Student jobs and internships in European countries

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland can work in the Czech Republic without any permit. Apart from a normal employment contract, students often work on one of two agreements:

• Agreement to complete a job (dohoda o provedení práce, DPP): at most 300 hours a year. In 2026 you take part in sickness and pension insurance (and pay contributions) only in months when you earn CZK 12,000 or more from it.
• Agreement to perform work (dohoda o pracovní činnosti, DPČ): at most 20 hours a week on average over the year; no severance pay when it ends.
• Paid holiday applies to both agreements if the agreement lasts at least 28 days without a break and you work at least 80 hours in the year.
• Traineeships have no single legal framework – the conditions, including any pay, are set by the organisation offering them.

Students from outside the EU who study an accredited university programme full-time in the Czech Republic have free access to the labour market – no work permit is needed, but you must hold a valid residence permit. The same applies to graduates of Czech universities.

Thinking of studying there first? See Studying in the Czech Republic – practical information.