How to get a Czech digital nomad visa and the story of giving up on the application.

The Czech Republic is known as the city of a hundred towers, and every city has its own beautiful world.
I could never forget how impressed I was when I visited the country for the first time and was completely drawn in by its charms. The Czech air, the historic streets and the heart-warming people I met were all fresh and full of surprises.

As I worked towards moving to the Czech Republic as a freelancer, I learnt how tough it is to obtain a digital nomad visa.

I then consulted an actual immigration lawyer and summarised many of the things I learned.

What does a Czech visa entail? Why are there so few (or rather, unheard of) freelancers who actually get a Czech digital nomad visa? You can find out about that.

Some people who read this Note will give up.
But on the other hand, it should give you a reason not to give up.

We hope we can be of some help.

This article is current as of June 2024. Visa information is always subject to change.

What kind of country is the Czech Republic?

The Czech Republic is a fascinating country in Central Europe, known for its beautiful landscapes and rich history. Among the most popular tourist attractions are the magnificent Prague Castle, the graceful Charles Bridge and the World Heritage-listed city of Cesky Krumlov. These places deeply impress visitors and give them a sense of history and culture.

The Czech Republic is also famous for its beer. It is the birthplace of pilsner and there are many breweries in the country. Czech beer is loved by beer lovers the world over for its quality and taste. Beer consumption is the highest in the world and a pint enjoyed in a local pub is a part of life in the Czech Republic.
Restaurant U Pinkasú is particularly recommended.

The climate has four distinct seasons, with mild and pleasant spring and autumn, and warm and sometimes sunny summers. Winters are cold and snowy, especially in the mountains. This diversity of climate gives the Czech landscape a seasonal beauty.
Summers are hot but not as humid as in Japan, making them very pleasant.

The Czech people are warm and friendly. Interaction with the locals makes a trip to the Czech Republic richer and more enjoyable.
Greetings seem to be particularly important.
Dobryden! is the only one to remember.

The Czech Republic is a country with a lot to offer in terms of tourism, beer, climate and personality. Every time you visit, you will discover something new and exciting, and you will want to come back again and again.

Why did you decide to live in the Czech Republic?

Perhaps it is because I was fascinated by the sheer beauty of Prague on my first visit.
I guess the most important thing is intuition.

Prague in the Czech Republic is one of the safest areas in the world, and the Czech society, which believes that “Children are the future itself!” and the Czech society, which values children, was very attractive.
In Japan, there are many natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, so the Czech Republic’s lack of natural disasters was a reassuring factor in comparison. In return, the Czech Republic has cold winters, though.
I went there in February 2024 for a migration experience and I miss waiting for the bus on a rainy night while freezing.

In addition, the beer is good! I’m not that much of a drinker myself, so there’s no doubt about it.

One of the deciding factors for my wife and I to move here was the Japanese community. I could manage on my own, but it was very reassuring to know that there were Japanese people there to ease my wife’s anxiety.

That’s how I found out that the Czech Republic has a Digital Nomad, which was issued from 2023, and with this I could live in the Czech Republic even as a freelancer!
With that in mind, I decided to take action.

Overview of different Czech visas

The first step was to research Czech visas.
There are generally two types of visas in the Czech Republic: short-term visas and long-term visas.
Long-term visas include student visas and family visas, but here I will mainly summarise the visas available for freelancers to work on long-term visas.

short-term visa

Short-term visas are for stays of less than 90 days and are primarily used for tourism purposes, but can also be used for many other purposes of stay, including sports, medical, invitation, business and employment. Applications for Czech short-term visas are usually submitted to the Czech Embassy or VFS centre. The embassy will make a decision and the process usually takes no longer than 14 days.

Depending on their nationality, citizens of about 50 countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia and Mexico, may not require a short-term visa. For other nationalities, obtaining a visa may be relatively easy or almost impossible.

I think Japan is really privileged to be able to visit 194 countries around the world on a tourist visa. For this, I am grateful to Japan.

long-term visa

If you plan to stay in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days, especially if you want to generate income locally, you should apply for a long-term visa. To obtain this visa, you must have an official purpose of stay recognised by the Ministry of the Interior.
Normally, not just anyone can settle in the country, as this purpose of stay is weak if they just want to live there. For this reason, expatriates and other people who are beneficial to the Czech Republic are easily admitted.

The various long-term visas are described below.

business visa

Long-term Czech visas are called by various names, such as ‘zivno visa’, ‘freelancer visa’ or ‘self-employed visa’, but they are all the same.
Specifically, it means that you obtain a Czech trade licence ( Czech Trade License ) or set up a Czech limited liability company and generate income that way.
This type of visa is apparently mainly used for English teachers, but it also covers many other types of businesses.
The Japanese inn I often work for also fell into this category.

Digital nomad visa

The digital nomad visa is apparently not actually a new visa option.
It seems that you need to get confirmation from the Czech MIT (Ministry of Industry and Trade) that you are a ‘digital nomad’ according to the Czech definition, and once that is obtained, you can apply for a standard business visa for freelancers. The type of visa you apply for depends on your situation, so check with your immigration lawyer.

cultural visa

Cultural visas are intended for opera singers, actors and other professionals.
When applying for this type of visa, you need to prove that a Czech cultural institution intends to let you stay for a long period of time.
The Czech Republic has a thriving musical culture, with Smetana’s music well-known to all Japanese. It is easier to obtain a visa if it is something that the country holds dear.

Find out more about the digital nomad visa

Now let’s take a closer look at the digital nomad visa.

The Czech Digital Nomad visa allows you to apply for the right to live and work in the Czech Republic for up to one year. Eligible applicants are nationals of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK and the USA.
I’ve looked into a lot of visas in Europe and Japanese people really do get preferential treatment.
There is always a chance to go out into the world. There is no “someday”. Now is the time for that ‘someday’. Let’s go out into the world.

Official application requirements issued by the Czech Republic.

Various information can be found in English, but the official requirements are those issued by the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade (MINISTRAY OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE). The responsibility for the text must be taken seriously.

Application requirements for digital nomad visas (freelancers)

Now, with regard to freelancers, the application requirements are summarised as follows.

Be a citizen of Australia, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America or Taiwan.
Declaration of free trade in the field of IT-related business in the Czech Republic.
An invitation letter from the relevant trade office certifying visa/residence on the territory of the Czech Republic. Proof of registration in the relevant register or list in the Czech Republic.
Proof of at least three years’ experience in the IT sector (university or higher professional education in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM)) or in the IT sector.
Proof of sufficient income of at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary published by the Ministry of Labour.
Commitment to conclude a contract for the provision of services in the IT sector, or an affidavit from the customer of the digital nomad. (Contracts)

Depending on the person, the likely bottleneck is “sufficient income of at least 1.5 times the average annual gross salary”.
This requires proof of an income of at least CZK 60,530 per month ( approx. This is 1.5 times the average gross annual salary published by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (for the period 1 May 2023 – 30 April 2024, the average gross annual salary in the Czech Republic is 484,236 CZK, or 40,353 CZK per month).