Over the past three years, however, there has been a decline in the number of those whose applications were granted. For example, last year only 1,877 people became Czech citizens. As noted by Radio Prague, this is the lowest figure since 2001.
Anyone who has been in the country continuously for the last five years with a permanent residence permit is entitled to apply for Czech citizenship. A mandatory condition is the absence of a criminal record during this time, as well as knowledge of the Czech language.