In an evening vote on 22 October 2026 the Czech Senate approved the long-awaited Foreign Nationals Residence Act, the first complete rewrite of the country’s immigration framework since 1999. The bill, now awaiting President Pavel’s signature, will overhaul every stage of the residence-permit life-cycle—from application to revocation—through a single e-migration platform run by the Ministry of the Interior. According to Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar, the current paper-based process generates more than 630,000 individual administrative steps each year and is one of the most common sources of complaints from foreign investors and multinational HR teams. Under the new law, third-country nationals will file, pay for and track long-term visa, employee-card and permanent-residence applications entirely online. Biometric capture and an in-person interview will still be required, but appointment slots will be booked through the same portal. The legislation introduces mandatory registration for EU citizens staying in Czechia for more than 90 days—previously a voluntary step—giving municipalities access to real-time population data needed for local taxes and healthcare reimbursements. Digital accounts for foreigners will go live on 1 January 2029, followed by the roll-out of secure e-delivery boxes for all immigration correspondence a year later. The ministry says that switching to digital files will cut average processing times for employee cards from today’s 90 days to “a maximum of 45 days,” bringing Czechia closer to the EU’s Single Permit Directive targets. A new risk-scoring engine will also flag sham relationships and repeat overstayers, allowing authorities to cancel residence permits more quickly. For employers the biggest change is a stricter liability regime. Companies, universities and sports clubs acting as “inviters” will have to cover any overstay-related costs and could face fines if their sponsored foreigner disappears. HR departments will therefore need to tighten onboarding and exit procedures and keep digital copies of every step taken to remain compliant. The Confederation of Industry welcomed the efficiency gains but warned that fines of up to CZK 1 million could deter smaller firms from hiring outside the EU. Once enacted the measure is expected to boost talent mobility in high-tech and manufacturing hubs such as Brno, Ostrava and Plzeň. Consulting firms already advise clients to prepare bulk online filings in Q1 2029 and to nominate power-of-attorney representatives early, as initial demand for digital accounts is likely to overwhelm the system during its first months of operation.
Source: Advokátní deník
