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Czech Republic seasonal work visa

Long-term visa for seasonal employment

In short

Season-dependent work in agriculture, forestry, accommodation, catering or sport and recreation is done on a Schengen seasonal visa for up to three months or a long-term seasonal visa for longer periods, up to nine months in total. Both require a work permit from the Czech Labour Office, and Czech missions accept seasonal applications within quotas, often through short registration windows.

Apply on Ministry of the Interior – application status (frs.gov.cz) checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Long-term seasonal visa: at most nine months in total, extensions included.
Fee
Long-term visas are charged at the standard rate of CZK 2,500 in the Czech MFA fee table, with reduced or free rates for some nationalities; an extension in Czechia costs CZK 1,000.
Processing time
60 days.
Work
Only the seasonal job covered by the Labour Office permit.
Where to apply
In person at the Czech embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence, after registering for an appointment as that mission instructs.

Seasonal sectors

Decree No. 322/2017 Coll. lists the season-dependent sectors: crop and animal production, game management and related activities; forestry; accommodation services; restaurants, catering and hospitality; and sports, entertainment and recreation. The employer applies for, or you hold, an employment permit for seasonal work issued by the Labour Office under section 96 of the Employment Act; a fixed-term contract or letter of intent is part of that permit file.

Accommodation rules

If the employer provides housing, the accommodation document must show that it meets the legal standards on floor area and number of residents, and state the rent or that it is free; the rent may not be out of proportion to earnings and standard. In that case the employer also confirms your earnings as proof of funds. All documents must be in Czech or officially translated.

Required documents

Identity

  • Long-stay visa form (purpose: Other – seasonal employment) and two photos

Travel

  • Valid passport (original)

Work

  • Labour Office employment permit for seasonal work, or the case number and branch of the pending permit application

Insurance

  • Travel medical insurance in Czech translation, shown when collecting the visa

Other

  • Proof of accommodation meeting the legal standards, with rent stated
  • Criminal record extract from your country of citizenship (and, where required, from other countries where you recently lived), with apostille and Czech translation

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Money

  • Employer’s confirmation of earnings when the employer provides housing

Quotas and registration windows

Seasonal visa applications count against the quotas of Government Regulation No. 220/2019 Coll. Missions open short registration windows with a small number of places and announce the dates and the required attachments, such as the passport page and the Labour Office permit or its case number, on their websites; one applicant per registration.

  1. Agree a seasonal job with a Czech employer, who arranges the Labour Office employment permit.
  2. Watch the mission’s seasonal registration announcement and send one e-mail with the required PDFs during the window.
  3. If selected, lodge the application in person with Czech-language documents and fingerprints.
  4. Wait up to 60 days for the decision; then collect the visa with insurance.
  5. Register your address within three working days of arrival in Czechia.

Forms

After arrival

Report your address to the Foreign Police within three working days, keep insurance valid for the whole stay and work only for the employer and in the job named in the permit.

Short seasonal visas and extensions

Seasonal work of up to three months uses the Schengen visa for seasonal employment, lodged with the same Labour Office permit. A long-term seasonal visa issued for less than nine months can be extended in Czechia up to the nine-month total, at the earliest 90 days and at the latest on the last day before expiry, for CZK 1,000. Longer work requires a new application at a mission.

Frequently asked questions

How many seasonal visas do Czech missions accept?

Places are limited by each mission’s quota and are announced for each registration window; where demand exceeds the places, they can be assigned at random among valid registrations.

Can I change to an employee card after seasonal work?

A seasonal visa is tied to season-dependent work. A regular job needs an employee card applied for under its own conditions and quotas.

What is the longest I can do seasonal work on one visa?

Nine months in total including extensions; beyond that a new application at a mission is needed.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Czech Republic

Visits and short stays

Business and self-employment

  • Business visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
  • Self-employed and freelancer visa Maximum stay: Up to one year; extendable or convertible into a long-term residence permit for business in Czechia.
  • Investor visa Maximum stay: Issued for up to two years; renewable in Czechia.

Study and training

Work

  • Job seeker visa Maximum stay: Up to nine months, no extension.
  • Work visa Maximum stay: For the length of the contract, at most two years per card; renewable in Czechia.
  • Skilled worker visa Maximum stay: Depends on the permit obtained (employee card up to two years, Blue Card up to three).
  • EU Blue Card Maximum stay: Contract length plus three months, at most three years; renewable.
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: Duration of the transfer: at most three years for managers and specialists, one year for trainees.
  • Digital nomad visa Maximum stay: Long-term visa for up to one year, then a long-term residence permit for the same purpose in Czechia.

Family

  • Family reunification visa Maximum stay: Same validity as the sponsor’s permit, at least one year; two years if the sponsor holds permanent residence.
  • Spouse and partner visa Maximum stay: Residence card for the expected length of the EU citizen’s stay, at most five years.

Residence

  • Permanent residence Maximum stay: Permanent; the residence card itself is renewed periodically.

Faster processing

Protection

  • Asylum and international protection Processing time: Time limits follow the amended Asylum Act and the EU Asylum Procedure Regulation applicable since 12 June 2026; manifestly unfounded claims go through an accelerated procedure.

Czech Republic visa guide