Relocation of an EU-based foreigner to the Czech Republic? An administrative nightmare that can quickly become expensive.

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I remember a call with a recruiter who said:

"I have a foreign candidate here, but they’re already in the EU, so this should be faster, right?"

Wrong.

In practice, relocating a foreigner who is already residing somewhere within the EU often turns into an administrative and time-consuming loop for both the candidate and the employer. Paradoxically, the process can be even more complicated than relocating someone directly from their country of origin.

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Putting the documents together is an art in itself

The fact that a foreigner is already living in the EU is only rarely an advantage when applying for a Czech residence permit (in our case, an Employee Card or Blue Card). For Czech authorities, the applicant must submit essentially the same documentation as anyone else.

It is true that they may already have some documents from a previous EU relocation, for example, an apostilled diploma, but that is usually only the beginning.

And that is where the process truly starts (and sometimes ends).

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Criminal record: the biggest stumbling block

The most common complication is the extract from the criminal record.

To obtain a visa or a residence permit in the Czech Republic, the applicant must submit an extract from the criminal record from their country of origin, as well as from every country where they have stayed for more than 6 months in the past 3 years.

Now imagine, for example, an Egyptian citizen who has been living in Germany and wants to relocate to the Czech Republic. They must obtain an Egyptian criminal record extract while physically staying in Germany.

In theory, this can be handled through the Egyptian embassy. In practice, it often means weeks of waiting.

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Faster solution? Higher costs!

From a time perspective, it is often faster for the applicant to travel directly to their home country and arrange the documents in person. However, this naturally comes with additional costs - flights, accommodation, possible loss of income, and further administrative burden.

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Another obstacle: higher authentication

Once the document is issued, it must go through a so-called "higher verication", either an Apostille or Superlegalisation. In the best case scenario, this takes a few days; in worse cases, several weeks. After that comes the translation of the documents.

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Where to submit the residence permit application?

Once all documents are finally ready, another complication arises: where can the residence permit application be submitted?

Within the EU, a foreigner can only submit an application for a residence permit (Employee Card or Blue Card in case of employment) if they have been residing in the EU on a long-term or permanent basis for more than 2 years.

If this condition is not met, the application must be submitted via a Czech embassy in the applicant’s home country, which again means additional time and costs.

There are exceptions where applications can be submitted at any Czech embassy worldwide, but these are not the focus of this article.

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A process that can exhaust both candidate and employer

Is it illogical? Yes, it is. But reality is harsh.

Relocating foreigners who already live in the EU to the Czech Republic is often administratively, financially, and time-wise more demanding than Czech employers expect.

The result is frustration on both the candidate’s and employer’s side, and a process that can become significantly more expensive even before the employee has started their job.

That is why employers, especially recruiters and hiring managers, should carefully evaluate all variables before deciding on a candidate.

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