A Polish work visa does not grant the right to work in the Czech Republic
As Radio Prague notes, last year alone, the Czech police registered more than 2,500 such cases of violations. Through hidden recordings, Czech Television found that intermediaries in Ukraine offer Polish work visas to workers, convincing them that they will have "no problems" in the Czech Republic.
"It is important for foreigners to know the following: if they have a temporary residence permit issued, for example, by Polish authorities, it certainly grants citizens of so-called third countries the right to stay for a limited period in other EU countries, including the Czech Republic, but in no way does it allow them to work in the Czech Republic," explains Vladimir Řepka, spokesperson for the Czech Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
Some Ukrainians come to the Czech Republic with a residence permit from Poland, believing that legal, albeit limited, stay in the EU also gives them the right to obtain a work permit directly in the Czech Republic. Intermediaries, as many Ukrainians claim, deliberately provide them with false information and raise hopes, pushing them to actions aimed at circumventing the law.
"When planning their arrival in the Czech Republic, citizens of third countries, including Ukraine, must decide whether they intend to simply visit the Czech Republic or another EU country, or whether they actually plan to seek employment. In the latter case, they must apply for a work permit in the specific country," emphasized the representative of the Czech Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic has established a specific procedure for submitting applications by potential job seekers for open vacancies. "Those wishing to work in the Czech Republic from among Ukrainian citizens must submit an application for a work visa to the embassy or consular department of the Czech Republic in Kyiv or Lviv. After the visa expires, they should apply for its extension while in a third country. And since we are talking about Ukrainians, it is best to do this directly on the territory of Ukraine."
Returning to visas issued in Poland, Czech media have described cases where intermediaries, also from the Polish side, assured Ukrainians that "their partners – Czech companies – need their services, and within the framework of joint Czech-Polish business, a Polish visa would be sufficient for Ukrainian guest workers."
"Yes, the Czech Republic has encountered this practice, but it is illegal in the field of labor migration. The scenario here unfolds as follows: Ukrainians with a residence permit in the EU issued not by the Czech Republic are sent from Poland to the Czech Republic supposedly to provide services. This bypasses Czech and European legislation. A foreign worker can only work in the country that issued them a work permit, i.e., in this case, exclusively in Poland."
The Ministry of Labor seeks to simplify the procedure for issuing work permits to foreign nationals. According to acting Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Jaroslava Němcová, the number of open vacancies in the Czech Republic has reached a record high – over 260,000. The country is experiencing a shortage of healthcare personnel, especially nurses, social workers, as well as mid-level technical specialists and construction workers.
The Czech Minister recently visited the Czech Embassy in Ukraine and the Consulate General in Lviv to achieve a simplification of the work permit procedure. "During the visit, the Minister found that Ukrainian citizens often do not know exactly where to turn and fall into the sights of agencies that take advantage of their lack of information. Therefore, the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic has taken care to publish information booklets in several languages, including Ukrainian, so that potential job candidates can familiarize themselves in detail with the procedure for obtaining the necessary documents," reported Vladimir Řepka.
INFORMATION BOOKLET
Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic