Key Prague immigration office reopens after four-day closure—expect backlog in residence processing

The Ministry of the Interior’s Prague I – Žukovského branch—one of the busiest immigration offices for foreign residents in the capital—was “exceptionally closed from 5 to 8 October 2026 due to technical reasons,” according to a notice on the official Information Portal for Foreigners. The office resumed normal operations this afternoon, but officials warned that pre-booked appointments during the closure would have to be re-scheduled. Žukovského handles biometric enrolment, residence-permit pickups and urgent visa matters for clients from Prague 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9. During the shutdown, applicants were redirected—often at short notice—to the newer Kolbenova facility in Vysočany, causing hour-long queues and confusion over local competence. Several relocation providers report that couriers attempting to collect employee cards were turned away, potentially delaying start dates for new assignees. Although the office is now open, case officers estimate a backlog of roughly 1,200 appointments, primarily for employee-card renewals and EU family residence registrations. Priority will be given to applicants with impending legal-stay deadlines. The ministry advises employers to check the online reservation system daily for newly released slots and to submit time-critical filings by post or data mailbox. Global-mobility teams should audit pending applications to verify which office now holds the physical files. Where deadlines cannot be met, it is prudent to send a written request for an extension citing “objective obstacles” (Section 169 of the Foreigners Act). Companies planning large autumn intakes of third-country staff may wish to stagger arrivals or consider regional offices with lighter caseloads, such as Mladá Boleslav or Příbram, to mitigate future disruptions. The incident underscores the fragility of front-office capacity just months before the 2027 electronic appointment platform is due to go live. Stakeholders continue to lobby the Interior Ministry to pilot extended opening hours and English-language call-centre support to prevent a repeat during the year-end peak.