Blue Card

The Blue card combines a residence permit and a work permit in the Czech Republic. The Blue Card is issued for a specific job vacancy and is  issued for a period which is 3 months longer than the employment contract, for a maximum of 2 years.

The Blue card is issued to workers with higher professional or university education with the requirement of working contract with a gross salary up to/over 1.5 times of the average gross monthly salary in the Czech Republic.

The Blue card is issued for foreigners from countries outside the European Union,  Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland.To find a relevant job vacancy click here, application form here. Within 3 working days of entering the country you are obliged to contact the office of the Department of Asylum and Migration, part of the Ministry of the Interior, in order to provide biometric data.

You can apply if you:

Are a third country citizen and you intend to reside in the territory of the Czech Republic for more than 3 months and you will be occupying a job vacancy which requires high specialisation (you have a university degree or a higher vocational education which lasted at least 3 years)

AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU ARE NOT:

  • A family member of an EU citizen, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (if that citizen is staying in the Czech Republic or you have not applied for a temporary stay of a family member of an EU citizen, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland,
  • in the process of an application for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of scientific research,
  • a resident of another EU member state and you currently have a Czech  long-term residence permit for the purpose of employment or business (§ 42c),
  • a foreign national residing in the CR on the basis of a binding international agreement facilitating the entry and temporary residence of some categories of natural persons in connection with doing business and investments,
  • a foreign national staying in the CR on the basis of a granted residence permit for temporary protection.
  • an applicant for a residence permit for the purpose of providing temporary protection in the CR
  • a seeker of international protection through asylum or a person who has been granted the status of refugee or subsidiary protection,
  • a foreign national who is employed by an employer in another EU member state and is dispatched to work in the CR within the framework of providing international services,
  • a foreign national residing in the CR on the basis of a residence permit for seasonal workers,

Where to apply:

  • at the Czech embassies abroad
  • in the territory of the Czech Republic at the Ministry of Interior offices (in cases defined by law)

You must submit:

  • a filed application
  • a travel document
  • a document showing that accommodation has been secured for the term of your stay in the country
  • a photograph
  • a working contract for a job vacancy which requires high qualification arranged for a time period of at least one year with the statutory weekly work hours, and agreed upon gross monthly or annual salary amounting to at least a 1.5 multiple of the average gross annual salary in the Czech Republic announced by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
  • a proof of high qualification
  • if it is a case of a regulated job, then a document confirming the compliance with the conditions for performing such a job is required

Dismissal of your application

  • In the event of a negative assessment of your application, you have the right to appeal against this decision to the to the Commission for Decision-making in Matters of Residence of Foreigners in a period of 15 days from the receipt of the decision.
  • If your application is dismissed again, you have the right of recourse to the court.

Processing time:

90 days from the day of the submission of an applicationExtension of validity of a Blue Card:

  • at the Ministry of Interior offices according to your residence
  • it can be submitted at the earliest 120 days before the end of validity of your long term residence permit and at the latest on the last day of the validity of the permit

Required attachments to the application for an extension of validity:

the same as for submitting an application

Administrative fee:

  • admission of the application: 1.500 CZK
  • issuing the card: 1.000 CZK