Family / Friend Visit Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Apply for a Czech Republic Family / Friend Visit Visa from India — Schengen Short-Stay (Type C). Special fee waiver for family of EU / Czech nationals. Complete fees, host invitation, and document checklist.
- Processing time
- About 15 days
- after you submit
No visa is ever guaranteed — the final decision always rests with the Czech Republic visa authority. We make sure your file is presented at its strongest.
Processing
Up to 15 calendar days
Stay Duration
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Starting Fee
₹9,700
Apply At
12 VFS centres
Your whole Czech Republic Visit Visa (Family & Friends),
handled for one honest price.
A strong Czech Republic file clearly explains your travel purpose, funds, and ties to India. We structure and submit everything properly — so your case is presented clearly and professionally.
All-in · 18% GST included · no hidden charges
File-ready in 3–5 working days after documents
5★ · 100+ reviews · reply in 5 min
Everything below — included, nothing extra
- Document checklist
- Application form guidance
- Document review
- Cover letter
- Purpose of travel structure
- Financial proof review
- Sponsor document guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Post-submission guidance
Not sure you qualify? Start with a refundable ₹499 possibility report — an honest Yes / Maybe / No, credited to this fee. Read the full guide
Price is for our consultancy service only and includes 18% GST. No agency can guarantee a visa — the final decision rests with the visa authority.
Your fee, in one glance
What the ₹14,999 fee covers for a Czech Republic file
- We work out what your case actually is, before touching a form
- We build the checklist around your profile, not a template
- We read your documents against each other, not against a list
- Financial proof review
- Purpose of travel structuring
- Cover letter / explanation support
- Return ties review
- Sponsor / invitation guidance
- Application form guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Biometrics guidance
- Post-submission support
Government, VFS, insurance, ticket and hotel costs are separate and charged at cost. Read what each item means, in full.
Good to know before you apply
Rules that apply to every Czech Republic visa type — worth a quick read so nothing trips up your file.
- 1Indian passport holders MUST apply through VFS Global India — direct walk-ins to the Embassy are not accepted, except for family members of EU / Czech Republic nationals (by prior email appointment at info.shortterm_delhi@mzv.cz between 10:00–12:30 working days).
- 2If documents are missing post-submission, email them within 3 working days to newdelhi.shortterm@mzv.gov.cz with subject 'Missing documents – Name Surname and passport number'. Emails to other Embassy addresses are disregarded.
- 3Submission of incomplete documentation, or refusal to appear for a special interview, will result in rejection.
- 4Each application is assessed independently by the Consular Section of the Czech Embassy — VFS staff have no authority to assess or decide.
- 5Possessing a valid Czech / Schengen visa does not guarantee entry — final entry decision is made by the immigration officer at the border.
Who Can Apply
- Visiting family — parent, spouse, child, sibling — residing legally in the Czech Republic
- Visiting close friends with documented relationship
- Family members (parent / spouse / child) of an EU / Czech Republic citizen — eligible for visa fee waiver
- Attending family events — weddings, religious functions, birthdays, anniversaries
Not eligible under this visa:
- Stays longer than 90 days — apply for a Type D long-stay family-reunification visa
- Family members of EU citizens seeking permanent residence — apply for residence permit
What it costs
Government & VFS fees
Paid directly to Czech Republic / VFS — these are not our service fee, and we never mark them up.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Adult visa (Schengen Short-Stay) | ₹9,700 |
| Children 6–12 years | ₹4,900 |
| Children under 6 years | FREE |
| VFS service charge | ₹2,156 |
| Courier after submission (optional) | ₹840 |
All Visa Fees and VFS service charges are non-refundable, regardless of visa outcome. Visa fees are reviewed independently for each application — no guarantee of issuance can be given. Approximate total for an adult tourist / business visa: ₹11,856 (₹9,700 + ₹2,156) plus optional courier ₹840. Family members of EU / Czech Republic nationals may be exempt from the visa fee — VFS service charge still applies. IMPORTANT — Family members (parents, spouse, children, etc.) of an EU / Czech Republic citizen are EXEMPT from the visa fee if they provide relevant relationship documents at submission. The VFS service charge of ₹2,156 still applies. Such applicants may apply DIRECTLY at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi (10:00–12:30 working days, by prior email appointment to info.shortterm_delhi@mzv.cz) — or via VFS.
