Permanent Residency

It's official.  I finally received my new permanent residency ID card.  No more having to submit all of that paperwork to apply for Czech work visas ever again.  Go figure that that my Czech green card is actually blue and pink.

So here's the deal with permanent residency...

As a non-EU citizen with trvalý pobyt, I am now able to live and work in Czechland without ever having to apply for another work visa.  I've been paying in to the Czech social system since I moved here but now I'm actually eligible for benefits if I ever need them.  With permanent residency it is also much easier to apply for a bank loan or mortgage now.

In five years I will be eligible to apply for Czech citizenship (and no, I don't have to give up my American passport).  I'll just need to pass an advanced language test and a citizenship exam.  But who knows where I'll be in another five years?