Czech Republic: EU Blue Card Improvements and Long-Term Visa Restrictions Forthcoming

May 16, 2023

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Country / Territory

At a Glance

The Czech Parliament has approved amendments to immigration laws that would, among other changes:

  • Improve various terms for EU Blue Card applicants to align with the EU Blue Card Directive; and
  • Restrict eligibility for Long-Term Visa and Residence Permit applicants.

These changes are likely to come into effect no earlier than September 2023. 

The situation

The Czech Parliament has approved amendments to various immigration laws that would impact EU Blue Card and Long-Term Visa and Residence Permit applicants. 

PROPOSAL DETAILS IMPACT
EU Blue Card improvements. The government would implement many requirements of the EU Blue Card Directive. 
  • Validity would increase to three years, up from two.
  • Certain applicants would see easier eligibility requirements and others would be exempt from having to submit a diploma from a qualifying school, whereas currently, all EU Blue Card applicants are subject to strict educational requirements. 
  • Eligibility for an EU Blue Card with shorter employment period and relaxed employment switching rules. 
  • Eligibility for the status for asylees or international protected status holders.
 These key changes (among others) would expand access to the EU Blue Card, per the EU Blue Card Directive.
Restricted long-term visa and residence permit eligibility
  • Restriction of eligibility to apply for long-term visas or residence permits for those who have resided in their country of residence for two years (up from one year). 
  • New requirement to submit criminal clearance certificates from every country of residence for six months or more cumulatively (instead of consecutively) in the last three years. 
 These restrictions on long-term visas and residence permits would make it harder for foreign nationals to qualify for these statuses. 
Restrictions for children   Children of main applicants age 18 or above would no longer be able to apply for Reunification Residence Permits as dependents and would instead need to apply for a different immigration status. Currently, they are eligible for dependent status if they can prove they do not have a source of income. This may make it more expensive for families to enter the country since they would need to apply for separate statuses for disqualified children.

These changes are intended to make the EU Blue Card system more attractive to foreign nationals entering Czech Republic and to their Czech employers. The revision of the Blue Card Directive began last October, with its main aim to attract and retain highly skilled workers in the Czech Republic and European Union.

The Senate must now approve these proposals, which could take six to eight weeks, after which the approval must be signed by the Czech President for final implementation. Overall, these changes are expected to come into effect no earlier than September 2023. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].  

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