by Jessica Bloor

On Jan 1 2008, the Czech Republic became part of the Schengen zone. But what exactly does this mean, and how does it affect people living in the Czech Republic?

The Schengen Agreement (1985 and 1990) abolished systematic border controls between participating European countries (so no more scrambling over barbed wire fences folks!) The primary purpose of this was to ease the flow of traffic and trade throughout Europe. There are now 31 countries in the Schengen zone including four non EU states; Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Although part of the EU, the island nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland are not part of the Schengen zone and will continue to control their own borders.

For Europeans this means unrestricted travel and work in countries within the zone. For non-Europeans (third-country nationals), this means that they need a common Schengen visa. Before obtaining a visa, third-country nationals are subjected to checks run through the Schengen Information System, a database containing information about people in trouble with the law, stolen passports, and other items of interest to border officials. Certain nations like Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States have special agreements with the European Union and it is generally much easier for these nationalities to obtain a Schengen visa.

Entering into Schengen would seem to be a positive move for the Czechs who can now travel and work more easily abroad, but what about ex-patriates living here? For many years,expatriates from the US, Canada, Australia and other countries have been able to evade the lengthy process of getting a work visa by crossing the boarder into Germany or Slovakia and simply renewing
their tourist visa every three months. Within countries like the Czech Republic, where the demand for English language teachers is high, people have easily been able to find work without having a work visa. This, however, is now coming to an end.

Under stricter EU regulations, third-country nationals will now have to leave the Schengen zone for three months before they are permitted re-entry. Many ex-pat agencies have seen a surge in business, aspeople unfamiliar with the Czech language and system hire professionals to sort out their status. If you do not have the means to pay such professionals, it looks like you will almost certainly have to leave the Czech Republic for three months, as it is now too late to apply for a residence visa whilst still in the Czech Republic.

But just how many people will this effect? The American Embassy estimates that there are 5,000 American expats in Prague. Over the past few years, huge numbers of Americans, Canadians and Australians have flocked to Europe, and especially Prague, to live the European dream. Some stay a few months and find teaching work, so decide to stay. For those who have been working illegally on a tourist visa with stricter Schengen regulations it’s now time to legalize yourself with a working visa, leave or risk living here illegally with no visa at all.

Westerners that have historically enjoyed fairly unrestricted immigration now have a little more in common with the millions of clandestine workers from all over Asia, the Americas and Africa, though of course they aren't fleeing poverty, famine or political persecution. Perhaps this humbling experience will do us all some good.

Average user rating

   (0 vote)