Flights · Hotels · Insurance · Itinerary
What Czech Republic actually requires — and what it does not.
Czech Republic applies the Schengen rules, so travel insurance is not a nice-to-have — it is a legal condition of the visa.
2 of 4 are compulsory for Czech Republic
Flight reservation
The Czech Republic consulate wants a return itinerary with a real PNR covering your exact dates. It does not want a paid ticket, and buying one before a decision puts your money at risk for nothing.
Where people slip: Flying into one city and out of another with nothing showing how you travel between them. Officers read the whole route, and an unexplained gap reads as a plan that does not hold together.
How to hold a flight without payingHotel booking
Accommodation for EVERY night of the stay. Not most nights — every one. A gap is a documented refusal ground under the Schengen code.
Where people slip: Free-cancellation bookings are accepted, but if the entire file is free-cancellation the officer sees a trip nobody has committed to. Some of it should be real spend.
Refundable hotel booking, explainedTravel insurance
Minimum EUR 30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen state, including repatriation and emergency medical evacuation, for the full period of stay. Regulation (EC) 810/2009 — this is law, not preference.
Where people slip: Buying cover for the adults and forgetting the children. Every traveller needs their own EUR 30,000, infants included — a real refusal we have seen on a family of four.
What the cover must actually sayTravel itinerary
A day-by-day plan matching your flights, your hotels and the country you applied to. Czech Republic must be your main destination or your first point of entry, or you are at the wrong consulate.
Where people slip: Spending more nights in another Schengen country than in Czech Republic. That gets a file rejected before it is even assessed.
The letter your itinerary attaches toWe arrange all four for your Czech Republic file.
We are a B2B travel agency as well as a visa consultancy, working with partners including Riya Travel — so the flight, the hotel and the policy all come from us, issued the same day, and you deal with one team instead of four. Every booking is a real one under your own name.
What to gather
Documents required
Having a document isn't the same as presenting it right — that's the part we handle.
Mandatory — every applicant must provide
9 items- Schengen Visa Application Form (Type C)Required
Completed in full and signed by the applicant
- Valid passportRequired
Issued within the last 10 years; valid 3+ months beyond return date; minimum 2 blank pages
- Passport copiesRequired
Bio-data page + last page (Indian passports) + previous Schengen entry/exit stamps if any
- Two recent passport-size photographs (35–40 mm, white background)Required
ICAO-compliant; face covers 70–80% of frame; no eyewear (Czech Embassy instruction); see photo spec section
- Cover letter signed by applicantRequired
State purpose of travel, duration, names + passport numbers of accompanying persons, transport + accommodation details
- Marriage certificate
If married and marital status not evidenced in the passport; ration card copy if applicable
- Proof of means of transport + itineraryRequired
Confirmed return / onward flight reservation (not ticketed)
- Proof of lodgingRequired
Hotel reservation, holiday-home rental, or invitation + sponsorship form from host. If visiting multiple Schengen states, lodging proof for each is required
- Travel medical insurance — minimum €30,000 coverRequired
Valid across ALL Schengen countries; covers accident, illness, medical evacuation; covers full duration including arrival + departure
Proof of financial means — every applicant
2 items- Personal bank statement — last 3 monthsRequired
ORIGINAL bank-stamped + signed; A4 size; every applicant submits their own (and sponsor's, if applicable)
- Indian Income Tax Return (ITR) — last 2 assessment yearsRequired
And of the sponsor if applicable
If the applicant is EMPLOYED
3 items- Pay slips for the last 3 monthsRequired
- Employment contractRequired
- Employer's NOC / approval-of-leave letterRequired
Stating dates of approved leave + designation
If the applicant is COMPANY OWNER / SELF-EMPLOYED
3 items- Certificate of Registration of the companyRequired
- GST registration certificateRequired
