The Czech Republic and its capital city, Prague, have always been attractive to expats. The country enjoys a stable economy and the atmosphere is highly conducive to foreign investment. Living and working in the Czech Republic comes with many benefits such as affordable housing and healthcare, good salaries and benefit packages, and a thriving expat community.
The Czech Republic is a member of the European Union, and therefore EU nationals have the same working rights as Czech nationals.This makes it quite easy for EU nationals to work in the country. Many international companies have their branches in the Czech Republic and expats can find lucrative job opportunities at such places. English and German are both widely spoken throughout the country. However, being able to speak and/or write in Czech will definitely be an added bonus. Tourism is also an expanding industry in the Czech Republic, and those with good Czech language skills can avail themselves of the many job opportunities prevalent in this sector.
Visas and work permits
EU nationals do not require a visa or work permit if they intend to stay in the country for less than 90 days. Most expats relocate for longer periods of time and in such cases, they are required to report to the Foreign Police. In order to stay in the country for more than 30 days, a certificate of temporary residence or a permanent residence permit is necessary. To apply for this, you need a valid passport, health insurance documents and proof of the intention of your stay, such as work, studies or family.
Non-EU nationals can obtain short-stay or long-stay visas depending on how long they intend to stay in the country. They can contact the Czech embassy in their home country to find out about the process of obtaining visas and work permits. Within three days of arriving in the Czech Republic, they must report to the Foreign Police.
Looking for work
Public employment agencies in the Czech Republic offer their services at no charge. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs runs these agencies, and there are offices in all 77 districts of the country. You can obtain a comprehensive list of available jobs from them. Czech nationals and foreigners who have acquired permanent residency can register at the job seekers’ registry. Doing this can enable you to receive job offers along with public health insurance and social security contributions.
Apart from qualifications and work experience, the health status of an applicant is sometimes taken into consideration. Registration with the job seekers registry is not available for overseas nationals who are staying in the Czech Republic on a residency visa for more than 90 days or on a long-term residency visa.
Another common way of finding work in the Czech Republic is by checking for advertisements in the newspapers. Many newspapers feature available jobs in the classifieds. Some of the Czech newspapers that regularly feature job opportunities include the Lidovky and Hospodarske Noviny. English newspapers such as the Prague Post feature jobs especially meant for expats, usually with a strong focus on teaching jobs.
Job search websites can also be helpful for those looking for employment. They are easy to use and can be used anywhere in the world, meaning that you can start your job search while still in your home country. There are some local job portals that are in Czech, but the ones that operate internationally are in English. Some of these include http://www.cvonline.cz, http://www.jobpilot.cz and http://www.joblist.cz.
EURES is a useful tool for finding jobs in the European Union countries. Apart from job vacancies, it also provides information on living and working conditions in the Czech Republic. It has a network of about 850 EURES advisers who stay in daily contact with both employers and jobseekers around Europe.
Working conditions
The Labor Code regulates relations between employers and employees. It states that a written employment contract must specify all employment relations regarding matters such as the nature of work, work hours, annual leave, minimum wage and duration of the probation period. Legally, the probation period is not allowed to exceed three months, or six months in case of managerial level positions. The average working hours are 40 hours a week, divided over five days.
Have you experienced job hunting as an expat in the Czech Republic? Tell us about your experiences in the comments.