Czech RepublicBusiness and self-employment
Czech Republic self-employed and business residence visa
Long-term visa for the purpose of business (podnikání)
In short
Foreigners who run a trade in Czechia, work as self-employed persons or act as statutory body members of a Czech company apply for a long-term visa for business. You prove the purpose with a trade licence extract or a company register extract and must show at least CZK 156,500; the number of applications at each Czech mission is limited by quota.
Apply on Ministry of the Interior – application status (frs.gov.cz) checked 23 October 2026
Key facts
- Maximum stay
- Up to one year; extendable or convertible into a long-term residence permit for business in Czechia.
- Fee
- CZK 5,000Czech MFA rate for a long-term visa for entrepreneurship; the same table sets reduced or free rates for some nationalities, so the mission confirms the amount due.
- Funds required
- CZK 156,500Minimum funds for business applicants (50 × CZK 3,130), shown by bank statement with a card in your name.
- Processing time
- 90 days, up to 120 in cases needing more examination.
- Work
- Self-employment under the trade licence, or activity as a company officer.
- Family
- Family members may apply for family visas or reunification permits under the general rules.
- Path to permanent residence
- Time on the visa and the follow-up permit counts towards five years of continuous residence.
- 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.
Who it is for
The visa covers third-country nationals who do business in Czechia, are self-employed under a trade licence (živnostenský list), or are statutory bodies or members of a statutory body of a company. Ordinary employees of a company, even its shareholders, need an employee card if they work under an employment contract.
Document rules
Supporting documents must be in Czech or officially translated, foreign public documents need an apostille, and papers may not be older than 180 days, except passports, civil status records and diplomas. The passport and the purpose document, for example a trade licence extract or a birth or marriage certificate, are shown in original.
Required documents
Travel
- Valid passport (original), application form and two photos
Money
- Proof of at least CZK 156,500, for example bank statement with an international card
Work
- Trade licence extract (živnostenský list) or commercial register extract (výpis z obchodního rejstříku), original
Insurance
- Travel medical insurance in Czech translation, shown when collecting the visa
Other
- Proof of accommodation in Czechia
- Criminal record extract from your country of citizenship (and, where required, from other countries where you recently lived), with apostille and Czech translation
Funds of CZK 156,500
Business applicants must show at least 50 times the existential minimum of CZK 3,130, that is CZK 156,500, which is higher than for other long-term visas. A bank statement proving the money can be used in Czechia, together with an internationally accepted card in your name, is the usual proof.
Quotas and registration
Government Regulation No. 220/2019 Coll. caps business visa applications at each Czech mission, with separate places within and outside the government programmes. Applicants register for an appointment with business as the purpose, attaching the trade or commercial register extract, as the mission’s website explains.
- Obtain a Czech trade licence or register the company and your function in the commercial register.
- Register for an appointment with the Czech mission responsible for your place of residence, choosing business as the purpose.
- Prepare the long-stay visa form (purpose: business) and Czech-language documents.
- Lodge the application in person and give fingerprints.
- After approval, collect the visa with insurance and report your address within three working days of arrival.
Extension and next permit
The long-term visa is issued for up to one year. Before it expires you can ask the Ministry of the Interior office in Czechia for an extension of up to one year or apply for a long-term residence permit for business. Keep the business active and your tax and insurance obligations met, since the purpose is checked at renewal.
Refusal and appeal
Appeals against refused long-term visas or residence permits are sent directly to the Ministry of the Interior, Department for Asylum and Migration Policy, within the deadline in the decision, not through the consulate.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to open the Czech company before applying?
Yes, the purpose is proven by an existing trade licence or commercial register entry naming you, so these must be in place when you apply.
How much money must a business applicant show?
At least CZK 156,500, which is 50 times the existential minimum.
Is this visa suitable for freelancers working online for foreign clients?
It is the general route for self-employment under a Czech trade licence. The special digital nomad programme that speeds up this route is open only to citizens of 13 listed countries.
Official sources
- Czech MFA – Long-term visa for entrepreneurship
- Czech MFA – Proof of funds
- Czech MFA – Visa fee schedule
- Embassy in Ankara – Economic migration programmes and quotas
- Embassy in Ankara – Registration for long-term visas and residence permits
- Consulate General in Istanbul – Long-term visas and permits appointments
- Ministry of Industry and Trade – Economic migration and government programmes
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
- Tourist visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
- Family and friends visit visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
- Airport transit visa Maximum stay: Only the time needed in the international transit area; no entry into Czechia.
- Medical treatment visa Maximum stay: Schengen visa: 90 days in 180; long-term visa: up to one year.
- Culture, sports and events visa Maximum stay: Schengen visa: 90 days in 180; long-term visa for culture or sport: up to one year.
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
- Investor visa Maximum stay: Issued for up to two years; renewable in Czechia.
Study and training
- Student visa Maximum stay: For the length of studies; renewed in Czechia before expiry.
- Language course visa Maximum stay: Up to one year; can be extended in Czechia for up to another year.
- Researcher visa Maximum stay: For the duration of the research project; renewable in Czechia.
- Internship and trainee visa Maximum stay: Training visa: up to six months.
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.
- Seasonal work visa Maximum stay: Long-term seasonal visa: at most nine months in total, extensions included.
- 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
- Fast-track and priority visa services Validity: Programme inclusion is generally valid for one year.
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.