Blue card (BC) (Modrá karta)

What

The Blue Card is a form of long-term residence permit for the purpose of employment in a position requiring a high level of skills. The Blue Card authorises the migrant to stay and work in the Czech Republic, i.e. the migrant does not need a separate work permit. Duly completed university education or higher vocational education, the duration of which was at least 3 years, is deemed to be a high level of skills.

Who

The migrant may file an application for a Blue Card if he intends to stay in the Czech Republic for a period longer than 3 months and if you are to be employed at a position requiring a high level of skills, which at the same time, may be open to non-EU foreign nationals according to the Czech Employment Act (Zákoník práce).

However, the applicant for a Blue Card must not at the same time be:

• In the process of an application for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of scientific research,
• An EU citizen’s family member, if the EU citizen resides in the Czech Republic,
• A resident of another EU member state and you currently have a Czech long-term residence permit for the purpose of employment or business,
• A third country citizen residing in the Czech Republic on the basis of a binding international agreement facilitating the entry and temporary residence of some categories of natural persons in connection with doing business and investments,
• A third country citizen residing in the Czech Republic on the basis of a residence permit for seasonal workers,
• A third country citizen who is employed by an employer in another EU member state and is dispatched to work in the Czech Republic within the framework of providing international services,
• A seeker of international protection through asylum or a person who has been granted the status of refugee or subsidiary protection,
• An applicant for a residence permit for the purpose of temporary protection in the Czech Republic, or a third country citizen who has already been granted such a permit.

How

The migrant may file the application for a Blue Card at a diplomatic mission of the Czech Republic. Within the territory of the Czech Republic, the migrant may file an application at the Asylum and Migration Policy Division (Služba cizinecké Policie) of the Czech Ministry of the Interior (Ministerstvo vnitra) if he is already a holder of a visa for a stay of more than 90 days or a long-term residence permit, or he is a holder of a Blue Card issued by another EU Member State and files the application within 1 month of entry into the territory of the Czech Republic.

The application is filed in person.

The application is filed on a completed form, to which all the necessary requirements stated below must be attached. It is always necessary to submit originals, or officially authenticated copies of documents. All submitted documents must be in the Czech language, or officially translated to the Czech language. Documents issued by foreign countries must additionally bear higher authentication (Apostille, superlegalization).

The application must be accompanied by the following requirements:

• Travel document (the original travel document must be presented),
• 2 photographs,
• Document proving availability of accommodation,
• Employment agreement for performance of work that requires a high level of skills for a period of at least one year for the statutory weekly working hours, which further contains the agreed gross monthly or annual wage corresponding to at least 1.5 multiple of the average gross annual wage published in a notice of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí),
• Documents proving high level of qualifications (document proving attained education) – in substantiated cases, particularly in case of reasonable doubt as to whether the migrant has the required education or whether this education corresponds to the character of the employment, the administrative body shall request submission of a document proving that the foreign education of the migrant was recognised by the competent authority of the Czech Republic,
• If regulated employment is concerned, a document proving fulfilment of the conditions for performance of such employment (note: the Ministry of Interior  (Ministerstvo vnitra) shall decide on issue of a Blue Card after receiving the opinion of the competent recognising authority),
• If a migrant prior to applying for a Blue Card in the territory of the Czech Republic resided as a Blue Card holder in another Member State of the European Union, he is obliged to submit a document proving the total monthly income of the family (in case of family union),
• Before issue of the visa for a period of more than 90 days for the purpose of receipt of a long-term residence permit – Blue Card, the migrant is obliged to present the document of travel health insurance for the period of his stay from entry into the territory of the Czech Republic till he shall be eligible for public health insurance and shall at the same time upon request present a document proving payment of the travel health insurance premium. When filing an application on the territory of the Czech Republic, the migrant is obliged to submit these requirements together with the application.

To the application for a Blue Card, the migrant upon request must also submit:

• A document similar to the Extract from the Crimes Register (Rejstřík trestů)
• A document proving fulfilment of the requirements of measures against introduction and spread of infectious diseases

Submission of such additional documents to the application may be done by the migrant in person, through his authorised representative or by post. The documents that the migrants has been requested to provide must be provided always within the given periods. Failure to provide the requirements is a reason for rejection of the application. During the proceedings, the migrant may naturally also submit other documents, which he considers as important for assessment of the application. Travel documents must always be submitted personally.

When

The migrant shall fulfil the above-stated conditions at any time, but enough time (6-12 months) before arriving to Czech Republic.  Essentials attached to the application must not be older than 180 days, with the exception of a travel document and the photograph of the third country citizen, if it matches his true semblance.

Good to know

The central records of job vacancies available to employee card holders are available at the website (Czech, English, Spanish, French and Russian) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí) http://portal.mpsv.cz/sz/zahr_zam/modka

The Act on residence of foreigners stipulates a period of 90 days of submission of the application in the territory of the Czech Republic, during which the Ministry of the Interior (Ministerstvo vnitra) is obliged to pass a decision on the application. If the proceedings are interrupted, the period for issue of decision stops running. This period does not run, or is extended also in other cases stipulated by law.

During the proceedings, the migrant has a possibility to make request to view the record and get acquainted with it. The Ministry may also call upon the migrant to get acquainted with the record before issue of a decision.

In case of approval of an application, which was filed in the territory of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Interior (Ministerstvo vnitra) shall contact the migrant by telephone and make an appointment with him for issue of the long-term residence permit – Blue Card. If contact by telephone is not possible, the migrant shall be invited in writing, at the contact address he stated in the application. In case of an application filed at a diplomatic mission, the diplomatic mission shall invite the migrant to visit the office to collect the visa for a stay of more than 90 days for the purpose of receipt of a long-term residence permit – Blue Card.

The Ministry of Interior (Ministerstvo vnitra) of the Czech Republic after assessment of the application for a Blue Card shall notify the employer in writing that the migrant has fulfilled the conditions for issue of a Blue Card.

The validity of the Blue Card is 3 months longer than the term of the employment agreement, but at maximum 2 years. The Blue Card can be extended.

A Residence Permit – Blue Card is issued in the form of a residence permit that contains biometric data. Before issue of the residence permit – Blue Card, the migrant shall be issued with confirmation of fulfilment of the conditions for issue of a Blue Card. This confirmation allows the migrant to stay and work in the territory before the residence permit – Blue Card with biometric data is issued to him.

Where

The relevant embassy of the CR / Internet: (Czech, English, French, Spanish and Russian): https://portal.mpsv.cz/sz/zahr_zam/modka/form

and (Czech, English and Russian): http://www.mvcr.cz/clanek/sluzby-pro-verejnost-informace-pro-cizince-kontakty.aspx according to the migrant’s place of residence in the Czech Republic

Praha 3, Czech Republic

Praha 1 – Hradčany, Czech Republic