Ukrainians living in Czechia under EU Temporary Protection woke up to a major status upgrade this morning (15 December 2025). As of 08:00, migration offices across the country began issuing a new “special long-term residence” card valid for five years—replacing the single-year stickers that refugees have had to renew every spring since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The change, set out in a 26 November ministerial notice, is designed to unclog appointment backlogs and give both refugees and employers more certainty. To qualify, applicants must show untaxed annual income of at least CZK 440,000 (≈ €18,000) plus CZK 110,000 per dependent, proof of housing for the full period and a recent apostilled police-clearance certificate. Children may be included on a parent’s application; biometric capture is required for all applicants over 6.
![Five-Year Biometric Residence Card for Ukrainians Takes Effect, Replacing Annual Renewals]()
For corporate HR teams, the five-year card eliminates the “permit cliff” that forced them to track hundreds of expiry dates and schedule mass renewals each March. Manufacturing giants in Ostrava and Plzeň, which rely heavily on Ukrainian welders and CNC technicians, predict savings in compliance hours and reduced production risk.
Implementation, however, is not friction-free. The Interior Ministry expects up to 300,000 applicants but currently has capacity to process only 1,800 biometrics appointments per day. To avoid queues spilling onto city streets in winter, 20 pop-up enrolment booths are being deployed in shopping centres and municipal halls, with Saturday hours through March 2026.
Ukrainian community groups say the tougher income threshold could leave some single-parent families in limbo. The ministry counters that the requirement mirrors Czech median earnings and encourages labour-market integration. Employers that top up salaries to meet the threshold should confirm that additional payments are fully taxed; tax-free per diems do not count toward the income test.
The change, set out in a 26 November ministerial notice, is designed to unclog appointment backlogs and give both refugees and employers more certainty. To qualify, applicants must show untaxed annual income of at least CZK 440,000 (≈ €18,000) plus CZK 110,000 per dependent, proof of housing for the full period and a recent apostilled police-clearance certificate. Children may be included on a parent’s application; biometric capture is required for all applicants over 6.
For corporate HR teams, the five-year card eliminates the “permit cliff” that forced them to track hundreds of expiry dates and schedule mass renewals each March. Manufacturing giants in Ostrava and Plzeň, which rely heavily on Ukrainian welders and CNC technicians, predict savings in compliance hours and reduced production risk.
Implementation, however, is not friction-free. The Interior Ministry expects up to 300,000 applicants but currently has capacity to process only 1,800 biometrics appointments per day. To avoid queues spilling onto city streets in winter, 20 pop-up enrolment booths are being deployed in shopping centres and municipal halls, with Saturday hours through March 2026.
Ukrainian community groups say the tougher income threshold could leave some single-parent families in limbo. The ministry counters that the requirement mirrors Czech median earnings and encourages labour-market integration. Employers that top up salaries to meet the threshold should confirm that additional payments are fully taxed; tax-free per diems do not count toward the income test.
Source: VisaHQ Global Mobility News
