection from expulsion or denied entry into the country. Citizens also gain the ability to hold a Czech passport, which provides access to consular and diplomatic protection from the Czech Republic and other EU member states.