Czech passport

Czech passport

The front cover of a contemporary Czech biometric passport

The information-page of a Czech passport
Date first issued September 1, 2006
Issued by  Czech Republic
Type of document Passport
Purpose Identification
Eligibility requirements Czech citizenship
Expiration 5 years after issuance for individuals up to the age of 14; 10 years for citizens aged 15 and above

Czech passport (Czech: cestovní pas, pas) is an international travel document issued to nationals of Czech Republic, and may also serve as proof of Czech citizenship. Besides enabling the bearer to travel internationally and serving as indication of Czech citizenship, the passport facilitates the process of securing assistance from Czech consular officials abroad or other European Union member states in case a Czech consular is absent, if needed.

According to the 2014 Visa Restrictions Index, Czech citizens can visit 162 countries without a visa or with a visa granted on arrival. Czech citizens can live and work in any country within the EU as a result of the right of free movement and residence granted in Article 21 of the EU Treaty.[1]

Every Czech citizen is also a citizen of the European Union. The nationality allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Union, Switzerland and the European Economic Area, but a passport or a national identity card is in practice needed for identification.

Application

The passport is issued by the Interior Ministry (Ministerstvo vnitra), and as is internationally customary remains property of the Czech Republic and can be withdrawn at any time. It is a valid Proof of Citizenship document according to the Czech nationality law. Citizens can hold multiple passports at the same time, and children can be included in the passport. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sporadically issues a list of nations with visa-free travel arrangements with the Czech Republic.[2]

Physical appearance

Czech passports are burgundy like other passports of the European Union, with the Czech coat of arms emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The words "EVROPSKÁ UNIE" (Czech: European Union) and "ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA" (Czech: Czech Republic) are inscribed above the coat of arms and the words "CESTOVNÍ PAS" (Czech: Passport) are inscribed below the coat of arms. Czech passports adhere to the common EU design and International Civil Aviation Organisation requirements

Identity information page

The lower area of the data page contains the Machine-readable zone.

Passport note

The inner pages of a contemporary Czech biometric passport

Passports typically contain a message from the minister or official in charge of passport issuance addressed to the officials of foreign states, requesting that the citizen bearing the passport be allowed free passage through the state, and if in need be provided assistance consistent with international norms. Today this treatment is expected rather than requested, but the message remains as a tradition. Czech passports bear this message only in the Czech language, in capitals and as follows:

Držitel českého cestovního pasu je pod ochranou České republiky. Všichni, jichž se to může týkat, se žádají, aby v případě potřeby poskytli držiteli tohoto pasu nezbytnou pomoc a ochranu podle mezinárodního práva.

The above message when unofficially rendered in English, would read:

The holder of a Czech passport is under the protection of the Czech Republic. All those whom it may concern are hereby requested to, in times of need, render the holder of this passport all essential help and protection under international law.

Languages

The data page is printed in Czech, English and French, followed a few pages later with translations to all remaining official EU languages and Russian.

Visa requirements

Visa requirements for Czech citizens
  Freedom of movement
  Visa-free access / Visa waiver / eVisitor
  Visa on arrival (stripes represent limited VOA)
  Electronic visa enrollment available

In 2014, Czech citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 162 countries and territories, thus ranking the Czech nationality 10th in the world (tied with Hungary) according to the Visa Restrictions Index.[3]

History

Non-machine-readable passports

These series have become obsolete and are only issued for emergency reasons due to more expedient processing.

1993 passport series

The first passport of the Czech Republic, issued between the dissolution of Czechoslovakia and 31/3/2000, with a ten-year validity.

The data page is inside the back cover and printed in Czech and English. The photograph is attached with adhesive. These features remain constant for all non-machine readable passports

1998 passport series

Issued:

  • from 2000 until 30/6/2000 with a ten-year validity
  • from 1/7/2000 until 31/8/2006 with a one-year validity
  • from 1/9/2006 until 31/12/2006 with a six-month validity, or for citizens under five years of age with a one year validity

2005 passport series

Issued:

  • from 2005 until 31/8/2006 with a one-year validity
  • from 1/9/2006 until 31/12/2009 with a six-month validity, or for citizens under five years of age with a one year validity

2007 passport series

Issued from February 2007 with a six-month validity, or for citizens under five years of age with a one-year validity.

Machine-readable passports

2000 passport series

Issued from 1/7/2000 until 15/3/2005 with a ten-year validity, or for citizens under fifteen years of age with a five-year validity.

The data page is inside the back cover and printed in Czech and English. The photograph is printed onto the page.

2005 passport series

Issued from 16/3/2005 until 31/8/2006 with a ten-year validity, or for citizens under fifteen years of age with a five-year validity.

As the first passport series issued following Czech ascension into the European Union, it is first to bear the words "Evropská Unie" and has been modified to conform to standard EU passport design. The data page was moved to page two, and the French language was added. Pages six and seven now bear translations of the data fields into eighteen languages of the European Union and Russian.

2006 passport series

Issued from 1/9/2006 with a ten-year validity, or for citizens under fifteen years of age with a five-year validity.

The 2006 series was the first biometric passport issued by the Czech Republic. The data page is now printed on a polycarbonate card and the photograph is laser-etched.

2009 passport series

In March 2009 a new series begun to be issued. The most notable change is the addition of two fingerprints, one from the index finger on each hand in order to conform to new EU regulations.ref

Service passports

Issuable to:

1993 Service passport series

The first service passport issued after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

2002 Service passport series

With the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union in 2004 this is no longer the current series issued.

Diplomatic passports

Issuable to:

1993 Diplomatic passport series

The first diplomatic passport issued after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

2001 Diplomatic passport series

With the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union in 2004 this is no longer the current series issued.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Treaty on the Function of the European Union (consolidated version)
  2. ↑ "Seznam států a dalších subjektů,na jejichž území mohou občané ČR pobývat bez víz" (in Czech). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. 25 February 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  3. ↑ "Global Ranking - Visa Restriction Index 2014" (PDF). Henley & Partners. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
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