Czech Republic Working Holiday Visas

A work holiday visa is a special visa that allows young adults to work and live in a foreign country for a period of time.

It aims to encourage young people to see more of the world, without needing to make permanent moves. And to help youths fund their travels, the visa allows you to work while in the country.

The Czech Republic has made Working Holiday Visa agreements with the following three participating countries:

Australia
Canada
New Zealand

This visa allows you to:

live in the Czech Republic for up to one year
work up to one year for one employer
visit other European countries within the Schengen Zone
enrol in one training or study course of up to 6 months of duration

Remember to register your residence with the Foreign Police competent for the place of your residence within three working days after arriving in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic Working Holiday Visa is just one of many options for Working Holiday Visas that let you stay and work in the country while travelling. For more options, check out our Working Holiday Visa blog post!

Conditions

be a Citizen of New Zealand, Australia or Canada
intend to holiday in the Czech Republic, with employment being an incidental rather than a primary reason for the visit
be aged between 18 and 35 years (18-26 years for Australians)
not bring your children with you to the Czech Republic
possess a valid New Zealand, Australian or Canadian passport

Note: The visa conditions are subject to change without notice.

Visa Quotas

Canada and Australia have a yearly quota limit of the number of Working Holiday and Youth Mobility visa they can grant:

Canada: 1,150 visas per year
Australia: 500 visas per year

The best time to apply for your Czech Republic visa is 2-3 months before your travel date. The usual processing time is typically 6-8 weeks.

Australia

The Youth Work and Holiday Programme between Australia and Czech Republic started on 1 March 2018 and is going to operate until 28 February 2022.

Australians between the age of 18 and 26 years are eligible to apply. Applications can be submitted to the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Sydney

Australian passport with validity at least 3 months longer than the expected duration of stay
2 recent photos
Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay
Proof of travel medical insurance or declaration to arrange for health insurance
Signed declaration that you have not been convicted
Proof of accommodation in the Czech Republic

All statements and declarations must be submitted in the Czech language or with translation into the Czech language. Processing time may be up to 60 days.

The length of study or training in the Programme must not exceed 4 months.

Participants in the Programme may be employed in the Czech Republic only if they obtain an Employment Permit. An Employment Permit is issued for a specific position. Application for an Employment Permit has to be addressed and submitted to the regional office of the Public Employment Service in the region where the participant is to be employed. The monthly salary should not be lower than the legal minimum pay as required by the national legislation of the Czech Republic.

If your salary exceeds 15,000 CZK, you must file a tax report and pay income tax.

Canada

The bilateral agreement between the Czech Republic and Canada regarding the Youth Mobility Visa (YMV) started in 2007. Canadian youths with permanent residence in Canada between 18 to 35 can apply for the program.

Applications can be submitted in person at the embassy in Ottawa or by mail from anywhere else in Canada. If you are applying by mail, you need to provide a letter stating why. You’ll also need to provide an envelope for the embassy to return your passport, or you can pick it up in person in Ottawa.

All documents submitted with visa applications that are not in Czech language must be translated into Czech, with passports being the only exception.

To apply, you need to prepare the following documents:

Canadian passport with validity at least 3 months longer than the expected duration of stay
2 recent photos
A return ticket
Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay
Declaration to arrange for health insurance
A declaration of your intention to stay in the territory of the Czech Republic for vacation with the possibility of obtaining remunerated employment to supplement your financial resources

Processing of the application takes up to 60 days.

Canadian citizens who were granted the youth mobility visa will receive a written confirmation from the Embassy in the Czech language that for the duration of validity of the visas they do not need work permits to be employed in the Czech Republic. The information is intended to be presented to potential employers in the Czech Republic.

Canadian nationals remaining in Czech Republic under the YMV Program are required to obey the laws and regulations in force in the territory of the Czech Republic.

New Zealand

The Agreement on a Working Holiday Scheme between the Government of the Czech Republic and New Zealand was signed in 2004.

New Zealand youths between 18 and 35 years who intend to holiday in the Czech Republic can apply for the Working Holiday Scheme. With this visa, you will also be employed during the validity of the visa.

Applications for the visa are to be personally submitted to the Consulate General in Sydney, submission by mail is possible only in exceptional, justified cases upon the discretion of the Consulate General.

Visa applications can be also lodged with the Czech Republic Embassies in:

Berlin (Germany)
Brussels (Belgium)
London (United Kingdom)

To apply, you need to prepare the following documents:

New Zealand passport with validity at least 3 months longer than the expected duration of stay
A return ticket
Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay
2 recent photos
A signed statement that you have never been sentenced for a crime in New Zealand
Travel medical insurance

The application will be processed within 60 days from the date the Consulate General receives the complete application.

As a New Zealand citizen, you may be employed without a work permit. However, you shall not take up permanent employment, i.e. your employment contract should not be for a period longer than the validity of the visa. Your employer is required by Czech law to inform the local Employment Office (“Úřad práce”) that you have taken up employment.

You may enrol in one training or study course of up to 6 months of duration.

There are many reasons you might want to move across the sea. One of the advantages of being part of the Work Holiday visa is to see lots of things much different from your home country. Your experience under the program will no doubt broaden your horizons and see things from a different perspective.

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Do you plan to be part of the working holiday program? Which European country do you want to explore? Talk to us in the comment section below.

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And because of the pandemic, don’t forget to get your travel insurance, which will cover you for flight disruptions and pandemic related matters.

IaM can help with your visa application to the United States, the UK & other countries

If you need help with a US visa, a UK Visa, or visa to Europe, including help with appointment booking obligations, IaM can help. For more information and advice on US immigration, UK immigration law and US visa applications or if you need any help or assistance please, reach out to your Visa Coordinator at IaM.