Remote workers can register to live here for up to a year, but there’s a catch
Home to stunning castles, beer, and the City of a Hundred Spires, the Czech Republic is a country known for a vibrant culture and a good time – and if you work remotely, it could soon become your new home.
That’s right: the Czech Republic is the latest country to launch a digital nomad visa. Those lucky enough to have the freedom to work from anywhere can apply to work in the Czech Republic for up to a year. Applications are being welcomed from people in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK and the US – but there’s a catch. Unlike most other countries with digital nomad visas, you’ll need to be in a rather specific line of work to move to the Czech Republic.
The visa is being launched in a bid to fill the country’s shortage of highly skilled IT professionals. You can either be employed by a foreign company (which has at least 50 employees) or work as a freelancer (but you’ll need a Czech business licence). The cost of the visa is a pretty affordable CZK 2,500 (?85, EUR104, $112), and this is valid for one year, at first.
The new visa is an accelerated and more accessible alternative to the Czech Republic’s ‘zivno’ business visa, however, there are still a few catches.
In order to qualify, you need to have a degree in a STEM subject or three years of work experience in IT, and be earning a minimum of 1.5 times the Czech gross average salary, which is at least CZK 60,530 (?2,150, EUR2,507, $2,700) per month.
Should you choose to live in the Czech Republic for at least 183 days within one year, you’ll technically be a tax resident, so might have to start contributing, depending on your home country’s double taxation laws. Plus, if you want to stay longer, you will need to apply for a residence permit. Family members can submit an application form alongside this one, but that does not allow them the right to work.
So, if you’re an IT wizz, all the above applies to you, and you fancy upping sticks to the Czech Republic, you can read more about the visa here.
For those of us not blessed with technological, mathematical or scientific abilities, Spain and Portugal are two European destinations that don’t have industry-specific visa requirements for nomads.
Did you see that these countries were named the safest for expats?
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