- Business bank account statement + barcode-verifiable ITR proofRequired
If the applicant is SPONSORED
2 items- National sponsorship form of the Schengen stateRequired
Original official invitation, verified by the Alien Police Service in the Czech Republic
- Notarised written consent from sponsorRequired
If trip is sponsored by parent / guardian / any third party — public-notary attested
If the applicant is RETIRED
2 items- Pension statements — last 3 monthsRequired
- Proof of regular income from property / business
Where applicable
If the applicant is a MINOR
3 items- Notarised consent from absent parent/guardianRequired
If travelling with only one parent — except where one parent has sole custody (proof required)
- Notarised consent from BOTH parents/guardiansRequired
If minor travels alone (without parents)
- Copies of parents' passports OR birth certificate of applicant + ID copies of parentsRequired
If the applicant is a PUPIL / STUDENT
2 items- Enrolment certificate from school / universityRequired
- Copy of student ID cardRequired
Family / Friend Visit-specific (additional)
4 items- Invitation letter from the family member / friend in the Czech RepublicRequired
Including their full address, contact details, intended period of stay, and relationship to applicant
- Proof of legal residence of hostRequired
Copy of passport / national ID card / Czech residence permit of the host
- Certificate proving family relationshipRequired
If visiting relatives — birth certificate, marriage certificate, or other documentary proof of relationship
- National sponsorship form (if host sponsors stay / accommodation)
Original official invitation verified by the Alien Police Service in the Czech Republic
If applicant is family of EU / Czech national — for visa fee waiver
3 items- Marriage certificate / birth certificate proving relationship to EU / Czech citizenRequired
REQUIRED for fee waiver — must establish: parent / spouse / child of an EU / Czech national
- Copy of EU / Czech national's passport / Czech ID cardRequired
Establishes the host's nationality
- Proof of EU / Czech national's residence in the Czech Republic
Czech residence permit / address proof — if applicable
Required · optional / if applicable
The journey.
8 steps from intake to approval. Curved spine on the right shows the natural pace — never as linear as government sites pretend.
- 01
Determine your route — Embassy direct OR VFS
If you are family of an EU / Czech citizen, you may apply directly at the Embassy in New Delhi by emailing info.shortterm_delhi@mzv.cz for an appointment (10:00–12:30 working days). Otherwise, apply via VFS.
- 02
Secure the invitation from the family / friend host
Letter must include host's full address, contact details, intended period of stay, and relationship. If applying for a fee waiver, also include host's passport / Czech ID copy.
- 03
Gather relationship proofs
For family of EU / Czech nationals — marriage / birth certificate is REQUIRED to claim the visa fee waiver. For friends — a written statement of relationship works.
- 04
Download and complete the Schengen Type C form
From the VFS Global Czech Republic website. Sign each page.
- 05
Gather all mandatory documents
Use the checklist above. Bank statements A4 + original stamps. ITR last 2 years. Travel insurance €30,000 minimum.
- 06
Get ICAO-compliant photographs
35–40 mm wide, white background, NO eyewear, taken within last 6 months.
- 07
Book appointment + submit
VFS: book online at visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/cze, pay ₹2,156 service charge. Embassy direct: email info.shortterm_delhi@mzv.cz to book.
- 08
Track and collect
Processing up to 15 calendar days from Embassy receipt. You may be called for a personal interview at the Embassy as part of the standard process.
What works
18 levers that flip a borderline case.
- Travel medical insurance must cover MINIMUM €30,000 across ALL Schengen states — without it your application will be rejected outright.
- Personal bank statements MUST be on A4 paper with original bank stamp and signature — photocopies and online printouts without stamps are rejected.
- Photographs with EYEWEAR are NOT accepted at Czech VFS centres — remove glasses before submission.
- Apply at least 15 days before travel for Tourist visas (mandatory minimum) — and 4–6 weeks for safety. Embassy will not process Tourist applications submitted with less than 15 days to travel.
