The Czech Republic has just introduced a digital nomad visa aimed at highly skilled remote workers.
ADVERTISEMENTThe new visa, which launched in July 2023, allows freelancers and remote employees to work from the country for one year.
It is hoping to attract skilled IT professionals and is available to nationals of eight countries: Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK and the USA.
Here’s how it works and who can apply.
What is the Czech Republic’s digital nomad visa?
The Czech Republic’s new digital nomad visa offers an accelerated route to a long-term stay.
It hopes to address the country’s lack of highly qualified IT professionals and boost the economy.
Applicants can either be employed by a foreign company that allows them to work remotely or they can be self-employed as a freelancer.
Freelancers must apply for a Czech business licence that allows them to provide services to companies in the Czech Republic on a contract basis.
The visa costs CZK 2,500 (€104) and initially lasts for one year. After this you must apply for a residence permit granting a further two years and complete an adaptation-integration course. Visa applications are processed within 45 days.
If you stay in the country for more than 183 days in a one-year period, you will be considered a Czech tax resident. If you are also a tax resident in your home country, the amount you pay will depend on your country’s double taxation rules.
Before the digital nomad visa launched, the one-year ‘zivno’ business visa was the best route for self-employed foreigners in the Czech Republic. However, it requires applicants to obtain a trade licence and have 124,500 CZK (€5,160) in their bank account.
Who can apply for the Czech Republic’s digital nomad visa?
The Czech Republic’s new digital nomad visa is available to eight nationalities: Australian, Canadian, Japanese, New Zealander, South Korean, Taiwanese, British and American.
ADVERTISEMENTApplicants must have a university degree or higher in science, technology, engineering or maths or three years of work experience in the IT industry.
Remote workers employed by a foreign company must meet the minimum income requirement of CZK 60,530 (€2,507) per month. This is 1.5 times the gross average salary in the Czech Republic. Their company must also have at least 50 employees.
Spouses, registered partners, and minor and dependent children of any nationality can get a residence permit too when applying with a qualifying digital nomad visa applicant.
Is the Czech Republic a good place to be a digital nomad?
The Czech Republic frequently makes top 10 lists of the best places to be a digital nomad. Last year, it came ninth on travel search engine KAYAK’s Work from Wherever Index.
This was primarily because of its affordable living costs, with long-term apartment rental just €389 per month on average and the cost of a one-way train ticket under €1.
ADVERTISEMENTAlthough the capital, Prague is more expensive, it still offers a high standard of living at an affordable cost. Cheap beer, great nightlife and an abundance of museums, galleries and parks are other perks of living in the city.
When you want to escape into nature, the striking rock formations of The Bohemian Switzerland National Park are less than a two-hour drive away.
Prague is also well connected with the rest of the country and Europe by train - including a night train to Zurich via Frankfurt and Basel.