Foreign nationals with free access to the labour market
These foreign nationals do not need a work permit; an employment contract is enough. You can employ them immediately, but you must meet a few notification obligations.
Who falls into this category?
- citizens of an EU Member State
- citizens of an EEA country (e.g. Norway, Iceland…)
- citizens of Switzerland
- people granted asylum or temporary protection (e.g. Ukraine)
- foreign nationals with permanent residence in the Czech Republic
- students preparing for a profession or employees posted as part of the provision of services within the EU
What must you do as an employer?
Notify the Labour Office of the employee’s start no later than the day they begin work. This is done using an information card available on the Labour Office website.
And if something changes?
You must notify the Labour Office of every change (e.g. termination of employment, a change of address…) within 10 days.
Foreign nationals who need permission to work
Simply put, this includes everyone else.
They must provide either:
- an employee card
- a blue card
- an intra-corporate transferee card
- or a combination of a valid work permit + residence authorisation
Details are also available on the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs website – Work authorisation.
What must you do as an employer?
- Notify the Labour Office of the vacancy (newly created or vacated).
- Complete the vacancy notification on the Labour Office website, giving details of the company and position.
- Report the foreign national and any changes to the Labour Office.
- Only then can you hire the foreign national.
Records of foreign nationals – do not forget!
Whoever you employ, from within or outside the EU, you must keep records of all foreign nationals.
What must be recorded?
- first name, surname
- nationality
- date and place of birth
- address in the country of permanent residence
- travel document number and issuing authority
- type of work, workplace and duration of employment
- classification of the work by sector, education, etc.
You must also retain copies of documents proving residence authorisation throughout employment and for a further 3 years afterwards.
Employing foreign nationals is not rocket science, but you need to know which rules apply to whom. Knowing what to watch out for helps you avoid unnecessary mistakes and penalties. And if you are unsure about anything? We are here for you. We will gladly help you set everything up correctly and go through the whole process without stress. 🙂