According to 435/2004 Sb. Zákon o zaměstnanosti (Employment Law) § 98, foreign students who are undertaking full-time study accredited programs are allowed to work and they have full access to the labor market (including during the summer).

Should you need a work permit, you should contact the local branch of the Employment Office (Úřad práce), find out more here. It is subject to an administrative fee of CZK 500. It is issued for:

• a definite period of time, the maximum of two years (a foreigner may apply for an employment permit repeatedly);
• six months in case of seasonal employment; the permit shall be issued for no longer than six months within a calendar year and may also be issued repeatedly provided that a period of at least six months elapses between the individual employments.

Detailed information about the work permit can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Most popular job portals in the Czech Republic are:

• Jobs.cz
• Expats.cz
• EURES – European Job Mobility Portal
• Facebook group: Multilingual Jobs in Brno

It is usual to send an e-mail to a potential employer; phone calls are not normally preferred. You should send a CV together with a cover letter. Be prepared for an interview.

EU/EEA OR SWITZERLAND CITIZENS

Citizens of EU/EEA countries and Switzerland or their family members do not need an employment permit, Employee Card or Blue Card to be employed on the territory of the Czech Republic. These nationals have the same legal status as citizens of the Czech Republic, as the country is a member of the European Union. For more information have a look at the portal of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic.

OTHER THAN EU/EEA (SO-CALLED THIRD COUNTRY CITIZENS)

If you are a third-country citizen (i.e. not an EU/EAA or Swiss citizen), you are allowed to work while studying, but please bear in mind that you are staying in the Czech Republic on basis of a visa for study purposes, therefore paid work cannot be your primary occupation during your stay. Your work should not affect your studies.

Third-country students studying in the Czech Republic in a present (daily) form of studies in a degree program accredited by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports don’t need an employment permit. The employer is only obliged to notify the relevant regional office of the Public Employment Service at the start of your work.

Third-country students who come only for student exchange or study in a distance form of studies are allowed to work without an employment permit too, but only if they are up to the age of 26 and their performance of work does not exceed 7 consecutive calendar days or a total of 30 days within a calendar year.

In all other cases, the citizens who do not come from the EU/EEA countries or Switzerland may be employed in the Czech Republic if they have obtained an employment permit and a residence permit, or an Employee Card or an EU Blue Card (both cards combine a work permit and a residence permit in one document). The local Employment Office shall always be the relevant one for issuing the employment permit. The procedure of application for such a permit is described here. The work permit is issued for a definite period of time, a maximum of two years, however; a foreigner may even apply for an employment permit repeatedly. Please note that the work permit is only valid provided the following attributes are specified in the decision: the employer, the type of work you will be performing, and the location where your work will take place.

If you are a third country citizen, you obtained your university education in the Czech Republic, you have already finished your studies, and you wish to stay in the Czech Republic for work purposes, you have to apply for an employee card. Foreign nationals who have obtained a university education in the Czech Republic have free access to the labor market. In this case, the employee card serves merely as a long-term residence permit where the stated purpose of the foreign national’s stay (longer than 3 months) is employment.

For more information have a look at the dedicated portal of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic.

For obtaining legal advice contact the Integration Centre Prague or the Association for Integration and Migration.

EU BLUE CARD

EU Blue Card is a work permit issued by 25 out of 27 EU Member States to highly-qualified non-EU citizens. Its intention is to stimulate economic development by making Europe a desirable destination for qualified workers to practice professional knowledge and skills as well as allowing free movement within the European Union for non-EU citizens.