In the early hours of 22 October 2026, the Czech Senate overwhelmingly approved the long-awaited Act on the Entry and Residence of Foreign Nationals. Forty-four senators voted in favour, none opposed and one abstained, sending the bill to President Petr Pavel for signature. The draft, prepared by the Ministry of the Interior, will replace the patchwork of amendments that have governed immigration since 1999 and is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2029. The centrepiece of the reform is full digitalisation of residence administration. All applications for visas, residence permits and renewals will move to a unified online portal that links police, labour-market and social-security databases. According to Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar, applicants will be able to track every procedural step online, and officers will retrieve most supporting documents automatically, cutting average processing times from today’s 90 days to an estimated 45 days. The law also tightens public-security levers. Authorities will gain broader powers to revoke residence if a foreigner is convicted of an intentional crime punishable by at least three years, or if intelligence services flag a security risk. While the bill does not touch asylum or temporary protection, EU citizens who stay longer than 90 days will for the first time have to register electronically—an obligation the ministry says is vital for accurate population data and emergency planning. For employers and relocation providers, the biggest practical impact will be the shift to paper-less communication. Powers of attorney, labour contracts and proof of accommodation will have to be uploaded with qualified electronic signatures. HR departments should therefore audit their document workflows and train staff well before the first pilot phase, expected in late 2027. Consultancy groups welcome the move, noting that fully digital files will make it easier to pre-screen applications for common errors that now trigger time-consuming requests for clarification. Political consensus around the bill—rare in the current parliament—signals that immigration control, rather than liberalisation, remains a cross-party priority. Business associations have accepted the stricter compliance rules in exchange for faster processing, but warn that implementation must be adequately funded and that transitional guidance must be published at least six months before launch.
Source: Domácí Politika
