Around 8 000 British citizens legally reside in the Czech Republic. While many British came to the Czech Republic still as EU citizens before Brexit, Czech Republic remains a popular destination among British citizens moving abroad even now. This article provides a comprehensive guide on moving to the Czech Republic as a British citizen in 2026.
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Two Main Pathways for British Citizens Moving to the Czech Republic
If you want to move to the Czech Republic as a British citizen in 2026, you will be doing it as a standard Third-Country (non-EU) national. There are generally two main pathways for British citizens in two different situations.
1. Family Members of EU Citizens
In our daily immigration practice, we often see British citizens moving to the Czech Republic due to their relationship with a Czech citizen or other EU citizen living in the Czech Republic. Even if you are not married, being in a relationship with an EU citizen can make your relocation journey way easier.
The Czech immigration divides family members of EU citizens into two categories:
Close Family Members
This primarily applies for married couples and or children of EU citizens. If you are married to an EU citizen living in the Czech Republic, the easiest route for you is to apply for Temporary Residence Permit for Close Family Members of EU Citizens. The application process is pretty straightforward and this type of residence permit provides significant benefits compared to other types of visas or residence permits.
Distant Family Members
Even if you are not married but in serious long-term relationship similar to a marriage, you can benefit from being a family member of an EU citizen. Although the application process is more complicated and requires more comprehensive documentation than for close family members, the “Partnership Visa” still provides plenty of benefits compared to standard visas and residence permits described later in the article.
2. Standard non-EU Citizens’s Route
If you are not in relationship with an EU citizen, you still have plenty of options to move to the Czech Republic as a British citizen. We list them in order from the easiest to the least straightforward below.
Family Reunification Visa, Family Reunification Residence Permit
If you are related to a non-EU citizen already living in the Czech Republic legally, you can apply for a Family Reunification Visa or a Family Reunification Residence permit. Although this process is more complicated than having an EU family member, it is still pretty straightforward. Check out the qualification requirements and differences between the visa and the residence permit in this article: How to Bring a Non-EU Family Member to the Czech Republic.
English Teaching Business Visa
The business/freelance/self-employed/zivno visa would generally be at the bottom of this list since that requires serious business ties to the Czech Republic, solid business plan, track record of your previous business activity etc. One pretty straightforward path though is applying for the business visa as a freelance English teacher. As a native speaker, this is what the Czech immigration authorities expect you to do and what the are used to. If you can find two or three language schools willing to hire you as a freelance teacher, applying for the business visa is one of the easiest ways of getting your foot into Czech Republic’s door.
Digital Nomad Visa
If you meet the (kind of strict) requirements for the Digital Nomad Visa, it is one of the fastest paths to Czech residency. British citizens are one of the 13 nationalities benefiting from this program with the main advantage being that the Digital Nomad Visa does not require any links to the Czech Republic. All the other visa or residence permit types require you to have a local job offer, local clients or some family member already living in the Czech Republic. The Digital Nomad Visa does not require any of this.
Student Visa
Enrolling into some Czech university program is generally one of the easiest ways to get a visa or a residence permit in the Czech Republic. The reason why the student visa is not higher in our list of options for British citizens is that studying is not an universal option for everyone. You might also undergo pretty extensive interview questioning your motivation to study in the Czech Republic. Overall, still a good option is coming here to study is your real intention.
Employee Card
The employee card is the most standard employment related residence permit the Czech Republic offers. Due to British citizens being granted free access to Czech labor market back in 2024, the whole process is a bit easier for British citizens wishing to move to the Czech Republic for employment. The main complication with the employee card is still finding an employer willing to help you with the whole employee card process, and mainly willing to wait for you for couple month. Even though the free access to Czech labor market makes the process easier, it might still take between 3 and 6 months before you can actually start working after agreeing on the conditions with your future employer.
Blue Card
For most nationalities, the Blue Card would be way higher on the list since that is one of the strongest residence permits Czech Republic offers. For British citizens though, it is one of the least favorable options. Similar problem remains as for the employee card – you still must first find a local employer willing to work with you through the process. One extra layer of complication lies in the fact that the free access to Czech labor market does not apply to the Blue Card. That means the process will take more time and will require your future employer to be even more involved than for the employee card.
Assistance to British Citizens Moving to the Czech Republic
If you are looking for different visa options and especially if you want to go through the immigration processes on your own, this article and all the other linked articles should give you enough information to go through the immigration processes as smoothly as possible and hopefully successfully as well.
If you prefer someone experienced guiding you through the whole process of moving to the Czech Republic – from the immigration related matters to finding accommodation to setting up your business or enrolling you into local health insurance – contact us or check our Our Expat Services.
We have worked with over 22 000 people over the last 14 years and will be happy to help you move to the Czech Republic as well.
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