Applying for Asylum in Czechia Asylum Procedure and Timelines Support and Assistance for Asylum Seekers Support by UNHCR

A person can apply for asylum when they have left their country because of fear of persecution, serious human rights violations, violence, or armed conflict, and cannot return there. In this case, the person can apply for asylum to receive protection in another country (also called ‘International Protection’).

You have the right to apply for asylum if you are fleeing conflict or persecution. As an asylum seeker, you cannot be expelled or returned to a country where your life or freedom would be in danger.

Where and how can I apply for asylum in Czechia?

Depending on where you are in Czechia, if you need international protection and you fear returning to your home country, you can make an asylum application at a land border or at an international airport, or from within Czechia if you have already entered the country.
If you are NOT in Czechia, please check the UNHCR HELP Site page of the country where you are for information on how to apply for asylum there.

Depending on where you are in Czechia, you can apply for asylum in one of the following ways:

At a land border crossing point (if you are at a border with Czechia)
At Václav Havel Airport Prague in Czechia
Inside Czechia (if you have already entered the country)

‎‏‏‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‎Applying for asylum at a land border crossing point (if you are at a border with Czechia)

Since Czechia is located inside the European Union, there are usually no border controls at the land border crossing points (border with Czechia). If you are controlled and you want to apply for asylum, you should immediately inform the Police Officer at the checkpoint.
The border Police Officer should provide you with the necessary information on the asylum procedure.

You can request an interpreter if you need one.
You can also ask for free legal assistance which can be provided by UNHCR’s partner organization.

‏‏‎ Find more information on how to ask for free legal aid here.

After you ask to apply for asylum at the border, you will be taken to the Reception Centre in Zastávka u Brna for registration of your asylum application.

If you have arrived at Václav Havel Airport Prague and want to apply for asylum, you should inform the Police Officer at the passport control.
The airport Police Officer should provide you with the necessary information on the asylum procedure.
A “UNHCR information leaflet for asylum seekers in Czechia” will be handed to you by the Police Officer with more information on the procedure.

You can request an interpreter if you need one.
You can also ask for free legal assistance which can be provided by UNHCR’s partner organization.

‏‏‎ Find more information on how to ask for free legal aid here.

After you ask to apply for asylum at the Airport, you will be transferred to the reception centre located in the airport transit area.
Find more information on the procedure at the Airport in the leaflet below

Applying for asylum does not mean you will be automatically released from detention. The authorities will first determine if you have valid reasons for seeking asylum.
If it is established that you have valid reasons to seek asylum, you will be released and transferred to an open accommodation centre for asylum seekers. On the contrary, your application will be rejected, and you will remain in the detention facility. You have the right to appeal against the negative decision within 7 days.

If you are already in Czechia, you can make an asylum application at the Foreign Police office located at the back entrance of the Reception Centre in Zastávka u Brna (just around the corner from the main entrance into the administrative building).
You can also apply for asylum at one of the regional Foreign Police offices. In this case, you will be taken to the Reception Centre in Zastávka u Brna to complete the first steps of the asylum procedure, including identification and medical examination.

In case you arrived without a valid visa or passport, or you are apprehended by the border police and placed in a detention facility for foreigners, you can apply for asylum within 7 days after you were apprehended.

There are 3 detention facilities for foreigners:

The authorities will first make some verifications, including but not limited to fingerprinting and picture taking.

While you are in a detention facility for foreigners, you can ask for free legal aid, which can be provided by a UNHCR partner organization. A lawyer can provide you with information and advice on the procedures.

‏‏‎ Find more information on how to ask for free legal aid here.

Applying for asylum does not mean you will be automatically released from detention. The authorities will first determine if you have valid reasons for seeking asylum.

If it is established that you have valid reasons to seek asylum, you will be released and transferred to an open accommodation centre for asylum seekers. On the contrary, your application will be rejected, and you will remain in the detention facility. You have the right to appeal against the negative decision within 7 days.

The authorities should issue a decision within 6 months. However, the period can be extended for certain reasons. In such a case, you should be informed why and for how long the period is being extended.
At the end of the procedure, you will be informed of the decision. If the decision is positive, you will be granted either asylum or subsidiary protection. If the decision is negative, your application was not accepted or your asylum claim has been rejected.

If you are granted asylum (recognized as a refugee), you will obtain a permanent residence permit in Czechia.

If you are granted subsidiary protection, you will obtain a long-term residence permit in Czechia for the period during which subsidiary protection is granted, which is typically one year. Subsidiary protection can be renewed – you must apply for its renewal before it expires.

