The Population Census in the Czech Republic is Here! Foreigners to be Counted, Too

The Census will start on 27 March and it will be primarily online. It is possible to fill in the electronic census form (questionnaire) by 9 April. Others will have to fill in the paper census form (questionnaire) from 17 April to 11 May.

The 2021 Census in the Czech Republic (CR) will also concern foreign nationals who will be present in the territory of the Czech Republic at midnight from Friday 26 March to Saturday 27 March, except for diplomats and those who will be staying in the territory of the CR for less than 90 days. 

The online census form (questionnaire) will be, the same as the website scitani.cz, available in seven language versions.    

The Population and Housing Census is carried out once in 10 years in the Czech Republic, similarly to most of the countries of the world.

The previous Census took place in 2011 and therefore it is now time to find out how Czechia has changed over the last decade.

Besides the Czech Republic, the Census is carried out in more than 50 other countries of the world.

Who has to get counted?

Besides citizens of the CR, nationals of foreign countries are also obliged to get counted provided that at midnight from 26 March to 27 March they have asylum granted or they stay in the territory of the CR for over 90 days such as, for example, foreign students within the Erasmus program.

Contrarily, this does not apply to foreign tourists who stay in the CR for a short period of time (i.e. less than 90 days) and to diplomats.

Online Census

The simplest and concurrently the safest way to get counted is to use the online census form (questionnaire). You can find it on the website or as an application called “Sčítání21” (“Census21”) in Google Play or the AppStore.

It will be possible to fill in the electronic (online) census form (questionnaire) from 27 March to 9 April 2021 on a computer, a tablet, or a mobile phone. Besides your identity card, it will also be possible to sign in (log in) into the electronic census form (questionnaire) by means of any valid ID document issued by the Czech Republic to foreigners. These documents include, for example, as follows:

• long-term visa,
• long-term residence permit,
• permanent residence permit,
• residence card of a family member of an EU national,
• residence permit card (booklet) for foreigners.

It is also possible to use the electronic identity or a data box of a natural person.

The electronic (online) census form (questionnaire) is to be filled in for the whole household. It means that one person can fill in the census form for all other persons in the household.

If a foreign national does not have papers (ID document) issued by the CR or a data box for natural persons, it is also possible, for example, for a fellow inhabitant (room-mate / flat-mate / house-mate) who owns the document or the data box to fill in the electronic (online) census form on his/her behalf. Otherwise, it is necessary to fill in the paper census form.

Besides Czech, the electronic (online) census form (questionnaire), the same as the website, is available in seven other languages, namely in English, German, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and Romany.

You can easily switch from one language version to another while filling in the electronic (online) census form and it will take about 15 minutes to fill in the form.

Paper Census

In case one does not fill in the electronic (online) census form (questionnaire), he/she has to fill in the paper census form (questionnaire) that will be distributed by census officers (census enumerators) from 17 April.

Therefore, it is necessary to mark the doorbell or the maildrop with the number of the dwelling (flat), too. You can also pick up the paper census form on contact points of the Census, which are at Regional Offices of the Czech Statistical Office and selected branches of the Czech Post the list of which is available on the website scitani.cz.

However, paper census forms (questionnaires) are available only in Czech. Nevertheless, those interested can ask – census officers (census enumerators) and staff at contact points of the Census – for printed translations that will serve as an aid (tool) to fill in the original census form in Czech.

The completed (filled in) paper census form (questionnaire) can then be sent by mail in a return envelope of the 2021 Census that you will receive together with the paper census form. Sending is free.

Do you have questions?

For all information about the upcoming Census, see the website scitani.cz. Provided that something is unclear to you, call the Contact Centre of the Census using the following phone numbers: 253 253 683 or 840 30 40 50.

The trained staff of the Contact Centre also provide information in English and Russian.