Czechia received a record number of applications for various types of visas
Most often, foreigners applied for short-term Schengen visas – 663,000 applications, which is 6.3% more compared to 2017. How many of them were ultimately approved, the department did not specify.
Demand also increased for long-term visas (stay over 90 days). In total, Czech officials received 21,494 such applications. In year-on-year comparison, the increase was 13.3%.
As for applications for temporary or permanent residence, there were 37,069 in total. Here the increase was a substantial 53.6%.
Recall that on Thursday, July 4, Czech President Miloš Zeman signed a package of amendments to the law on the stay of foreigners. Among other things, they significantly expand the powers of the cabinet of ministers in regulating economic migration.
The document developed by the Ministry of the Interior will come into force two weeks after publication in the collection of laws. Tentatively, this will happen in early August. The document contains important innovations, which can be found in the article "Changes prepared for foreigners".