Zaměstnanecká karta

Under Czech law

The employee card is regulated by § 42g of the Aliens Residence Act (zákon o pobytu cizinců, Act No. 326/1999 Sb.). It is a dual permit — residence and work in one — issued for a specific position listed in the central register of vacancies open to card holders. Applications are filed at a Czech embassy (or, in defined cases, inside the country), with an employment contract or agreement showing at least the statutory working time and at least the minimum wage, plus accommodation proof, a clean criminal record, and a passport. Validity follows the contract, up to two years, renewable.

The card binds the holder to the employer and position: changing jobs requires prior notification/approval by the Ministry of the Interior (§ 42g odst. 7 a násl.), and losing the job opens a short protective window of 60 days to find a new position and file — miss it and residence ends.

A practical example

A Ukrainian developer signs with a Prague software house, which registers the vacancy. She files at the embassy in Warsaw with her contract and accommodation confirmation; three months later she collects a card valid for two years. When she is later headhunted, her new employer''s HR files the change request first — she starts only after the ministry''s approval, keeping her status unbroken.

When you need a lawyer

Refusals and returned applications (formal defects cost months), employer changes under time pressure, the 60-day window after termination, and any gap risk before permanent-residence eligibility — continuity of status is the asset to protect.