Comprehensive Alien Entry and Stay Bill enters Czech parliament’s first reading

Parliamentary records published late on 12 July confirm that the government’s long-gestating ‘Law on the Entry and Stay of Foreigners’ has finally been assigned a document number (Snĕmovní tisk 782/0) and scheduled for first reading in the Chamber of Deputies. The bill consolidates disparate visa, residence-permit and reporting rules into a single code aligned with the EU Migration Pact. Key changes include a 30-day statutory deadline for issuing employee cards to highly qualified staff, digital submission of supporting documents via a new MOI portal and stiffer penalties for unregistered accommodation of foreign nationals.



For companies and individuals grappling with these upcoming requirements, VisaHQ can provide end-to-end assistance—from preparing employee-card applications to arranging Blue Card mobility—through its dedicated Czech platform. The service already offers secure document uploads and real-time status tracking, positioning clients to transition smoothly once the Interior Ministry’s own digital portal is launched.

The text also introduces a “mobility chapter” allowing Blue-Card holders from other EU states to work in Czechia for up to 90 days while a local permit is processed—a feature applauded by HR directors at multinational manufacturers. During the upcoming first reading, deputies are expected to focus on labour-market safeguards and the controversial proposal to link residence-permit renewals to Czech-language testing at A2 level. The Confederation of Industry supports the language clause but wants more test centres outside Prague. If the timeline holds, the Interior Ministry expects the law to clear both chambers by April 2027 and take effect six months later, giving businesses roughly a year to adapt compliance workflows. Immigration advisers recommend mapping current foreign-worker populations against the draft transitional provisions to avoid surprises.