Free entry to the labour market

A work permit (i.e. a work permit including a valid residence permit, an employee card, a blue card or an internally transferred employee card) is not required for a foreigner

• (a) with a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic;
• (b) who is a family member of a diplomatic mission worker or embassy worker or a family member of an employee of an international government organisation established in the territory of the Czech Republic;
• (c) who has been granted asylum or supplementary protection;
• (d) who is
  • a performing artist;
  • a pedagogical worker;
  • an academic worker at a university;
  • a scientific member at a scientific meeting;
  • a pupil or student under the age of 26;
  • an athlete;
  • a person who delivers goods or services in the Czech Republic or supplies such goods or services; or
  • a person who carries out assembly on the basis of a commercial contract or performs warranty and repair work,
  and whose performance in the territory of the Czech Republic does not exceed seven consecutive calendar days or a total of 30 days per calendar year,
• (e) who is employed in the Czech Republic under international contracts, to the ratification of which Parliament has given its consent and to which the Czech Republic is bound;
• (f) who is a member of a rescue unit and provides assistance on the basis of an international treaty on mutual assistance in dealing with the consequences of accidents and natural disasters and in cases of humanitarian aid;
• (g) who is employed in international transport if they are despatched to work in the Czech Republic by their foreign employer;
• (h) who is accredited in the field of the media;
• (i) who is military or civilian personnel of the despatching state’s armed forces under a special law;
• (j) who is preparing for a future profession in the Czech Republic (period of full-time study in secondary school, conservatory, tertiary vocational school and language school with accreditation for state language examinations, and the period of full-time study at a higher education institution, including holidays that are part of the school or academic year);
• (k) who was despatched to the territory of the Czech Republic within the provision of services by an employer established in another member state of the European Union;
• (l) who resides in the territory of the Czech Republic on the basis of a long-term residence permit for the purpose of family cohabitation in the case of family cohabitation with a foreigner under (a) or (c) or with a foreigner residing in the territory of the Czech Republic on the basis of a valid long-term residence permit;
• (m) who resides in the Czech Republic on the basis of a long-term residence permit of a resident of another member state of the European Union;
• (n) who is performing continuous educational or scientific work in the Czech Republic as a pedagogical worker or academic worker of a higher education institution or scientific, research or development worker in a public research institution or another research organisation pursuant to a special legal regulation;
• (o) who has received secondary or higher vocational education or higher vocational education at a conservatory pursuant to the Education Act or higher education pursuant to the Higher Education Act;
• (p) who resides in the territory of the Czech Republic on the basis of a long-term residence permit for the purpose of protection in the territory pursuant to the Residence Act;
• (r) who is a cleric of a church registered in the Czech Republic or a religious society registered in the Czech Republic;
• (s) who holds a residence permit of an internally transferred employee issued by another member state of the European Union and has been subject to internal transfer to the territory of the Czech Republic for a period not exceeding 90 days in any period of 180 days; or
• (t) whose work in the territory of the Czech Republic is in the interest of the Czech Republic.
• (u)  who is a citizen of a State on the list of States whose citizens are not required to have an employment permit, an employee card, an intra-corporate transfer card or a blue card in order to work or perform work; the list of such States may be established by the Government by regulation, after consultation in the Economic and Social Agreement Council and taking into account the current situation on the labour market.

In the case of the employment of a foreigner under points (a) to (e) and (j) to (s), an employer or a legal person or a natural person to whom the foreigner was despatched by their employer under an employment contract shall be obliged to inform the relevant Regional Office of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic at the latest on the date of commencement of that foreigner to work ( sample download information (337,65 kB)). The employer is also obliged to keep the relevant records.