Czechoslovakia: 1) Officials who sign Czechoslovakian exit visas; 2) Necessity of producing a letter of invitation and a sum of $20.00 per day per person in order to obtain an exit visa
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CSK0965 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Czechoslovakia: 1) Officials who sign Czechoslovakian exit visas; 2) Necessity of producing a letter of invitation and a sum of $20.00 per day per person in order to obtain an exit visa, 1 May 1989, CSK0965, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac4520.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
1) While no information on this subject is available to the IRBDC in open sources, a source at the Department of External Affairs in Ottawa states that an official with the Czechoslovak Ministry of the Interior must sign exit visa documents. A spokesperson for the local Czechoslovak Association corroborates this information and adds that tourist or exit visas are processed by the passport office attached to the regional level of government.
2) No information is available to the IRBDC in open sources regarding the exit visa requirements of a letter of invitation and a bank deposit of $20.00/day. The same source at External Affairs mentioned in question 1 states that the Czech government recently liberalized the travel regulations. While he knew nothing about a letter or bank deposit requirement, he added that Czechoslovakia, like many other states, requires those requesting an exit permit to have a certain amount of foreign currency in their possession. The attached excerpt from the U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988 provides details on these foreign currency regulations. The spokesperson for the Czechoslovak association adds that the regulations on this matter changed on May 1, 1989. While previous to that date Czechoslovaks wishing to go abroad had to have US$20.00 per day, this figure has been reduced to US$10.00. Usually, this amount is deposited in a Czech bank by the foreign party to be visited. The same source states that in addition, a letter of invitation from the person to be visited must be produced by the visa applicant.
ATTACHMENTS
U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989, 1026-1027.
