Government Restrictions for Crossing the Border of the Czech Republic

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20th April 2022

ENTERING THE CZECH REPUBLIC

As of April 9, 2022, the protective measures regarding the conditions of entry into the Czech Republic in relation to the epidemic of covid-19 have been suspended. Entry into the Czech Republic is no longer subject to any special epidemiological conditions to prevent the spread of the disease. The entry-ban for foreigners from third (non-EU) countries and the obligation to prove infection-free status have been lifted.

All measures in force in English and Czech. See also a summary on the Government official website.

TRAVEL TO OTHER COUNTRIES - conditions have been regularly updated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Details on the situation in all countries by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including current measures issued.

RE-OPEN EU: Safely resuming travels and tourism in the EU

FOREIGNERS employed in the Czech Republic

General rules
Updated list of embassies with visa services in operation is available here.
For holders of employee and blue cards entering the country after January 1, 2021, the obligation to undergo an integration course within one year applies (not for employees under the key and scientific personnel government program).
Effective from July 13, 2020 short-term schengen visas, long-term visas and long-term stay applications had to include certificate of non-infectiousness.
After the end of the state of emergency, foreign nationals were not sanctioned for staying in the Czech Republic without a valid residence permit for another 60 days (starting from May 17, 2020). Foreigners without valid visas were able to stay in the Czech Republic until July 16, 2020 the deadline was later extended to September 16, 2020 for short-term visas granted for the purpose of employment or seasonal work. On August 24, 2020 the Government approved extension of the short-term visas of foreign workers who can stay and work in the Czech Republic until November 16. This applied to the employment contracts which should have expired between March 12 and November 16, 2020.
In order to ensure a smooth return of foreign nationals to the country of origin, the legality of their stay (after expiration of their permits) was certified during border control by a special stamp in the travel document at the time of departure from the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic informed all states about this procedure.
This measure was introduced from May 4, 2020. The stamp did not ensure entry into the territory of other states. The possibilities of transit were always determined by their own measures.
The validity of this measure was limited in time and applied only to persons who were legally residing in the Czech Republic at the time of the declaration of the state of emergency! Foreign nationals who wanted to continue their legal stay in the Czech Republic and their long-term visa or long-term residence permit expired had to apply for extension - more information here.

April 2022 UPDATES in the QUALIFIED EMPLOYEE and KEY & SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL PROGRAMS. - programs have been stopped as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

For the period from May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023, the average gross annual wage in the Czech Republic is CZK 454,068 (CZK 37,839 / month). The amount of the gross monthly salary of a foreigner applying for a blue card in this period must be at least CZK 56,759. Details.

A modified document (Čestné prohlášení/Declaration of honor -see attachments below) is required from the start of 2021 for applications within the Government Qualified Employee Program.

On December 3, 2020, a new application form for the Key and Scientific Personnel Program and the Highly Qualified Personnel Program was introduced (but NOT for the Qualified Employee Program). The form was modified due to frequent mistakes in the selection of the relevant embassy for submission of an application. In the part of the form on applicant’s data, it is necessary to newly state the address of the applicant's permanent residence (or the address of residence if the applicant has been living abroad for a longer period of time outside the territory of his or her origin). The information on residence is determining the relevant embassy of the Czech Republic.

The place of submitting an application for a residence permit is the place abroad where the relevant embassy of the Czech Republic is located (eg Kiev, Moscow, Delhi). In this context, Czech authorities advise that when applying for a long-term visa or long-term and permanent residence permit, the rule of the so-called local consular catchment area applies. This means that the applicant can only submit an application in the state: 1) of which he or she is a citizen, 2) that issued his or her travel document, 3) in which he or she has a long-term or permanent residence permit. More.

Full version of obligations applicable to employment of foreigners issued by the Ministry of the Interior:

All migrant workers who have stayed for more than 12 hours in the last 14 days in countries or regions not on the list of countries with low risk of COVID-19 contagion are required to:

Before entering the territory of the Czech Republic, fill in the electronic arrival form.
EU citizens can also submit the result of a test performed in another EU Member State, if the result is not older than 72 hours. Third-country nationals must undergo the test and obtain result of the test in the Czech Republic (a test result from another EU Member State is acceptable only if they have a long-term residence permit or permanent residence issued by this EU Member State).

Foreign workers are not allowed to start their work in the Czech Republic without submitting a negative test result! Unfortunately, this rule is very often violated in practice. We reiterate that the state of emergency has been declared and violations of counter-epidemic rules can lead to more drastic restrictions.

Even in the case of a negative test result, it is required to restrict any free movement within the territory of the Czech Republic for 10 days from arrival - only trips to and from work and trips necessary to meet basic needs for living, urgent official matters or medical treatment are possible.

Please note that even a visit to the site of the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy at the Ministry of the Interior is not an urgent official matter unless the law stipulates it as an obligation.

Even if the test result is negative, it is required to wear respiratory protective equipment for 10 days after arrival (and then continue to wear it in all areas subject to the obligation to use such protective equipment).

Employers of all foreign workers are further instructed to ensure (ie make sure that foreign workers have):

Accommodation for the entire period of their stay in the Czech Republic, including the place where the quarantine measure will be carried out,
Medical care if needed or a registering health care provider.

In addition, employers of all foreign workers who do not hold a long-term residence permit (ie EU and third-country nationals holding a visa) are required to ensure for migrant workers:

Pay for medical care (if medical care is needed),
Return to the country of origin in case of loss of the purpose of stay in the Czech Republic, ie employment.

Proof of the provision of these guarantees is a condition for third-country nationals to have a visa label sticked into their passport!

In the event of a proper change of employer, all the obligations listed above towards the foreign worker pass on to the new employer.

In case of non-compliance with the obligations, the employer may be sanctioned for the committed violation (according to § 92n paragraph 1 letter b) of Act No. 258/2000 Coll. on the protection of public health).

UKRAINE

As part of sanctions, Czech authorities stopped the reception and processing of applications for visas and long-term and permanent residence permits of nationals of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. The ban applies also to proceedings already initiated, but does not apply to cases of humanitarian aid or to Russian and Belarussian citizens who already possess a residence permit in the Czech Republic.
Information related to Ukraine - useful links.
Ministry of Industry and Trade
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of the Interior
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Transportation
NÚKIB cyber security authority