Stricter rules for foreigners working in Czechia take effect from today

As of Oct. 1, 2025, foreign workers in Czechia face tighter regulations when starting a job under a standard work contract. Even EU citizens must now wait until their employer has completed all required paperwork before beginning work. 

Failure to comply, even unintentionally, can put employees at risk of being considered illegally employed and subject to penalties.

“Authorities are increasingly focused on preventing illegal employment and circumvention of legal obligations,” says Lenka Gomez Tomcalova, legal associate at tax advisory firm KPMG.

Tomcalova describes the new law as another step in a series of measures aimed at improving compliance and enhancing oversight.

Previously, many employers allowed foreign employees to start work before filing the necessary documentation. The amendment to the Employment Act now explicitly prohibits this practice, creating a new offence of “undeclared work” that applies across all employers, from small family businesses to large corporations.

Foreign employees can only begin work once all documentation is officially registered with the Labor Office. Any delay by the employer could be treated as undeclared work, making the employee liable, even if the oversight is not their fault.

Companies must ensure that all reporting and documentation are completed before a foreign worker’s first day. This may require updating hiring procedures, training HR staff, and implementing compliance checks. Non-compliance can result in fines up to CZK 3 million, bans on hiring foreigners, and restrictions on posting vacancies through the Labor Office.

There is a limited grace period: “If a company reports a foreigner within five days and no inspection is carried out in the meantime, the failure to comply...will be considered undeclared work, but will not be punished,” Ivan Dzido, executive manager of the Association of Personnel Service Providers, told Seznam Zprávy.

Employers must also cancel the registration if the employee does not start work within 10 days.

Legal expert Ondřej Preuss of Prague-based firm Dostupný advokát adds, “Even one forgotten document can trigger a cascade of problems that should not be underestimated.”

What makes this change particularly significant is the wide range of people it affects. The new regulation applies to all of the following individuals seeking employment in Czechia: