CzechiaWork residence permit

Intra-corporate transfer card in Czechia

A residence permit for staff of international companies who are temporarily transferred from a unit outside the European Union to a Czech branch of the same group — managers, specialists and trainees with higher education. It is arranged through a Czech embassy or consulate abroad and covers the period of the transfer itself.

Processing time

A first application is examined within 90 days, a renewal within 60.

Work

Work at the receiving Czech company as part of the intra-corporate transfer

Source: ipc.gov.cz — Intra-company Employee Transfer Card

Who can obtain the card

The card is available to three categories of employee transferred from a unit outside the EU to a Czech branch of the same group of companies.

Manager

Works in a managerial position, running the company or one of its units
Oversees the work of other staff, including hiring and dismissal or recommendations on those matters
The maximum term of the card is 3 years

Specialist

Holds special knowledge that is key to the sector, to the processes or to the running of the company
Holds the necessary formal qualification and professional experience and, where required, belongs to the relevant professional body
The maximum term of the card is 3 years

Trainee

Holds completed higher education
Is transferred to the Czech company for career development or to learn business methods and is paid a salary during the traineeship
The maximum term of the card is 1 year

Condition common to all categories

Worked at the sending company for at least 6 months immediately before the transfer
The link between the sending and receiving companies is confirmed: units of the same company, controlling and controlled structures, or a common controlling centre

What it costs

Consular fee for the first card (filing abroad)	5 000 CZK
Administrative fee for renewing the card	2 500 CZK
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table.	7 500 CZK

Documents to gather

For filing from abroad you will need:

The application (form)
A valid passport
Proof of accommodation in the Czech Republic
A photograph
A letter of transfer from the company
Proof of employment at the company for at least 6 months immediately before the transfer
A document on the link between the sending and receiving companies (a subsidiary structure, controlling/controlled entities or a common controlling centre)
A document on professional qualification, where the law requires it for the position
A certificate of no criminal record from the country of citizenship
For trainees, in addition: a higher education diploma and a training agreement

How the process runs

The standard procedure for filing from abroad — in person only, at a Czech diplomatic mission.

1
Gather the documents and complete the application form
The form can be completed online and printed, or filled in by hand in block Latin letters. The form can also be obtained free of charge at the embassy or consulate.
2
Book an appointment and file the application at a Czech embassy or consulate
The application is filed in person in the country of citizenship, in a country where you have lived lawfully and continuously for more than 2 years, or at another designated mission. The consular fee is paid on filing.
3
Await the Ministry of the Interior's decision
90 days
The diplomatic mission passes the application to the Ministry of the Interior, which examines it in administrative proceedings. The clock stops while the proceedings are suspended.
4
Obtain the entry visa (D/VR) at the embassy or consulate
The visa is needed to enter the Czech Republic in order to collect the residence permit. It is not required if you can enter by other means, for example visa-free on a biometric passport.
5
Register with the Ministry of the Interior on arrival in the Czech Republic
30 days (3 days without a visa)
With a D/VR visa you must register with the Ministry of the Interior within 30 calendar days of entry; if you enter without a visa (for example on a biometric passport) — within 3 days. At registration a date will be set for giving biometric data.
6
Collect the biometric residence card
60 days
The card is issued within 60 days of the date the biometric data was given.

Who you can bring with you

The official website does not separately describe the conditions for family members of an intra-corporate transfer card holder on this page, but a separate page on family reunification expressly names holders of this card as a preferential category.

Spouse, registered partner, minor children

Family reunification with the holder of an intra-corporate transfer card requires no minimum period of residence in the Czech Republic — unlike most other categories of sponsor, who need at least 15 months of residence

Renewal and the grace period

The card may be renewed more than once, but the total period of stay under the transfer is limited: a maximum of 3 years for managers and specialists, and a maximum of 1 year for trainees. The renewal application is filed no later than the last day of validity of the current residence permit and no earlier than 120 days before it expires. The administrative fee for renewal is 2,500 CZK, payable by bank transfer or by card at a Ministry of the Interior office. The renewal application is examined within 60 days.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Permanent residence is granted after five years of continuous residence in the Czech Republic. A certificate of the Czech language examination is required: those under 15 or over 60, and those who have studied at a Czech school for at least one academic year, are exempt. The fee is 2,500 crowns, or 1,000 for children under 15; within the country the decision takes 60 days.

Route to citizenship

Citizenship is applied for by those who have lived with permanent residence for five consecutive years or accumulated ten years of residence in total. They sit an examination in Czech and in Czech life: the constitutional system, culture, geography and history. The ministry decides within 180 days; the fee is 2,000 crowns, or 500 for a minor.

Frequently asked questions about Intra-corporate transfer card

Who can obtain an intra-corporate transfer card in the Czech Republic?

The card is available to three categories of staff of an international company transferred to a Czech unit: managers in a managerial position, specialists with knowledge and qualifications key to the sector, and trainees with completed higher education. A compulsory condition is employment at the sending company for at least 6 months immediately before the transfer and a confirmed link between the sending and receiving companies.

How much does the card cost and how long does it take?

The consular fee for the first card when filing abroad is 5,000 CZK. The application is examined by the Ministry of the Interior within 90 days; that period does not run while the proceedings are suspended.

Can the family be brought to the Czech Republic on an intra-corporate transfer card?

Yes, the usual family reunification procedure applies to a spouse, registered partner and minor children. The holder of an intra-corporate transfer card, as sponsor, does not have to meet a minimum period of residence in the Czech Republic — this concession is stated expressly on the family reunification page, unlike most other categories, which require at least 15 months of residence.

How is the card renewed and how much does it cost?

The renewal is filed no later than the last day of validity of the current card and no earlier than 120 days before it expires. The administrative fee is 2,500 CZK and the examination takes 60 days. The total period of stay under the transfer, including renewals, may not exceed 3 years for managers and specialists and 1 year for trainees.

How does the intra-corporate transfer card differ from the employee card (zaměstnanecká karta)?

The intra-corporate transfer card is issued only for transferring an employee within a single international group of companies — from a unit outside the EU to a Czech branch. It cannot be used if the job in the Czech Republic was found through a recruitment agency, if you carry on business in the Czech Republic, study on a full-time programme, do scientific research under a hosting agreement, or if you were transferred by an employer from another EU state for the cross-border provision of services — in all those cases other types of residence permit apply.

Can I apply if I have never been to the Czech Republic?

Yes. The standard route is filing in person at a Czech diplomatic mission abroad: in the country of citizenship, in a country of lawful continuous residence of 2 years or more, or at another designated mission. If you or the receiving company take part in a government-approved state programme and the terms of that programme allow it, the company may file the application for you in the Czech Republic under a power of attorney.

Other ways to move to Czechia

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Czechia.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.