Czech passport

Passport of the Czech Republic issued to Czech citizens

The Czech passport (, pas) is an international travel document issued to nationals of the 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. as of 2024, Czech citizens had visa free or visa on arrival access to 189 countries and territories, ranking the Czech passport 6th overall in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index. and 5th in passport index https://www. passportindex. org/. 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. 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.

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Ministry (Ministerstvo vnitra), and as is internationally customary remains property of the Czech Republic and can be withdrawn at any time.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 if they meet the criteria. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sporadically issues a list of nations with visa free travel arrangements with the Czech Republic. In an application for a Czech passport, one must submit two photographs of 35mm x 45mm size.

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

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.

as of 2023, Czech citizens had visa free or visa on arrival access to 186 countries and territories, ranking the Czech passport 7th overall in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.

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

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

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

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.

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 French was added. Pages six and seven now bear translations of the data fields into eighteen languages of the European Union and Russian.

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.

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.

The first service passport issued after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

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

The first diplomatic passport issued after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

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