Processing times for Czech citizenship by ancestry vary depending on several factors, including the number of generations involved, the completeness of the applicant’s supporting documentation, the workload of the citizenship office, and the experience of the assigned case worker.

In a recent case, the stars aligned and we were able to secure citizenship for our client in just six calendar days (four business days excluding the weekend)! This was particularly notable, as the applicant’s last Czech-born ancestors were his great-grandparents.

How did we manage to get Czech citizenship so fast?

Anyone who has applied for citizenship by descent knows the significant volume of documentation required to establish lineage. While our client was collecting U.S.-based documents and apostilles, we used this time to proactively obtain relevant Czech archival records months ahead of filing the application.

With years of experience in Czech citizenship applications, we are familiar with the requirements of case workers and can identify the necessary supporting documents in advance. This allows us to streamline the process and reduce delays. By the time our client submitted his vital records (birth, marriage, and naturalization certificates, among others), much of the preparatory work on our end had already been completed.

We maintain professional relationships with several case workers at the Prague 1 citizenship office. In this case, the application was handled by one of the more efficient officers we have worked with. The issuance of the citizenship certificate came unexpectedly, as we were actually visiting the office to collect a citizenship certificate for another client, whose application we filed a month earlier. At that time, we were informed that two certificates were ready for collection: one for a client submitted a month prior, and another for the client submitted just one week earlier.

What happens next for our client?

After collecting both citizenship certificates at the Prague 1 office (both the expected and unexpected one), we immediately submitted applications to register both clients’ births and marriages in the Special Register in Brno, where foreign vital events are transcribed and recorded. We are always prepared for fast citizenship approvals and thus already had the application forms ready to go. Now we just sit back and wait for their life events to be registered. The Special Register typically sticks to their statutory deadline of 60 days, after which our clients will be issued a Czech version of their birth and marriage certificates. With these documents combined with their Czech citizenship certificate, they can apply for their first passport!

Want support with your Czech citizenship by descent application? We know the ins and outs of the process and can determine the right pathway for you, helping you achieve a smooth and efficient application. Feel free to get in touch!