What kills cases
Top 3 refusal triggers we see.
- 1Relationship proof not properly documented — Embassy unable to verify family link
- 2Host's residence proof in the Czech Republic not provided
- 3Travel insurance below €30,000 minimum
Download official forms
Each link opens the official Czech Republic page on VFS Global (we never host third-party forms): pick your visa category there and use its "Download Form" section for the current version.
VFS application centres
Schengen Tourist Visa Eligibility Check
Answer 10 quick questions to see your likelihood of approval. This is not a guarantee — final decision is always with the Embassy — but it flags common weak spots so you can address them before applying.
What's the primary purpose of your trip?
How long do you plan to stay?
Have you previously visited any Schengen country?
Have you ever been refused a Schengen (or any country's) visa?
Past refusals must be disclosed — they show up in VIS database across Schengen countries.
Do you have confirmed travel bookings?
Reservations are enough — don't buy tickets until visa approval.
What's your current employment status?
What's your typical 3-month bank balance?
Schengen needs ~₹700/day covered. For a 10-day trip, minimum ₹70,000 stable balance.
How many years of Income Tax Returns (ITR) can you show?
What are your strongest ties to India (return-intent)?
Embassies want evidence you'll come back — not overstay.
Who are you travelling with?
Indicative only — final decision is always with the Embassy.
Frequently asked
Questions, answered straight
Yes — but only if you provide relationship proofs (marriage / birth certificate) AND the host's nationality proof (EU passport / Czech ID) at submission. The ₹2,156 VFS service charge still applies in all cases.
Only family members of EU / Czech citizens can apply directly at the Embassy (working days 10:00–12:30, by prior email appointment to info.shortterm_delhi@mzv.cz). All other Indian-resident applicants must apply via VFS Global India.
Family Visit specifies that you're visiting a named host. The host's invitation + residence proof is mandatory. Tourist Visa requires hotel bookings instead. Family Visit is more straightforward IF you have proper invitation documentation.
Possibly — a personal interview at the Czech Embassy in New Delhi is a standard part of the family-visa process. Refusal to appear results in rejection.
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area. The Embassy may grant a single-entry or multiple-entry visa based on your travel history and ties.
Yes. We've handled multiple EU-family visa fee-waiver cases for clients in Patiala, Punjab, and Haryana. We coordinate documentation, verify the relationship paper trail, and guide whether VFS or Embassy-direct is faster for your case.
Reviewed by Sherbir Singh Grewal, SureshotVisa — a government-licensed consultancy (Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024). Verify us.
How we get it done
Your Czech Republic Family / Friend Visit Visa, from your first message to your passport back.
7 questions about this visa specifically. The first two are open — tap any other to read it.
Refused? Our full service fee comes back.Government and visa-centre fees are the one part nobody can refund.
+My relative in Czech Republic is inviting and sponsoring me. What do they need to send?
An invitation naming you and the relationship, proof of their own status in Czech Republic (residence permit, passport or citizenship), proof of address, and — if they are paying — their income evidence and a formal undertaking. Several countries have a specific sponsorship form; using a plain letter where a prescribed form exists gets the file bounced. Send us their documents together with yours: the two sides have to agree with each other, and mismatched addresses or dates between sponsor and applicant are one of the quietest refusal causes.
+Does having close family settled abroad make my visa harder?
It is the question officers probe hardest on a family visit, because a visitor visa turns on whether you will come back. It is not a bar — thousands of these are approved every month — but it has to be answered rather than ignored. The answer is your own life here: your job or business, your dependants, your property, your bookings. A file that names the relative and then says nothing about your ties invites the officer to assume the obvious.
+How long can I actually stay on a Czech Republic Schengen visa?
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period (entire Schengen area). The window rolls: on any given day the authorities count backwards 180 days and add up the days you were inside. It is not 90 days per country and it does not reset when you leave and come back. Entries are single or multiple entry, as granted by the embassy of the czech republic. Getting this arithmetic wrong is how people end up overstaying without realising, which follows you into every future application.
