Legal issues

EU citizens as well as citizens of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, may stay and work in the Czech Republic without a special permit. A valid travel document (passport or national identity card) is sufficient. For all information for EU citizens and their family members click here.

Third-country nationals need to contact a Czech Embassy in the home country and apply for one of the following visa or residence types there:

• Short-term visa – for a stay of up to 90 days, the procedure usually takes from 10 to 60 days, for all information click here
• Long-term residence for the purpose of „scientific research“ – for a stay of over 3 months if you have signed a hosting agreement with a research organisation, the procedure usually takes around 60 days, for all information click here
• Employee Card – Employee Card combines both the residence and work permits, it is a long-term residence permit (over 3 months) for the purpose of employment in the Czech Republic however it is issued for a specific job vacancy listed in the „central record of vacancies available for employee cards“, for all information click here

The application for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of scientific research can be submitted also on MoI office in the Czech Republic, if you are already a holder of long-term visa or long-term residence permit issued for a different purpose. For all information click here.

Family members

The rules for family members’ (spouse, partner, children) residence depend on your and their nationality as well as on their length of stay. For all information click here.

Work permit

If you are a researcher planning to move to live and work in the Czech Republic, we recommend to get in touch with EURAXESS, a network of professionals ready to help researchers with all aspects of their life in the Czech Republic. Their advice and services are free of charge and include advice in all areas of living and working in the Czech Republic (e.g. Visa / residence permit, Accommodation, Banking, Health insurance, Medical care, Children / family, Czech culture and language, Studying in the Czech Republic, Employment conditions and work permit, Tax, Social security, etc.).

Contact EURAXESS Prague: Mrs. Zuzana Tuťálková, Wiehlův dům; Vodičkova 40/792, 110 00 Prague 1, +420 731 426 969, , www.euraxess.cz

EU citizens can work in the Czech Republic without a special permit.

Third-country nationals who have long-term residence for the purpose of scientific research may work without a separate work permit. In other cases, third-country nationals need to get one of the following documents to be entitled to work in the Czech Republic:

• Work permit – issued by the Labour Office of the Czech Republic, cooperation of the individual and the employer is necessary, for all information click here
• Employee Card – Employee Card is issued for a specific job vacancy listed in the „central record of vacancies available for employee cards“

EU citizens can request a certificate of temporary residence (or a permanent residence permit) to be issued if they intend to stay in the Czech Republic for longer than 3 months and if they fulfil all application requirements. It is recommended to do so, because it will enable the individual to obtain an identity number (called “rodne cislo” in Czech) which is useful for many other administrative procedures during their stay in the Czech Republic. For more information click here.

Third-country nationals are obliged to register their accommodation address in the Czech Republic with the nearest Foreign Police Department within 3 working days of entering the Czech Republic. For all information click here.

Taxation

Evaluation of a tax status (tax resident versus tax non-resident) of any foreigner who comes to work in the Czech Republic is a complex issue and a very individual procedure. It needs to take into an account personal situation of the individual on one hand as well as tax law, both of the home country and the Czech Republic. It is strongly recommended to consult a tax advisor to determine the tax residency and corresponding requirements and consequences for the individual at the beginning of their employment in the Czech Republic.

Social security

Anyone working in the Czech Republic must be part of the public Social Security system, which comprises sickness insurance, pensions and contribution to the state employment policy. Contributions to the social security system are automatically deducted from employees‘ salaries.

Health insurance

Foreign nationals in the Czech Republic are required to have a valid health insurance. There are two types of health insurance, public and commercial. Employees of an employer based in the Czech Republic as well as other specific groups of individuals have a legal right to public insurance. Anyone who does not have the right to public health insurance in the Czech Republic must have commercial health insurance while staying in the country. For all information click here.