Getting Permission to Work in the Czech Republic
If you’re a foreigner and you want to work here, you’ll usually need some kind of permit. The most common ones are the Employee Card, Blue Card, or Work Permit.
The Employee Card and Blue Card let you both live and work here, and they’re tied to a specific job with a specific employer. So, just having a residence card isn’t enough to work for anyone you want. You have to report any changes in your employer.
A Work Permit only lets you work; you’ll need to apply for a separate residence permit to live here.
Who Doesn’t Need a Work Permit in the Czech Republic?
- Foreigners with Free Access to the Labor Market.
This mostly includes citizens of the European Union, their family members, people with permanent residence, those with long-term residence for the purpose of family reunion, asylum seekers, students, and graduates of certain schools.
If you have free access to the labor market, you don’t need a work permit. But you’ll still need a residence permit. EU citizens and their families will get a temporary residence permit, and others will usually apply for a non-dual Employee Card, which is just for residence.
- How about Company Directors and Shareholders?
If you’re a director or shareholder of a company here, even the tasks you do for your own company are considered work. So, it’s possible you’ll need a permit to do that legally.
Working Under a Visa-Free Regime?
If you’re here on a visa-free stay, you can’t work. Visa-free stays are for tourism and visits, not for working or business. If you want to work for a short time, you’ll need a Work Permit and a short-term visa.
Even if you have free access to the labor market, you still can’t work based on visa free regime. That’s because the visa-free regime is not for earning money.