+Should I apply to Czech Republic or to another Schengen country?
You apply to the country you will spend the most nights in. If the nights are equal across several, you apply to the one you enter first. Applying to the "easier" consulate when your itinerary says otherwise is a well-known refusal ground and, if the mismatch looks deliberate, it reads as misrepresentation rather than a mistake. Send us your itinerary and we will tell you which mission is the correct one for your trip — sometimes that is not Czech Republic.
+How long does a Czech Republic Family / Friend Visit Visa take, start to finish?
Three things sit between today and your trip: preparing the file properly, waiting for an appointment, and the mission's own processing. Czech Republic currently states Up to 15 calendar days from when the Embassy receives your complete application (NOT from VFS submission). Applications submitted at non-Delhi VFS centres are forwarded to the Embassy within 3 working days. Tourist applicants must submit at least 15 days before the actual travel date — files closer to travel are not processed. for the decision itself. We control the first, which is usually days. The middle depends on slot releases. The third is entirely the mission's and no consultant can shorten it — anyone telling you otherwise is selling something they cannot deliver. Tell us your travel date and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic.
+How much of what I pay for the Czech Republic visa is actually your fee?
Most of it is not ours. The Czech Republic government fee (currently ₹9,700) goes to the mission and the visa-centre fee goes to VFS — both charged to you at cost, never marked up, and shown as separate lines on one GST invoice in the registered company name. Our service fee is the only part we set, and it is published rather than quoted case by case.
+How does SureshotVisa handle my Czech Republic Family / Friend Visit Visa, from first message to passport back?
You send what you have on WhatsApp and a licensed consultant says the same working day whether the case is ready. We build the file around your profile, check every document against the others, write the cover letter to match them, and hold the file complete so the first workable appointment can be taken the moment it appears. You attend biometrics; we track the file to the decision (Czech Republic currently states Up to 15 calendar days from when the Embassy receives your complete application (NOT from VFS submission). Applications submitted at non-Delhi VFS centres are forwarded to the Embassy within 3 working days. Tourist applicants must submit at least 15 days before the actual travel date — files closer to travel are not processed.). Government and visa-centre fees (₹9,700 for this visa) are charged at cost; our own fee is published, and if the visa is refused that fee comes back in full.
Before you file
A Czech Republic Family / Friend Visit Visa goes one of two ways.
Filed on a guessed checklist, the government fee is gone on a refusal and the refusal follows every future application. Filed after a licensed consultant has read the papers against each other, the file answers the officer's questions before they are asked. Same Czech Republic rules, different outcome. How we do that is written once, in full, on the method page rather than repeated here.
Other Czech Republic Visa Types
Tourist Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Apply for a Czech Republic Tourist Visa from India — Schengen Short-Stay (Type C). Complete fees, ICAO photo spec, document checklist, and step-by-step application via VFS Global.
View guideBusiness / Conference Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Apply for a Czech Republic Business / Conference Visa from India — Schengen Short-Stay (Type C). Complete fees, documents, host invitation requirements, and step-by-step application.
View guideCultural / Sport / Religious / Film Crew Visa (Schengen Type C)
Apply for a Czech Republic Cultural Event Visa from India — covering cultural, sports, religious events, and film crews. Possible fee waiver under India-Czech bilateral cultural cooperation.
View guideMedical Treatment Visa (Schengen Short-Stay, Type C)
Apply for a Czech Republic Medical Treatment Visa from India — Schengen Short-Stay (Type C). Requires medical institution letter, treatment confirmation, and proof of pre-payment.
View guideAirport Transit Visa (Schengen Short-Stay)
Apply for a Czech Republic Airport Transit Visa from India — for layovers at Prague or other Czech airports en route to a third-country destination.
View guideSource & Disclaimer
Data on this page is sourced from the official VFS Global Czech Republic website and Embassy of Czech Republic. Last verified 2026-04-28. Always verify with the official embassy before applying — fees and requirements change without notice.
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