Prague - Unhindered travel across border-free Europe. That is how most Czechs perceive the upcoming enlargement of Schengen area, coming into force later this month. However, not all people living in the Czech Republic share the excitement.
For thousands of Americans settled in the country life will get more difficult after December 21st. Many of the 4000 US citizens living in Prague and others living elsewhere in the country lack a permanent residency permit.
They chose from various reasons to avoid dealing with the Foreign Police and decided they would stay in Prague as permanent tourists, extending their 90-day visa over and over.
All they needed up until now in order to legally stay was to leave the country every three months for a few hours and get a stamp in their passport on the border.
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Ukraine or Switzerland?
Those times will be over with the Czech Republic entering the now EU-wide Schengen area. Gone will be the days when four short, relatively hassle-free trips a year to Dresden made it possible for them to stay in Prague indefinitely.
Come January, Americans will have to plan longer trips to obtain the magic border control stamp since the nearest guarded border will now be in Ukraine or Switzerland.
That is somewhat disturbing for the hitherto peaceful life of many Prague Americans. "There are more people who seek advice at the US embassy about the future after the Czech Republic joins the Schengen area," Jakub Hornek from the US embassy in Prague told Aktuálně.cz.
"Schengen came absolutely unexpected," Corry O´Brien, a retired state employee from the U.S., told AFP. She has been living in Prague for several years.
"I did not know that I would need to go to Switzerland or other non-member state to extend my visa for the Czech Republic," she said.
Dreaded Foreign Police
Corry belongs to those who get discouraged by the numerous horror stories about the feared Foreign Police, which is in charge of issuing permanent residency permits and other necessary documents.
"People there do not speak English, so you'd better hire a translator or bring a friend who already has been through the whole procedure," goes an advice offered at the popular website expats.cz.
The central office of the police department in Olšanská street, Prague 3, is clearly considered a torture room by many.
While the Prague American community is understandably whiny about the forthcoming changes, the agencies offering legalisation assistence enjoy unprecedented boom in their line of business.
Compared with the last year, the number of requests has grown by fifty per cent," said Nora Vindušková, who works in the field, in an interview for AFP.
