In this chapter, you will learn under what conditions you as a foreigner can do business in the Czech Republic. We will explain how things work for you if you are just planning to come to the CR or if you have been residing here for some time. What matters is also what country you come from – whether it is an EU member state or not.

• Are you planning to go to the Czech Republic and would you like to do business here?
• Have you been residing in the CR with a different purpose of stay and would you like to start doing business?

Are you planning to go to the Czech Republic and would you like to do business here?

Citizens of EU, EEA and Switzerland

Citizens of a member state of the European Union or another contracting state of the Agreement on the European Economic Area and citizens of the Swiss Confederation may do business in the Czech Republic under the same conditions as Czech citizens.

Third-country nationals (non-EU)

If you are from a non-EU country, you can apply for a long-term visa for the purpose of business at the embassy of your country. You will have to prove that you have the means necessary for a long-term visa stay. If you meet the conditions, you can basically do business in the CR under the same conditions as Czech citizens.

Have you been residing in the CR with a different purpose of stay and would you like to start doing business?

If you have permanent residence in the CR, you can do business under the same conditions as Czech citizens.

If you are a foreigner from a third country (outside the EU), you have been residing in the CR and want to obtain a long-term residence permit for the purpose of business, it is possible only after five years of residence in the CR. If your purpose of stay is family reunification, you may apply for the purpose of business after three years.

However, you can do business while maintaining another purpose of stay/visa, be it studies, employment, or family reunification. Business can be a source of extra money for you, but you must keep fulfilling the actual purpose of your stay approved by the Ministry of the Interior of the CR (e.g., continue in your studies, employment, or family reunification).

Let’s explain this using model situations:

I am a foreigner studying in the CR and I would like to earn some extra money by doing business.

Yes, it is possible. Foreigners in the CR can earn money as self-employed persons while studying. Common sources of extra income are translation, interpreting, or guiding in Prague in foreign languages but there are also many more activities you can do based on your skills and abilities. If you continue in your studies, you can also do business or work as an employee. However, you must maintain the purpose of your stay, which is studies, by fulfilling your obligations as a student.

I have a visa/residence permit with the purpose of family reunification with my husband and I would like to do business.

Yes, it is possible to do business in this case, too. You can also get employed, as long as you maintain the purpose of your stay (family reunification). If you meet the conditions for carrying out the trade licence activity of your choice, you may apply for a trade licence. You may want to upgrade your professional qualification or retrain for a new profession in the CR, too.

There are two ways of doing business in the CR: as a natural person or as a legal entity. More detailed information can be found in the individual chapters.

• Entrepreneurship of natural persons – self-employed (esp. trade license business and liberal professions)
• Entrepreneurship of legal entities (establishing a business corporations)

Updated for socio-legal content as of 8^th November 2021.