Blue card vs. Employee card

What is the difference? Which one has more benefits for you? Check out this article to find out more information about these types of long-term residence permits.

Both Employee card and Blue card are types of long-term residence permits for the purpose of employment. They are applied for via the Czech Embassy in your home country or any country (apart from the Czech Republic) in case you are national of one of these countries, or in the country of your residence. If you are already living in the Czech Republic on a visa/permit with a different purpose, you can also submit the application at the local department of the Ministry of Interior. Extensions are always submitted at the Ministry of Interior. It is issued in the form of a biometric card.

Employee cards are issued with a maximum 2 years validity, whilst Blue card with a maximum 3 years validity. They both but can be shortened in accordance with the Employment contract.

How does the Blue card differ then?

- Blue card is mostly for highly educated foreigners (holders of at least higher education/Bachelor degree) who will earn at least 1.5x of the average Czech salary (approx. 57 000 CZK in 2022). It is also only for higher job positions (1-3 CZ-ISCO, which are mostly managing positions)

Benefits of Blue card:

- Holders of Blue card gain “free access to the Labour market," so then you can change employer/position even without approval of the Ministry of Interior. Such change only has to be announced.

- If applying for the first Blue card and relocating with family, your spouse can apply for the long-term residence permit for the purpose of family reunion, which allows free work anywhere in the Czech Republic without the necessity of obtaining any additional Work Permit.

- Moving within Europe is much easier with the Blue card! - Vacancies do not need to pass the labour market test and the vacancy number can be used with an immediate effect.

Blue card downsides:

- With a blue card, it is not possible for you to have a second employment.

2 Comments

Osaid Hashmi

Sep 11, 2022

Hi Kristýna, thanks for the details! Could you please elaborate the point: "Moving within Europe is much easier with the Blue card!"?

Many thanks!

Kristýna Richtrová

Replying to

Hello Osaid, thank you for visiting Immigreat! It means that once you have a Blue card in one country, it is easy to get it in another EU country too. For instance, if Turkish worker, who is a holder of a German blue card wanted to move to the Czech Republic, he can simply arrive here, and apply for Blue card in the Czech Republic via the local authorities, instead o traveling back to Turkey and initiating the process there.