Recently, the daily Právo reported that the Olšanská street office in Prague 3 was telling visa hopefuls that they could not register unless they owned an apartment or house, despite written requirements to the contrary on official Web sites.

Eric, 30, an American working in Prague who would not give his last name, recalls a Kafka-esque experience of his own in getting a visa. "They change the rules," he says. "One person said I needed proof of health insurance. Then, after arguing, he said, 'Ok, you can use a credit card [as proof].' It was like haggling."

Asked about claims of misinformation, a Foreigners' Police spokesman said, "We cannot avoid individual errors but we do try to prevent against such errors and limit them to a minimum."

A system still broken

Of course, Eric's experiences echo those of hundreds of others.

Despite numerous media reports in the past year about a dysfunctional visa system, it still appears to be marred by understaffing, inefficiency and inconsistent information, despite government officials' promises of reform.

Indeed, little seems to have changed at the Foreigners' Police since Jan Kasl, the former mayor of Prague, sent an angry letter to the Interior Ministry two months ago. The note was prompted after Kasl was stymied in his efforts to obtain a visa for the Senegalese man who was to marry his daughter.

His experience revealed a deeper problem, Kasl said, asking in his letter for the Interior Ministry to eliminate the "nonsensical, humiliating and repeated" registration of foreigners who already live here.

But problems persist, says Nora Vindušková, who runs a small business providing relocation services for foreigners.

"The information line or the person in charge tells you to fill out paperwork, and when you go to the office the next day, it's not the right forms," she says. "It happens to me about once a month," Vindušková adds, a bad indicator because she's an experienced native.

She blames frequent misunderstandings on the lack of funding at the Foreigners' Police. Employees who work at the information desk there and who provide information by phone should be aware of all residency laws, but they can't afford to hire people with the appropriate knowledge and language skills, said Vindušková.

In 2004, Vladimír Podroužek, deputy director of the Foreigners' Police, said he needed 20 more employees to make things run better. His office receives some 5,000 visa requests a month, two and half times the average number of visas the center processed before the Czech Republic joined the European Union.

"People who work there are unhappy because they know [misunderstandings] are happening too," says Vindušková.

The lowdown

According to the City of Prague Web site, in addition to completing a long-term residency form, applicants must also submit a passport, two photographs and documents indicating the purpose of stay, financial stability and proof of accommodation.

People seeking a long-term visa for the purpose of employment don't have to submit proof of financial means, but must provide a criminal record to prove they are law-abiding citizens. If the country of permanent residency does not issue this document, a notarized affidavit to that effect is required.

While the steps seem simple, problems like the ones faced by Eric and Vindušková are one reason many foreigners living here simply opt to remain perpetual tourists, hopping a train across the border every three months to get their passport stamped with standard tourist visas.

"I didn't expect this from a country in the EU; I would expect this maybe in Russia or in a country farther east," Eric said, describing the office as 20 years out of date. "It is not acceptable."