First the announcement, then the work

From 1st October 2025 a key change affects - how and when you can start a job in the Czech Republic as a foreigner.

Before a foreign national begins even their first minute of work training, shadowing, “just helping for an hour,” anything the employer must report the hire to the Czech Labour Office. This is a timing change: previously, many companies sent the notice on Day 1; now it has to be in before work actually starts. If inspectors show up and the report isn’t on file, the situation is treated as “undeclared work” and the employer can face penalties up to CZK 3,000,000. 

The rule is broad by design. It isn’t only about third-country nationals on visas. It covers anyone who isn’t a Czech citizen: EU/EFTA/Swiss citizens and their family members, people with free access to the labour market (including those under temporary protection), and holders of work permits, employment cards, blue cards, or intra-corporate transfer permits. The message is simple: if you’re not a Czech national, your start has to be reported before you begin.

What does this mean for you, practically? Onboarding now has a clear “gate.” Your HR team (or agency) files the digital notification first; then you start. It can still happen on the same calendar day there’s no need to postpone your start date so long as the filing happens before you do any work. If the Labour Inspectorate arrives while the filing is “on the to-do list,” that argument won’t fly anymore: at the moment an inspection begins, every foreign worker on site must already be reported.

There is a narrow safety valve in the official guidance: if a company forgets to report and submits the notice within five days, and no inspection takes place in that period, the breach won’t be fined (although it still counts as undeclared work on the books). It’s a last-resort backstop, not a strategy so don’t rely on it. Ask your employer for a one-line confirmation that the notification has been filed before you start. Keep that email or screenshot for your own records.

Under the hood, nothing about how the report is filed has changed only when. Since July 2024, the process has been fully digital: employers can use the web form, send an XML file via data box, or push the data through an API from their HR system. After a successful submission, they receive an official digital confirmation. If plans change and you never start, there’s also a way to cancel or “void” a submitted notice. 

One more nuance for globally mobile teams: these rules also cover certain posted workers (for example, employees sent to Czechia from a non-EU company). The exception is for postings inside the EU by an employer established in another member state; those continue under the existing EU posting regime and timelines. For most expats hired onto Czech projects or contracts, though, the new “report-before-start” rule is the one that matters day to day.

If you’re starting a role soon, the best practice is straightforward: don’t begin tasks or training until HR confirms the Labour Office has been notified. For employers and agencies, adding that confirmation step to pre-boarding is the simplest way to stay compliant and avoid costly surprises. The bottom line is clarity: the report comes first, the work comes second every time.