Combined Work and Residence Permit Becomes Available June 24

The Czech Republic will begin issuing a combined work and residence permit called an Employee Card on June 24, 2014. Existing work and residence permits will remain valid through their stated expiration dates. Foreign residents are not required to obtain Employee Cards until their current documents expire. 

Employers will no longer be required to submit a separate work permit application to the labor office, except for intracompany transferees who will still require separate work permits. Though these work permits will no longer be required for locally hired foreign workers, existing labor market testing requirements will remain unchanged. In order to file the Employee Card application, employers must still await approval from the labor office to fill a position with a non-EU national. 

The Employee Card is a plastic card with biometrics for the employee’s picture and fingerprints. Holders of the card will be authorized to reside in Czech Republic and to work in the country, either in the job for which the Employee Card was originally issued or in another job that has been approved by the Ministry of Interior. 

Employee Card applications should be processed within 60 days for typical cases, with more complex cases processed within 90 days. 

An Employee Card will typically be issued for the duration of a foreign national’s employment contract, which may be up to two years, and may be renewed indefinitely. Renewal applications cannot be filed more than 90 days or less than 14 days before a card’s expiration date. If an Employee Card expires while a renewal application is in process, the foreign national will still be permitted to reside in Czech Republic, but they cannot work until the renewal is granted. 

The Employee Card replaces visas for work stays over 90 days and long-term residence permits for employment, as well as the Green Card program, which will all be terminated. The Blue Card program will continue to be available for qualified highly skilled foreign workers. 

Currently pending applications for new or renewal work permits or residence permits will be processed and approved in their current form. Czech officials will not begin to process or issue Employee Cards until after June 24. In cases where the work permit has already been approved, but the foreign still awaits a visa, the foreign national will receive an Employee Card. 

What This Means for Employers 

In many EU states, the introduction of combined work and residence permits has resulted in temporary processing delays, and employers can expect the same in Czech Republic. However, the introduction of a single permit and application process should eventually streamline the work authorization process for foreign nationals and their employers. 

How Fragomen Can Assist 

Fragomen can assist with preparing and filing Employee Card applications in Czech Republic. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected]. 

© 2009 - 2015 © Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Fragomen Global LLP and affiliates. All Rights Reserved.