How Czechia is about to ease work access for an Asian country

Czechia will simplify the process for Taiwanese nationals to work in the country by allowing them to enter the labor market without needing work permits or employment cards. Environment Minister Petr Hladík announced that the regulation is expected to take effect at the beginning of next month.

The measure aims to attract more high-skilled foreign workers to the country. The bill builds on a change to the country’s employment law enacted last year, in which the Czech Labour Ministry expanded the number of countries exempt from work authorization requirements. 

The Labour Ministry emphasized that waiving the requirement for work authorization will reduce the administrative burden on employers, facilitating quicker entry for workers into the labor market.

According to the Labour Ministry, as of late June 2024, just 185 Taiwanese nationals were employed in Czechia. In the past, the Czech Republic rejected the proposal to include Taiwan in a list of work permit-exempt countries because it did not recognize the island as an independent state. However, under a recent legal amendment, Taiwan can now be treated as having separate jurisdiction, making its inclusion possible.

Czechia's relations with Taiwan strengthened in 2023 following President Petr Pavel's phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which China condemned as interference in its internal affairs.

This marked a shift from previous Czech leadership, as Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský emphasized the importance of building ties with democratic partners like Taiwan, despite Czechia's official adherence to the One-China policy.

Currently, individuals from outside the EU and the European Economic Area must obtain permits or cards to work in Czechia. Employers have frequently highlighted the lengthy procedures as obstacles when trying to recruit experts from abroad.

The new Taiwan-focused bill is part of several legal changes that aim to attract foreign workers to Czechia. Last year, the government introduced a new law that means foreigners from 10 countries—including Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the UK, and the U.S.—do not need work permits or employment cards in the Czech Republic.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs noted that the countries on the newly expanded list are among the world's economically strongest, underscoring the Czech Republic's interest in boosting labor productivity. However, the authors of the regulation noted that they cannot require these countries to allow Czech workers to enter.

Czech Labour Minister Marian Jurečka in July 2023 announced a significant labor shortage of approximately 200,000 workers in the country. Bilateral agreements with European and Asian countries, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Georgia, North Macedonia, Taiwan, Indonesia, and India, made in the last 18 months aim to tempt people further to work in Czechia.