Czech Republic Zivno (Trade License) Visa

"Zivno" is the informal name for the Czech long-term visa for the purpose of doing business, held by self-employed people with a Czech trade license (živnostenský list). Any nationality can apply (Ministry of the Interior).

• Status: active
• Funds: CZK 156,500 available for the stay
• Visa fee: CZK 5,000
• Length: up to 1 year, then a residence permit for business
• Decision: within 90 days
• Local work: Yes, within the licensed trades

IT and marketing specialists from the 13 countries in the Czech Digital Nomad Program can use that program for a faster decision on the same visa. The Czech Republic guide compares both.

• Trade license: registration in the Czech trade register or another register required for the business.
• Funds: CZK 156,500, which is 50 times the monthly subsistence minimum, shown by a bank statement in the applicant's name, other proof or an international payment card (Ministry of the Interior).
• Accommodation in the Czech Republic for the stay.
• A clean criminal record.

Local work allowed: Yes. Holders may do business in their licensed trades, including with Czech clients. Salaried employment needs a separate permit.

The Ministry of the Interior lists (Ministry of the Interior):

• The application form, filled in online or by hand in block capitals, printed and signed.
• A valid travel document and a photograph.
• Proof of accommodation.
• Proof of funds for the stay.
• Confirmation of registration in the trade register or commercial register.
• A criminal record certificate from the country of citizenship, not needed under age 15.

On request, the embassy may also ask for a medical report and criminal record certificates from other countries where the applicant lived for six months in the three years before applying.

An application missing any required document, the fee or the correct form is inadmissible and returned.

• Consular fee: CZK 5,000, paid in local currency or by card (Ministry of Foreign Affairs fee schedule). Some nationalities pay less or nothing under bilateral agreements.
• Trade license: CZK 1,000 for the first trade; each further trade costs CZK 500 (Administrative Fees Act).
• Visa extension for a visa issued for less than a year: CZK 1,000.
• Residence permit for business: CZK 2,500, card payment only (Ministry of the Interior).

Health insurance, translations and certified copies add to the total and vary by applicant.

In person at a Czech embassy or consulate in the country of nationality, or in a country of at least 2 years' legal residence (EU residents apply at the Dresden visa center). Get the trade license from a Czech Trade Licensing Office first. Some embassies cap business visa applications, so check before booking.

1. Declare the trade at a Czech Trade Licensing Office and get the trade register confirmation.
2. Book an appointment with the Czech embassy or consulate.
3. Submit the application in person and pay the consular fee. Staff may take fingerprints and a photo and may interview the applicant.
4. Wait for the Ministry of the Interior's decision, due within 90 days; complex cases can take up to 120 days.
5. Collect the visa with proof of travel medical insurance: either travel insurance for the first 90 days plus comprehensive insurance for the rest of the stay, or comprehensive insurance for the whole stay.
6. Register with the Foreign Police within three business days of arriving.

Source: Ministry of the Interior.

The visa lasts up to 1 year. A visa issued for less than a year can be extended up to one year in total (Ministry of the Interior).

Staying longer: Switch in the Czech Republic to a long-term residence permit for the purpose of doing business, valid up to 2 years and extendable repeatedly by up to 2 years at a time. Administrative fee CZK 2,500; proof of no outstanding debts and a tax assessment notice are required.

Extensions are filed no earlier than 120 days before the current permit expires and no later than its last day, at a Ministry of the Interior office (Ministry of the Interior).

Permanent residence. General rule: permanent residence after 5 years of continuous temporary residence in the Czech Republic. Source: Ministry of the Interior.

The business visa carries no special tax regime. Trade license holders fall under the ordinary rules for self-employed people, and renewing the residence permit requires a tax assessment notice and proof of no outstanding debts (Ministry of the Interior).

A person who stays at least 183 days in a calendar year, or has a permanent home in the country, is a Czech tax resident and taxed on worldwide income, subject to tax treaties (Income Tax Act, section 2).