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    Czech Republic – Opening of Visa Centre at General Consulate in Dresden

    GMS Flash Alert 2023-105 | May 18, 2023

    Starting 1 May 2023, a new Visa Centre was opened at the General Consulate of the Czech Republic in Dresden, Germany, consolidating all visa-related and residence permit-related matters (hereinafter, “visa matters”) for the Schengen area.1  The Visa Centre Dresden has assumed responsibility for all visa matters previously handled by the individual embassies of the Czech Republic in the Schengen area (until now Berlin, Bratislava, Brussels, Warsaw, Vienna, and Zagreb).

    Relocating visa matters to the Visa Centre Dresden has been happening throughout early May, with the Visa Centre ready to accept applications from 15 May 2023 onwards.

    Why this matters

    Previously, applicants were able to submit their visa applications at various Czech Republic embassies in Europe, depending on the country of their temporary residence.  Now, matters related to applications for long-term visas and residence permits for the Schengen area will happen in one place.

    Under the new system, with the consolidation of services pertaining to visa matters, there will be streamlining of processes and a reduction in the sort of inconsistencies in requirements, appointment processes, and approaches that existed across the different embassies that were previously responsible for such visa matters.  

    Foreign nationals can expect a more standardised and efficient process, reducing the potential for discrepancies and delays.

    KPMG Insights

    The consolidation to this one Visa Centre in Dresden is expected to lead to cost savings and improved resource allocation for the Czech government.  Moreover, given the efforts and time-consumption around the coordination and communication heretofore among the different embassies, the Visa Centre in Dresden will change all that drastically and, it is expected, thereby lead to better management of visa applications and a more efficacious process overall.

    On the other side of the coin, for some foreign nationals, traveling to Dresden, Germany may pose additional logistical challenges and greater expense.  

    Having said that, questions concerning the receipt and processing of visa matters applications should be answered by telephone every working day.2

    Nevertheless, the Visa Centre will not provide information on the progress and status of the proceedings within the statutory time limit for processing the application and will not communicate via social media.3  

    We recommend therefore that affected applicants plan their visa applications accordingly and consider the potential impact of this change on their travel arrangements.  Given the change in procedure described above, mobile employees and/or their employers who require clarification and guidance should contact their qualified immigration counsel or a member of the KPMG Immigration team with KPMG in the Cech Republic (see the Contact Us section).

    Contacts

    petr-stetina
    Petr Stetina

    Immigration Consultant 2

    KPMG in Czech Republic

    lubica-cap
    Lubica Cap

    Legal Associate

    KPMG in Czech Republic

    Additional Resources

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    Footnotes

    1  For further information, see the official website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, "Dresden Visa Centre: Visa Services in Schengen" (3 May 2023) at: https://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/information_for_aliens/where_to_submit_application/visa_consulates_in_schengen.html.

    2  For further information, see the official website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, “Dresden Visa Centre” at: https://www.mzv.cz/dresden/cz/viza_visas/dresden_visa_centre/index.html.

    3  Ibid.

    Disclaimer

    The information contained in this newsletter was submitted by the KPMG International member firm in the Czech Republic.

    GMS Flash Alert is a Global Mobility Services publication of the KPMG LLP Washington National Tax practice. The KPMG name and logo are trademarks used under license by the independent member firms of the KPMG global organization. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee and does not provide services to clients. No member firm has any authority to obligate or bind KPMG International or any other member firm vis-à-vis third parties, nor does KPMG International have any such authority to obligate or bind any member firm. The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.

    © 2024 KPMG Česká republika, s.r.o., a Czech limited liability company and a member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved.

    For more detail about the structure of the KPMG global organization please visit https://kpmg.com/governance.