How to survive in Czech republic without Czech language: getting certificate for temporary residence permit

Desperateness. That is the feeling that the best describes my today feelings after we left The Ministry of the Interior, Department of Asylum and Migration Policy. This is an Exit game which I still did not beat and seems unbeatable for me. Standing pregnant in front of the doors for half an hour in the cold, so that we will be among first 30 people and having a chance to at least join my meeting at work at 10 AM, was bad enough. But I had still a hope, that this time, we will finally go through and get the certificate of temporal residency for Jan. Last time, it did not work. Not only that we were in the wrong office which does not cover Prague 5 and we were not able to online find out which form we should actually fill in, but because we also found out that Jan has to first go within a month after moving in to the police department where he gets a small paper allowing him to stay here for a longer period of time. This time, it did not work as well. We thought we had all documents, but then the guy checked and found out that we are missing one signature on the approval for Jan to stay in my flat - not only head of the house, but also the vice-chairman of the house cooperative has to sign the paper. So although we woke up at 6, it was useless...well, not totally. He checked all our papers and said that everything else is fine and we can send all the documents by post and only come back for the certificate which is then way quicker. Jupíííí, at least some achievements after 3 half day visits of the offices. At least a small hope for finishing this. But to be honest, my hope is after today smaller than before.

It is quite tricky to try to live in Czech republic without no knowledge of Czech language and try to join standard Czech oriented products. Almost all official places refuse to speak in other language than Czech - I quite understand, as they are scared not to make any mistake in the communication and contracts, but it is really not easy then to pass through all the processes. And even when website seems to be in English, you try to make an appointment (as we tried for this department of Ministry of Interior) and they will just say that the rest of the conversation will be lead in Czech. So I have to join Jan anywhere he wants to go. He wants to open an account, I have to accompany him - there are few banks which communicate in English, but maybe they do not have the best conditions, otherwise, everything is in Czech, very often regular people in the office will be speaking in Czech. Not that they would not know any English, but they are maybe even not allowed to or their level of English is not good enough to be sure that they can make a contract for the person and explain everything.

We tried to open a building savings account for Jan, I was told that all you need is to get insurance - birth number, but actually you need to get this temporal residency, which leads to the fact, that you actually get a Czech birth number and just after that you can open the savings account. So you are paying taxes here, but getting benefits might be sometimes quite tricky. The funny part - even if you have this temporal residency certificate and you have your birth number, they do not let you open the account as long as you do not understand what is in the contract. So they want that you speak Czech. So it means - I have to go with Jan again to the office to communicate for him and show that he knows what he is signing for.

And that is how it goes. On the surface it seems that many things could work in English, but then you find out that many things under it are only in Czech. No surprise in the places which are Czech based, but why it has to be like that in the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy which is focused on giving temporal residency to foreigners? Do they really expect that after a month in Czech republic every foreigner will know how to speak Czech?

So what you really need for certificate of temporary residence permit?

You have to first pass through foreigner police and get state border control report, which allows you to stay in Czech republic you have to go to foreigner police department based on your residency: https://www.policie.cz/clanek/oddeleni-pobytovych-agend.aspx. This has to be done within a month after you arrived to CR if you are from EU, if you are from the third world countries, then within 3 days): https://www.policie.cz/clanek/hlaseni-pobytu-cizincu.aspx, for Prague it is:

Oddělení pobytových agend

Olšanská 2176/2
130 51  Praha 3

GPS:50.0830806N, 14.4643936E

tel.:974 820 317
974 820 318fax:974 820 783

e-mail:krpa.ocp.podatelna@pcr.cz

where you have to fill in a form...it is good to have here still approval for accommodation in CR and someone Czech speaking... 

Then you can come to ask for your certificate for temporal residency permit and corresponding birth number. For that you will need: 

• state border control paper (once they said they need it, once they said they do not...better take it)
• 1 passport picture https://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/photograph.aspx
• Proof of accommodation https://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/application-requirements-proof-of-accommodation.aspx  - lease contract or the official paper which they will give where you should have signed from the flat owner that you are allowed to stay in the flat, in the case of the house cooperative, it has to be signed by the head of this house cooperative and additional people based on the rules of the cooperative

• Document on your purpose of stay - https://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/document-on-the-purpose-of-stay.aspx - your work contract if your reason is work (officially approved signature at post, if you are sending it via post), or possibly only insurance card if you have other reason for stay (but I did not explore that option too much)

• travel document - ID or passport for EU, when sent via post, should be enough to send a copy which is not officially approved by post, but both sides https://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/application-requirements-travel-document.aspx 

• fill in form asking for temporal residency permit as EU person - be careful, you will be most probably asking for certificate for temporal residency permit, not other options - this you can get at information desk in the office (get it immediately before your time to go to the counter came, otherwise you might be sent away to fill it and come later), or download here:  https://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/application-forms.aspx?q=Y2hudW09Ng%3d%3d

Oh, and you should select the correct office based on where you are staying, otherwise they will send you away as well, check https://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/immigration.aspx  for current info:
- MOI office Kolbenova (address: Kolbenova 942/38a, 190 00 Prague 9) will be opened for clients from Prague 8 and 9 with an appointment only;
- MOI office Cigánkova (address: Cigánkova 1861/2, 148 00 Prague 4) will be opened for clients from Prague 4, 5 and 10 with an appointment and without an appointment;
- MOI office Žukovského (address: Žukovského 888/2, 161 00 Prague 6) will be opened for clients from Prague 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, Praha-východ district and Praha-západ district with an appointment and without an appointment; and for clients from Prague 8 and 9 without an appointment.

More info can be found at: https://www.mvcr.cz/mvcren/article/immigration.aspx 

As you see, if you like Exit games, then this is definitely the thing you will enjoy. But take a good book, patience and something tasty with you for long waiting times before new task or challenge arrives :-)