Labor Law
EU citizens, including their family members, have free access to the Czech labor market and do not need a work permit.
However, the employer is required to:
- report an employee’s start of employment to the Czech Republic’s Labor Office no later than the day the employee begins work, and no earlier than 8 days before the start of employment,
- report the termination of employment or changes in an employee’s employment status within eight days at the latest,
- and maintain a register of employees from the European Union.
Since April 1, 2026, the reporting of foreign employees has been conducted exclusively electronically via the JMHZ (Unified Monthly Employer Report).
There are three options for electronic submission:
- via the Data Box Information System to the ČSSZ Data Box,
- via the ČSSZ ePortal, or
- via the ČSSZ data interface ( APEP/VREP).
The date of submission is the date on which the submission is received by the Czech Social Security Administration.
As of January 1, 2026, an “employer” is defined as any person who employs at least one employee, regardless of the employer’s size or legal form.
The deadline for submission is always set for the 1st through the 20th day of the calendar month immediately following the calendar month to which the report relates.
The Unified Monthly Report consists of three parts:
- asummary section containing information about the employer,
- an insurance section containing information on the total amount of social security contributions and contributions to state employment policy paid by the employer,
- anindividualized section containing information on individual employees and individual employment relationships.
Employment Contract
The employment contract between the employer and the employee must be in writing. The employee must have received a copy of the employment contract before starting work.
For the employment contract to be valid, it must include the following information:
- Names and addresses of both contracting parties
- Start date of the employment relationship
- Nature of the work
- Place of work
Since 2023, the employer has had a duty to provide certain information. Unless already included in the employment contract, the employer must provide information on the following points within 7 days of the employee’s start date:
- the duration of annual leave
- Notice periods for termination of employment
- agreed weekly working hours
- the amount of pay and its due date
- the procedure for terminating the employment relationship
A probationary period must also be specified in the employment contract. It may last for a maximum of 4 months (6 months for management positions). A probationary period must be agreed upon no later than the first day of employment. A probationary period cannot be established at a later date.
An employment relationship can be either permanent or fixed-term. A fixed-term employment contract does not end upon notice but “automatically” upon the expiration of the period for which it was entered into.
The duration of the fixed-term employment relationship must be specified in writing in the employment contract. It may last for a maximum of three years and may be extended twice. If the employment relationship is to continue thereafter, a permanent employment contract must be entered into.