In both cases, you can benefit from the assistance the Czech State provides for integration into the country. This includes temporary accommodation in Integration Centers for 12 months, support to learn the Czech language, finding employment, and receiving support from a social worker to help you with your integration.

If your asylum application is rejected, you have the right to appeal the negative decision within 15 days (in some cases, the deadline is longer). You can ask a lawyer to assist you. Please find more information in the leaflet here.

If you do not wish to appeal the negative decision you will be given an exit visa to leave the country.

2. Support and Assistance for Asylum Seekers

You have the right to receive free legal aid to apply for asylum and at any point of the asylum procedure. The authorities will inform you of your right to ask for free legal assistance from a lawyer.
You will be put in contact with a lawyer, who will provide you with information and legal assistance as needed and answer your questions. Please find more information in the leaflet here.

If you are at Prague Airport (or another international airport in Czechia) and wish to receive information on the asylum procedure in Czechia, you can contact the organization ‘Association for Integration and Migration‘ (SIMI). A lawyer from SIMI can provide you with information and advice on the asylum procedure and your rights.

During the asylum procedure, you also have the right to have an interpreter in your language or another language that you understand and can communicate in.

UNHCR’s partner “Organization for Aid to Refugees” (OPU) can provide you with free legal aid if you wish to apply for asylum and/or to receive assistance from expert lawyers during the asylum procedure. If you are in Czechia and wish to receive such information and assistance from a lawyer, you can contact OPU directly:

After your asylum application has been registered and asylum interviews done, you may decide. You can stay in one of the 3 Accommodation (or Residential) Centers.

If you have the financial means to support yourself, you are free to live elsewhere in the country. In this case, you can request to live at a private address, which is then, however, entirely at your own expense.
During the time your asylum application is examined, you can access the public healthcare system if you have medical needs. You can also start working 6 months after your asylum application has been registered.

If you have children with you, you will be assisted to enrol them in primary school (school attendance is mandatory for children of age 6 to 15).

If you are staying in the Residential Center for Asylum Seekers, you will receive some financial support to cover your essential needs:

If you are staying in the Zastávka Reception Center, the food is provided in a canteen, therefore you will receive only 30 CZK/day as pocket money.

If you are staying in Kostelec or Havířov Accommodation Centers, where food is not provided by a canteen, you will receive 4.860 CZK/month (calculated based on the minimum subsistence level). This will vary depending on the number of persons in the family.  The exact amount is available on the information billboards at the facility. The accommodation rooms are equipped with kitchens. This money is provided to cover your needs, including food.

However, if your or your family’s income is higher than the minimum subsistence level (4860 CZK/month), you must contribute to the costs of food and accommodation (112 CZK/day for the food and 130 CZK/day for the accommodation).

The standard procedure includes two interviews:

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‎‎‏‏‎ The first interview is short and its goal is to fill in your asylum application. It is related to some details of your journey to Czechia and the reasons you left your country.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‎‎‏‏‎ The other interview is longer and can take up to 2-3 hours, or in some cases longer. Its goal is to describe your story and understand the reasons why you left your country.

It is important to give as many details as possible regarding the reasons and fears you have for leaving your country of origin, provide any proof and documentation you have to back up your claim, if any, and give a detailed account of your journey.

You have the right to have an interpreter during the interview. If you have difficulty understanding your interpreter, please say this immediately. In some cases, your interview may be planned for later and you will get a different interpreter.

You have the right to have your interview recorded so that all your words are kept as you said them.
You can ask for a break at any time during the interview.

At the end of the interview, you will be asked if you would like to review the interview transcript (written record). We recommend you do so, as it will allow you to review and possibly clarify your answers. You also have the right to take a photo of the interview transcript – this may be helpful to you and the lawyer working on your case.

A lawyer can help you prepare for your interview and, in some cases, accompany you to your interview. Please find more information in the leaflet here.

3. Additional Support

UNHCR works to ensure that refugees are informed and able to apply for asylum and receive free legal assistance if needed.

In Czechia, UNHCR works with partner organisations that help asylum seekers make their asylum applications and offer free legal aid within the asylum procedure.

‏‏‎ Find more information on how to ask for free legal aid here.

You can also contact UNHCR through HELP Site at any time during the asylum procedure. In some cases, UNHCR can be present during an asylum interview and look into the case file to see where the procedure stands (with the concerned asylum-seeker’s consent).