What is a Vacancy Number in Czech Immigration (Employee Card/Blue Card process)
August 29, 2026
Short summary: A vacancy number is one of the main requirements for employee card and blue card applications in the Czech Republic. It is issued by the Czech Labor Office when a Czech employer posts their vacancy on the Labor Office's website. Experts from Move To Prague explain everything you need to know about the vacancy number below.
What is a Vacancy Number?
A vacancy number is an 11-digit number issued for every position listed on the website of the Czech Labor Office. This number is a part of the test of the Czech labor market and a part of an employee card or a blue card process.
How to Get a Czech Vacancy Number?
How to get a Czech vacancy number depends on who is asking. If you are the actual employee card applicant (a non-EU citizen), your employer should provide you with the vacancy number.
If you are the employer, the answer is a little more complicated. If a Czech company plans on employing a non-EU citizen (who does not have free access to Czech labor market), the first step is always posting the available position on the website of the Czech Labor Office mentioned above.
This is done through a designated form via e-mail or via the company's data box.
Once the position is posted, a process called the "test of the labor market" kicks in. This basically means that the position must stay online for a specific amount of time during which Czech (and other EU) citizens can apply for the position. Only if no Czech/EU citizens fill the position does the position get a "vacancy number" and can it be used for an employee card or a blue card application.
In the past, the waiting period was 30 days, later shortened to 10 days for highly qualified positions. As of September 2026, the waiting period is zero (0) days. The employer still has to advertise the position on the website but the vacancy number is assigned to the position immediately.
Important note: The test of the labor market period can change over time so always verify the current waiting period with a professional such as Move To Prague.
What is a Czech vacancy number for?
The vacancy number serves as proof for the Ministry of the Interior that the test of the labor market has been successfully completed for a specific position. This is one of the prerequisites of a standard (dual) employee card process and of a blue card process.
If you do not provide a vacancy number in your employee card or blue card application, the application will be denied.
What Happens to a Czech Vacancy Number after Employee Card or a Blue Card Approval?
When the applicant submits their employee card or blue card application, the vacancy is "reserved" for the applicant. It still stays visible on the Labor Office's website.
Only when the employee card or blue card process is completely finished does this job advertisement, and with it also the vacancy number, get deleted.
Once deleted, you cannot access the job advertisement or the vacancy number again so we always advise both our private and corporate clients to save the job advertisement and the vacancy number. When working with us, we do this for our clients automatically, as part of our assistance service.
Does Every Employee Card or a Blue Card Applicant Need a Vacancy Number?
The employee card exists in two different forms - a standard one (so-called "dual") and a non-dual one. The non-dual employee card is issued to applicants who have free access to the Czech labor market (i.e. due to holding a Czech university degree). Non-dual employee card applicants do not need the vacancy number as part of their application.
Standard employee card applicants and all blue card applicants (the blue card does not exist in a non-dual version) need the vacancy number.
If you have any additional questions, contact us. As a leading immigration and relocation agency in the Czech Republic, we have helped hundreds of applicants secure their Czech employee cards and blue cards. We'll be happy to help you as well.
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