In a late-night vote on 14 September 2026 the Czech Chamber of Deputies overwhelmingly endorsed a brand-new Foreigner’s Residence Act that will replace the patch-work amendments of the last 25 years. The bill, drafted by the Ministry of the Interior, introduces a fully digital case-management system for every stage of the immigration life-cycle – from visa applications and residence permits to changes of address and revocation procedures. Foreign nationals (including EU citizens staying longer than 90 days) will receive a secure online account through which they file applications, upload supporting documents and receive electronic decisions. For employers and universities the most immediate change is the creation of a “guarantor” interface that links their data directly to the ministry’s back-office. Sponsors who invite third-country nationals will be able to track the progress of cases in real time but will also face higher liability if paperwork is incomplete or the employee absconds. The government argues that end-to-end digital records will cut processing times, reduce in-person queues at immigration offices and give law-enforcement agencies faster access to status information when security checks are run at airports or road borders. The Act also makes registration compulsory for EU/EEA citizens who remain in Czechia longer than three months – a move that municipal authorities and tax offices have demanded for years so that they can receive the correct per-capita subsidies and collect local fees. Although registration will not become enforceable until 2030, the Interior Ministry expects more than 200,000 EU nationals currently residing under the radar to sign up once the online portal is live. From a compliance perspective, companies will have to re-tool their HR onboarding processes well before the planned go-live on 1 January 2029. Bulk API connections to the new immigration platform are promised, but technical specifications will not be released until mid-2027. Mobility managers should budget for additional data-protection steps because each foreign worker’s immigration account is classified as “sensitive personal data” under Czech law. Practical training for HR staff—especially those in manufacturing hubs outside Prague—will be essential to avoid costly errors when uploading contracts, payslips or accommodation proofs. Finally, the legislation tightens the rules for cancelling residence of persons convicted of serious crimes and introduces fast-track deportation for repeat offenders. While human-rights NGOs have criticised these provisions, business chambers broadly welcome the fact that clear digital workflows should bring more predictability to corporate immigration planning over the next decade.
Source: Advokátní deník
