Czech Republic: Foreign employees must now obtain Employee Card prior to entry
Foreign nationals seeking to work in the Czech Republic for over 90 days must now separately obtain an Employee Card at a Czech consulate – which can take up to 90 days to process –after obtaining a work permit and prior to starting work in the Czech Republic, according to a new Ministry of Foreign Affairs guideline. They can no longer file an Employee Card application and a short-term work visa application simultaneously at a Czech consulate, which would allow entry once the short-term work visa was approved, which usually took 14 days.
Czech Republic: Fast Track programme quota almost exceeded
Czech Republic: Visa processing delayed
Visa applications submitted outside the Czech Republic to the Ministry of Interior have been processed in approximately 90 calendar days instead of the usual 60 calendar days in the last few weeks.
Those applying through the Welcome Package or Fast Track Project are not affected by the delays.
What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals
Employees and employers in the Czech Republic should be prepared for delayed start dates.
Czech Republic: Recent implementation of regulatory amendments
The Czech Republic implemented regulatory amendments on December 18 that change the deadline for Employment Card renewal applications; expand eligibility parameters for dependants of EU nationals; lengthen the validity period of long-term visas; and change eligibility criteria for permanent residence.
Deadline for Employment Card Renewal Applications
Employee Card renewal applications are now required to be filed at least 30 days before the expiration date of one’s current card. Previously, foreign nationals were permitted to file renewal applications up to 14 days prior to their card’s expiration. Additionally, renewal applications can now be submitted 120 days in advance of expiry, up from 90 days in advance.
Renewals for long-term residence permits and long-term visas can still be filed up to the last day of their stated validity.