Taiwanese citizens entitled to work in Czech Republic from early March

Prague, Feb. 20 (CNA) Taiwanese citizens will be allowed to work in the Czech Republic without a work permit or employment card beginning in early March, according to a Czech government minister.

The Czech Republic's Environment Minister Petr Hladík reaffirmed on Wednesday that Taiwan would join Prague's list of non-EU countries whose citizens can freely enter the central European country's labor market, though he did not specify an exact date.

The measure was approved in December 2024.

In addition to citizens from European Union (EU) member countries, citizens of Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel and Singapore have been entitled to work in the Czech Republic since July 2024.

Taiwan had initially been set to join the list last year, but could only be added after the Czech Republic changed the law to recognize it as an "independent judicial jurisdiction," rather than a "country," which Prague is unable to do as it observes China's "one-China" policy.

The Czech Ministry of Labor said that the countries on the list are global economic powers, and the Czech Republic seeks long-term cooperation with them.

Exempting Taiwanese job seekers from work permits will reduce the administrative burden for prospective employers and encourage Taiwanese workers to enter the Czech job market, the ministry said.

However, Taiwanese citizens must still "apply for a residence permit according to standard procedures," according to a Czech government website, since "free access to the labor market does not provide foreigners with the right to reside in the territory of the Czech Republic."

According to data from the Czech Republic's Ministry of Labor, as of the end of June 2024, 185 Taiwanese were working in the country.

Citizens of the Czech Republic currently require a valid work permit to legally work in Taiwan.

There were 108 Czech nationals residing in Taiwan in 2024, according to data from Taiwan's National Immigration Agency published in February last year.