Changing jobs in Czechia? What foreign workers must arrange when switching employers in 2026

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A better offer, different shifts or a shorter commute can make a job change worthwhile. Before agreeing to leave your current employer, check the conditions for starting elsewhere. Signing a new contract may not be enough. Your residence status and access to the Czech labour market determine the procedure.

Information checked on 12 October 2026.

Which procedure applies to you?

Your situation	What a job change involves
EU, EEA or Swiss citizen	No work authorisation is required. Your employer still has reporting duties.
Valid temporary protection granted by Czechia	You have free access to the labour market. The dual employee card procedure does not apply.
Employee card without free labour market access	Notify the Ministry of the Interior in advance and wait for its written confirmation.
Employee card with free labour market access	Notify the Ministry within 3 working days after starting the new job.
Employee card with a separate work permit	Obtain the appropriate Labour Office permit for the new position, then report the change within 3 working days.
EU Blue Card	Report the end of employment and the job change separately within 3 working days. The new role must meet Blue Card conditions.

If you hold another residence permit, check the rules for that specific status. Ukrainian citizenship does not automatically mean you have temporary protection. A biometric residence card does not, by itself, establish free labour market access.

Do not apply the employee card’s 30-day and 90-day rules to a Blue Card. The new job must meet the Blue Card qualification and salary requirements. The notification must also identify the vacancy number in the relevant central register.

Employee card without free access: three deadlines to check

90 calendar days after employment ends. Within this period, the Ministry must receive a valid notification of your new employer, or you must meet the legal conditions for applying to change your residence purpose. Otherwise, your employee card expires. Posting the notification on day 90 is too late if it arrives afterwards. This period does not extend the expiry date printed on your card.

At least 30 days before the planned change. Deliver your notification with this lead time. You may start only after you or your employer receives the written Sdělení o splnění podmínek, confirming that the requirements have been met, and no earlier than the date stated in the form. Waiting 30 days alone does not authorise you to start.

Six months after collecting your first employee card. Changing employers earlier is generally restricted. Exceptions include a card that has already been extended, a change of position with the same employer and certain grounds for ending employment. These include employer notice under Section 52(a)–(e), a termination agreement on those grounds, immediate termination under Section 56 of the Labour Code, or termination by the employer during probation. Provide evidence if you rely on an exception arising from termination. An ordinary resignation does not create that exception.

You can prepare and notify the change while still employed. You do not have to leave your existing job first.

Prepare a complete notification

Use the current Ministry form. Complete it in Czech, using the Latin alphabet, even if the explanations are in another language. Prepare:

evidence that your current employment continues, or proof of when it ended;
a signed employment contract, an agreement to perform work (DPČ), or the relevant future-contract agreement for the new job;
the vacancy number from the central register for employee card holders;
evidence of professional competence or an employer declaration where competence is required;
a power of attorney if someone submits the notification on your behalf.

The role and workplace must match the registered vacancy. For a dual employee card, the contract must provide at least 15 hours a week and pay no lower than the basic monthly minimum wage, regardless of working hours. An agreement to complete a job (DPP) does not replace the required contract.

Your existing employment contract alone does not prove that you still work there. Obtain evidence such as a confirmation from your employer. Submit everything together; do not expect an invitation to supply missing documents later in this procedure.

You can notify the Ministry in person, by post, through a data box, by email with a recognised electronic signature, or through an authorised representative. There is no administrative fee for the notification.

Changing agencies or workplaces needs extra care

Under the employee card procedure without free labour market access, you cannot switch to a new employer that is an employment agency. Moving from one agency to another is therefore restricted. Changes within the same agency are treated differently. If you arrived through a government programme, check its conditions as well.

A notification may be necessary even when the employer stays the same. The Ministry identifies moving the workplace to a different municipality as an example. Moving between districts of Prague differs from moving from Prague to Mladá Boleslav.

What the employer handles

Since 1 April 2026, employers report foreign employees through JMHZ using employee registration, REGZEC. The new employer must report the start before work begins. This does not replace your notification to the Ministry or the written confirmation required before starting.

Tell your new employer which health insurer covers you. The employer generally reports employment-related registration and deregistration within 8 days. If you discover that it has failed to report, you must notify the insurer yourself. During a gap between jobs, ask your insurer who pays your premiums and whether public insurance coverage continues.

Plan your departure before agreeing a start date

An ordinary resignation must be in writing. The notice period is generally at least two months. Under the statutory rule effective since 1 June 2025, it starts on the date the notice is delivered. An individual written agreement can alter its timing or length, so check your contract.

Compare gross pay, shifts, supplements, deductions, transport and accommodation. If your current employer provides housing, establish when you must leave it. Keep copies of contracts, termination documents and proof that the Ministry received your notification.

Find your next job

Browse vacancies on JobsCentr.eu. Tell the prospective employer about your residence status and work authorisation before agreeing a start date. A suitable vacancy still needs to match the legal conditions under which you can work.