Czech Republic

The Czech Republic had the lowest unemployment rate in the EU in 2025 – 2.8% – and a minimum wage of CZK 22,400 a month (2026). Employers look for engineers, builders, programmers, health professionals and machine operators, but most of them expect you to speak Czech. Find out where to look for a job, how to apply and what to arrange in your first weeks.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a long-term residence permit to work. The main routes:

  • Graduates of Czech universities who studied on a study residence permit can get a long-term residence permit to look for a job or start a business for up to 9 months (no extension; fee CZK 2,500). As graduates of a Czech university they have free access to the labour market.
  • EU Blue Card – for highly qualified jobs: you need completed higher vocational or university education of at least 3 years and a salary of at least 1.5 times the average gross salary in the Czech Republic; for the period from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027 the Ministry of Labour put the average gross annual salary at CZK 590,580. It is valid 3 months longer than the work contract, for at most 3 years.
  • Employee card (zaměstnanecká karta) – a long-term residence and work permit for any profession or skill level, valid for up to 2 years. Fee: CZK 2,500 in the Czech Republic, CZK 5,000 at an embassy abroad.

All the conditions and application steps are explained on ipc.gov.cz, the information portal for foreigners of the Ministry of the Interior.


published: 2014-09-01
last modification: 2026-10-03

Common questions about job applications and interviews

Key figures: Eurostat (population on 1 January 2026; unemployment and employment rates 2025; minimum wages July 2026); for the United Kingdom – Office for National Statistics; for Liechtenstein – national statistics. Country information: EURES – Living and working conditions, public employment services and the official government websites listed under each country. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change – check the official sources before you move. Updated: October 2026.

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