In any field of the law, using correct terminology is a stepping stone to success. The same goes for Czech Immigration. So, let us start with a bummer – there is no “work visa” in the Czech immigration law. This article takes you through the different visa options people usually have in mind when talking about “work visa”.
Employment vs Freelancing in the Czech Republic
Generally, when people talk about “work visa”, they mean either a visa based on local (Czech) employment, or a visa based on becoming a freelancer in Czech Republic and then invoicing for work done.
Since the “work” system might be significantly different in the Czech Republic compared to what you are used to, let’s first go through the difference between employment and self-employment/freelancing.
Employment in the Czech Republic
When we talk about employment, we talk about situation where you work for one Czech company as their employee. That means that you have an employment contract, use company’s offices and equipment (computers, phones, papers etc.) for work. Your employer also covers your income tax, social security and health care. You typically get more or less the same salary every month (depending maybe on some personal/performance bonuses).
You also have a lot of rights as a local employee – at least 4 weeks of paid vacation, you generally can not be fired immediately, there is usually some leaving notice (for example two months) your employer must stick to, paid sick leave etc.
Being employed in the Czech Republic is generally a very good situation for you. Not all employers will agree to hire you as an employee though since employing people is also pretty expensive in CZE – for example, if your net salary (what goes to your bank account) is 39 000 CZK, the total cost for your employer is 67 000 CZK. They pay 39k to you and additional 28k to the government for your social security, health care and income tax.
Self-employment/freelancing in the Czech Republic
Since employing people is pretty expensive in CZE (as explained above), some companies prefer hiring people as freelancers/contractors instead of employing them. In such cases you do not sign an employment contract but for example “Contract about provision of services”.
And there are some pretty significant difference between being employed and working as a contractor (both in term of your rights and in terms of your immigration options). That is why we mentioned in the beginning of the article that correct terminology matters.
If you work for a company as a contractor, you are not in employer/employee relationship, you are basically in Business to Business relationship. That means there is no probation period, not leaving notice, no paid vacation, no paid sick leave. Your client (“employer”) does not cover your social security, health care and neither taxes, so you need to deal with that on your own.
In some cases, working as a contractor can also be illegal. Working as a contractor should generally apply to positions where you and your “employer” are at the same level – meaning, your “employer” should not tell you when to come to work, how long to stay etc. You should also not be using their offices to work, neither their computers etc.
The topic of illegally contracting workers instead of employing them would be for another full article since is some fields it is still a common practice.
“Work visa” options
As discussed above, there are pretty significant differences in your rights between being an employee and being a contractor for a company. There are also significant differences from the immigration perspective.
Employment related visa options
If you have got a real employment offer, you can apply either for an Employee Card or a Blue Card, depending on your salary and education/qualification (please head to the linked articles for more details).
Both employee card and blue card are generally safe to get as long as you follow the procedures and your employer is solid. Their extensions are are also generally pretty straightforward. The main limitation there is that for changing employers, you have to follow some rules and procedures (see here the rules for changing employers under the employee card).
Different (simpler) rules might apply for nationalities with free access to Czech Labor Market.
Visa options for freelancers
If you have got a freelance/contracting offer, you can not apply for an employee card, neither a blue card since they require a proper employment contract. The only option you have is applying for a freelance/self-employed/business/zivno visa.
While getting the business visa for a freelance English teacher might be relatively straightforward, if your business plan is different, it can get significantly more complicated and difficult to get approved (see the article linked above to get more details).
It is always best to discuss your situation in details to find the best option for you – fill in any of the forms on this page and get a free consultation 🙂
Looking forward to speaking with you!
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