Who Wants to Be a Czech Citizen?

As of the 1st January this year, an amendment to the Citizenship Law of the Czech Republic requires foreigners wishing to obtain Czech citizenship to demonstrate, on top of their knowledge of the Czech language at a B1 level, knowledge of the basic facts about the Czech Republic via a Czech Life and Institutions Exam.

Before we even get into the debate as to whether the amendment is another hurdle in an already complex process or the Czech State’s right to see that applicants are genuine (and if such a test is the best means of doing so), let’s look at the test.

Given that the language test requires B1 level, this level is a good estimate of the skill required. If you can follow short texts in Czech and have the background knowledge, you would have a fair chance of understanding the questions. Whether you answer correctly is another thing.

The actual test also contains 30 questions. You need 60% or 18 correct answers to pass. According to a spokesperson from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, 99% of candidates who sat the actual test have been successful. Those who do not pass have unlimited opportunities to try again.

The database has 300 questions hundred in all, broadly divided into Basic Civics, Geography, and History and Culture. Some sample questions, translated from the databank, include:

1. Mr Novotný is an entrepreneur and he has a legal obligation to pay tax. Which government office checks what tax he pays?

2. Lipno is the largest reservoir dam in the Czech Republic. In which part of the Czech Republic does it lie?

3. Into which institution can’t citizens of the Czech Republic vote for their representatives?

4.When is the Day of Fight for Freedom and Democracy celebrated in the Czech Republic? 

5. According to tradition who brings the Christmas presents in the Czech Republic?

Yes, Christmas traditions get an especially strong representation.

(Answers: 1. financial office, 2. in South Bohemia, 3. into the Government 4. 17th November 5. Baby Jesus)

Jana Šafrová, who organizes the seminars for IC Praha, offered the following tips to improve an applicants chances of success:

– Carefully familiarize yourself with the parameters of the test, i.e. know only one answer from four possibilities is correct, that the time limit is 45 minutes, etc.

– Go through all of the 300 questions from the database of test exercises on the internet, where the correct answers are as well

– Realize that a Czech language competence at B1 level is assumed for the test i.e. if competence in Czech is insufficient, it is recommended to focus on improving it

Of course these questions beg the bigger question is this new requirement fair? Do applicants need to know all this information? A spokesperson from the Ministry of the Interior provided a direct answer via email.

“A person who applies for Czech citizenship should according to our opinion know the basic facts about our state, its history and cultural roots.”

The spokesperson continued.

“For successful integration of the applicant into society it is necessary that he/she show besides linguistic competence at least the basic knowledge of the constitutional system and facts about the given country.”

The spokesperson pointed out that a number of states make the same demand. These include Great Britain, Finland, Hungary, Germany, Romania, Estonia, and Latvia.

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