The article below is a transcript of a Live Stream about the topic of Job Seeker Visa performed by Jan, one of the Co-Founders and Co-Owners of Move To Prague relocation services which you can access here: News in Health Insurance, Job Seeker Visa. If something is not clear, needs further explanation or if you need any assistance with obtaining the Job Seeker Visa, fill in the contact form on the right or below and we’ll be happy to help!
What is a Job Seeker Visa?
Let us start by saying that a job seeker visa is technically not a visa, but a long term residence permit. You can use it for two purposes. The first one is seeking a job and then switching to an employee card. The second purpose is to set up your business and switch to the business residence permit later.
How does the Job Seeker Visa work?
If you are a student of an accredited program of a Czech university, once you complete your studies (bachelor or master) and plan to stay in the country you have to change the purpose of your stay. Many people switch directly to an employee card for example, which is the best way possible. If you don’t have a job yet though or you need to finish the studies and don’t have the diploma yet, and your student visa is close to its expiration date, using the job seeker visa will give you additional nine months to stay in the Czech Republic to sort out your situation.
You can work while on the job seeker visa and just need to switch to some other residence permit before it expires – either to an employee card if you find a job, or to the business residence permit if you set up a trade licence and start generating high enough monthly income.
How to get the Job Seeker Visa?
Before your student visa expires you need to collect some documents, take them to the MOI and submit the job seeker visa residence permit application. You don’t really need too many documents, the first one will be an application form, then a valid passport and a valid visa/residence permit for the purpose of studies (be careful because it needs to be this specific purpose of stay!). You also need to have a photo of you, proof of accommodation, confirmation of having enough funds, health insurance and a confirmation that you finished your studies successfully. Then of course the administrative fee of 2 500 CZK paid in “kolky” – the revenue stamps.
After submitting everything to the ministry, they will give you a bridging visa, so you can stay and start working. The actual Job Seeker Residence Permit should be approved within 60 days but it can be more or less. Since it is only valid for maximum of 9 months (might be shortened based on when you submit the application, how soon it is approved or what documents you submitted), you should start working towards getting the employee card or business residence permit asap.
As soon as you have a job you can switch to an employee card which is a so called non-dual employee card or to the business residence permit if you want to start our own business.
If you have any further questions, call us to +420776495655 or send us an e-mail to info@movetoprague.com and we’ll be happy to answer all of them 🙂
What our clients say:
