On 30 July 2026 the Czech Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecká sněmovna) updated the status of Government Bill No. 144 – the proposed Act on the Entry and Residence of Foreign Nationals – marking the last procedural step before the bill’s third-reading vote. According to the parliamentary website, the bill has completed committee scrutiny, all amendments have been consolidated in Print 144/2, and the item is now placed on the agenda of the current (27th) plenary sitting for final passage. The draft legislation is the first comprehensive overhaul of Czech immigration law since the 1999 Foreigners Act. It bundles EU-driven reforms—such as the 2024 recast of the Schengen Borders Code, new biometrics standards and the forthcoming Entry/Exit System (EES)—with national priorities, above all full digitalisation of immigration case-management. A new secure online portal will become the only channel for most applications and notifications, while the Ministry of the Interior will gain authority to serve electronic decisions. Employers, universities and research institutes will be able to act as “guarantors,” uploading verified documents directly to the portal to speed up processing and curb document fraud. For business immigration the bill promises shorter deadlines and clearer service-level agreements. Standard processing of employee-card applications would fall from 60 to 45 days, and highly-qualified applicants using the government’s “Key & Scientific Personnel” or “Qualified Employee” programmes could see decisions in as little as 20 days. The bill also removes the controversial obligation for long-term residents to exchange biometric cards every five years, synchronising card validity with work-permit duration and cutting red tape for multinationals relocating staff to Czechia. Another headline change is mandatory registration of EU citizens staying in the country for more than 90 days. While EU nationals have enjoyed de-facto visa-free settlement until now, the Interior Ministry argues that a light-touch registration will provide municipalities with accurate data on health-care and schooling needs without restricting free movement. Municipalities will gain real-time access to anonymised statistics, helping them plan for English-language classes and other integration services. If the Chamber approves the bill in third reading, it will move to the Senate in early September. The government has requested split effectiveness: the digital portal would go live on 1 July 2027, while simpler provisions—such as longer office hours at embassies—would take effect on 1 January 2027. Companies that regularly post staff to Czechia are therefore advised to start mapping internal HR systems against the new electronic workflows and to budget for additional power-of-attorney requirements linked to the guarantor model. Immigration advisers expect transitory guidelines this autumn; however, with parliamentary elections slated for 2027, observers note that a swift passage now is critical to avoid a legislative vacuum next year.
