The Czech Republic is the country with the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, and the second most popular country among labor migrants from Western Europe.
European standards for the protection of human rights apply here, and everyone ready and willing to work, both residents and foreigners, have access to work. However, the latter ones have some nuances.
LCWork was learning the intricacies of the Czech labor market, including issues such as:
- The Czech labor market for foreigners: features and nuances.
- What is the problem of the labor market for non-residents of the country?
- What must a foreigner do to obtain a work permit?
- What are the rights and obligations of employers and employees?
And also how a foreigner can get a job in the Czech Republic, and what is needed for this.
When Are Foreigners Allowed to Work in the Czech Republic?
As a rule, a foreigner must obtain a work permit to work in the Czech Republic. But it also depends on the type of permission to stay in the country (i.e. visa) and the country from which the foreigner came. Work permits provide the following types of visas and permits to stay in the Czech Republic.
Work Visa
Or rather, a work card. It is received by citizens who are not members of the EU. A work card entitles its holder to two things:
- Long-term residence in the territory of the Czech Republic.
- Work at the place where the work card was issued (or it can be changed with the permission of the employer).
For its part, the employer is also obliged to report the fact of hiring a foreigner and keep records of his work activities.
Family Reunion
If a foreigner has entered into a marriage with a citizen of the Czech Republic, it is possible to obtain a visa for family reunification.
True, such a visa may give certain restrictions and, perhaps, you won't be able to feel free in the labor market immediately.
Blue Card
This is something like a Green Card in the USA, which can only be obtained by highly qualified employees:
- Medics.
- IT specialists.
- Scientists.
- Engineers.
That is, specialists who have completed higher education, for which you have spent at least 3 years, can receive a blue card.
Visa for Seasonal Work
It is issued within 30 days maximum and gives the right to work and stay in the territory of the Czech Republic for 90 days (short-term visa) to 180 days (long-term visa).
Such visas are obtained for work in agricultural enterprises, hotel and restaurant service, livestock breeding, etc.
Business Visa
A foreigner can conduct business, both as an individual and as a legal entity. It is worth noting that if a foreigner only plans to open a business, leaving for the Czech Republic, then he must prove that he has enough funds to run a business.
But if you have a residence permit, then you can already do business on equal terms with the Czechs.
Individual Entrepreneur (živnostenské oprávnění)
This is when you become a self-employed person and independently conduct entrepreneurial activities to make a profit. At the same time, you also pay taxes yourself and keep reports. To do this, you need to obtain a special permit from the entrepreneur, which can be obtained through the Single Contact Point.
It is also possible to gain free access to the labor market by acquiring a specialty at any of the Czech state universities and thus have free access to work.
Difficulties of Foreigners in the Labor Market in the Czech Republic
According to Czech law, everyone has the right to work, regardless of gender, nationality, age, beliefs, or race.
That is, you cannot be refused on the basis of your nationality or, for example, if you are disabled. This protection is provided by the discrimination law, or more precisely the anti-discrimination law.
But at the same time, there is another law in the Czech Republic. According to it, the employee should give preference to the Czechs, when opening a vacancy. More precisely, he can hire a foreigner only when since the opening of the vacancy and during this time not a single Czech citizen who applied for this position for any reason came up a month has passed. Most likely, the purpose of such a law is to protect its citizens from unemployment.
Despite everything, it should be understood that employers and job seekers can be different and have different approaches. Some companies try to create multinational companies, while others carefully select their staff and take only native Czech speakers of (ie only Czechs).
Does a Foreigner Always Need a Work Permit in the Czech Republic?
According to a regulation in the Government of Labor (Úrad práce ČR), a foreigner is not required to have a work permit, a blue card, or an internal worker card in some cases. In particular, this applies to foreigners who:
- received temporary protection or asylum;
- have a permanent residence permit in the territory of the Czech Republic;
- are professional creative workers;
- are teaching staff;
- receive higher education in the territory of the Czech Republic at the age of 26;
- are a scientist.
Or, for example, your activities carried out on the territory of the Czech Republic are aimed specifically at the interests of this state.
The entire list of exceptions which be found on the website of the Government of Labor site.
In many of these cases, the employer is obliged to keep appropriate records and report on the employment of a foreigner to the regional branch of the Employment Service of the Czech Republic (moreover, on the same day when the foreigner began to perform work).
Concluding the Above
The Czech labor market is attractive by many factors at once. This is both stability and reliability of legislation, and the protection of the rights of employees (regardless of whether they are residents or not). Thus, every employee has the right to:
- Proper and safe working conditions.
- Vacation.
- Hospital.
- Medical and social insurance.
- Labor remuneration.
- Salary not lower than the minimum (if we are talking about the standard 40 hours a week).
- Equal and dignified treatment.
- Written employment contract.
In particular, the Czech Republic is quite generous in terms of jobs. And if in principle you are not lazy and are motivated by conscientious work, then it is difficult to remain unemployed here.
However, it should be understood that residents and non-residents have slightly different conditions. Of course, the Czech government adheres to European values and has an approved law that protects everyone from discrimination. At the same time, the state protects the interests of its citizens, providing them with more benefits and opportunities in their work. Or those who have received a Czech higher education.
In any case, even with these factors, there are a lot of foreigners in the country, and in fact, all of them work, do business and actively participate in the labor market.
