Working in the Czech Republic. How a Belarusian can find legal employment

How to find a job in the Czech Republic for Belarusians, safety rules for staying in the country.

A foreign citizen can be employed in the Czech Republic only if they have:

• A work permit (valid work permit and valid short-term visa (up to 90 days) or long-term visa (more than 90 days) or long-term residence permit for the purpose of employment)
• A green card
• A blue card

1. WORK PERMIT

To obtain a work permit, a foreign citizen must first submit a written application to the branch of the Employment Office of the Czech Republic, usually before their arrival. The applicant can apply to the Office either personally or through their future employer, with whom an employment contract will be concluded, or where they will be sent by their local employer. The Office issues a work permit only if there is a vacant position. This means that there is a temporary shortage of workers in relation to the required qualifications, i.e., a suitable candidate with Czech citizenship cannot be found.

The application must contain information about the employee and the employer, the type of work activity, the place and period of work for which the employment contract is concluded. The application must be accompanied by an employer's statement committing to employ the foreigner, a document confirming that the employee has achieved the necessary professional qualifications for the position, and, if necessary, other documents. The Office issues a work permit for a maximum of 2 years, which can be extended several times, but never more than 2 years. The administrative fee for processing the application is 500 crowns. This permit is not required for persons with refugee status or persons with permanent residence in the Czech Republic.

Based on the application, the Czech embassy issues short-term visas for a period of up to 90 days, which can be used within 180 days. In addition to the general requirements for the visa application for the purpose of employment, the following are attached: work permit, employment contract, document confirming housing provision.

A foreign citizen can apply for a long-term visa for the purpose of long-term employment only at the embassy of the country of which they are a citizen. The applicant must undergo an interview if the embassy requests it. Initially issued long-term visas are valid for a maximum of 6 months.

The decision to issue a long-term residence permit is made by the regional offices of the Department for Refugee and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior. An application can be submitted by a foreign citizen who is in the territory of the Czech Republic on the basis of a long-term visa and wishes to stay here for the purpose of employment for a period of more than 6 months. In order to submit an application, a foreigner must personally visit the office. The applicant will receive the right to stay in the territory of the Czech Republic for the period specified in the permit, which will also contain biometric data.

When applying for a long-term visa and a long-term residence permit, it is necessary to submit a document confirming accommodation. Accommodation can only be considered as a premises in a building intended for permanent residence and rest.

The person providing accommodation must ensure that the foreign citizen has an area of at least 8 square meters per person, 12.6 square meters for two, and an additional 5 square meters for each subsequent person. The foreign citizen must provide proof of accommodation based on one of the following documents:

• a document confirming that the applicant is the owner of the corresponding apartment or house
• or a document confirming that the applicant has the right to use the premises on the basis of a lease agreement
• or a document issued by a person who is the owner of the residential premises or its tenant, consenting to the foreign citizen's residence in that house or apartment. No other document will be accepted as proof of accommodation.

2. GREEN CARD

The Green Card is a permit for long-term residence in the Czech Republic for the purpose of employment under special circumstances. A foreigner who has received a Green Card for a specific type of work has the right to reside in the Czech Republic and to carry out the type of activity for which the Green Card was issued. Green Cards are intended only for foreigners from certain countries that are not members of the European Union. This card simplifies the entry into the labor market for foreigners who have qualifications corresponding to the position in the register of vacant job positions for the Green Card in the Czech Republic.

The green card is intended for: workers with higher education and key personnel, workers who have completed at least the required training course, and other workers. Positions for green card candidates are listed in the main register of vacancies suitable for green card candidates, available on the Internet at http://portal.mpsv.cz/sz/zahr_zam/zelka/vm, registration is required. The green card is valid for 2-3 years.

3. BLUE CARD

The Czech Republic has introduced an institute for issuing residence permits for highly qualified workers. A foreigner with a blue card can reside in the Czech Republic and work in the job for which the blue card was issued. Changing jobs is possible only under certain conditions. High qualification is considered to be completed higher education or higher specialized education, provided that the studies lasted at least 3 years. An application for a blue card is submitted by a foreign citizen to the embassy of the Czech Republic in the country of residence, in some cases, to the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. To obtain a blue card, a foreign citizen must submit an employment contract, which must be concluded for at least one year, and a document confirming his high qualification. The blue card is issued with a validity period of 3 months longer than the duration of the employment contract, concluded for a maximum of 2 years. The validity period of the blue card can be extended. One of the conditions for issuing a blue card is the salary criterion — the contractual monthly or annual salary must correspond to at least one and a half times the average annual salary in the Czech Republic.

An important advantage of the blue card, unlike the green card, is that the entire procedure for its issuance is carried out after the employer has selected the employee. If the employer or the classification of the work of the holder of the blue card changes within the first two years of his stay in the Czech Republic, such a change must be согласован with the Ministry of the Interior. The holder of the blue card will be able to obtain permanent residence/status of a person with the right to long-term residence in the European Union after five years of stay in the Czech Republic or in any other EU member state, taking into account that the applicant must have been a holder of the blue card in the territory of the Czech Republic for the last 2 years. The period of holding a blue card on the basis of decisions of various other EU member states is included in the above-mentioned five-year period.

The holder of the blue card and members of his family have the right to family reunification without observing the minimum period of stay in the territory of the Czech Republic, i.e. immediately.

The Employment Office of the Czech Republic provides information about the list of positions for candidates applying for a blue card, listed in the main register of vacancies suitable for candidates with a green card.

Details on the web page: http://portal.mpsv.cz/sz/zahr_zam/modka/vm.

A vacancy is considered open if it has not been filled within 30 days from the date of its posting. In order to register for this vacancy, it is necessary to obtain permission from the employer.

Due to the influx of foreigners seeking employment in the Czech Republic, sanctions against individuals employed illegally have been tightened. Illegal employment is considered a criminal offense and falls under the category of crimes against public order.