EU BLUE CARD


An EU Blue Card is a new residential status designed for a long-term stay involving the performance of a highly skilled job (§ 42i of the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals). An EU Blue Card entitles a foreign national to stay and perform a job, i.e. the foreign national does not need a separate work permit. Duly completed university education or higher vocational education, the duration of which was at least 3 years, is deemed to be a high level of skills.

You are eligible to apply for EU blue card if:
   
   1. you intend to stay in the Czech Republic for a period longer than 3 months and if you are to be employed at a position requiring a high level of skills. At the same time, this position must be, according             to             the Czech Employment Act, open to non-EU foreign nationals.

       2. you are NOT :
   
                * in the process of an application for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of scientific research,
   
                * an EU citizen’s family member, if the EU citizen resides in the CR,
   
                * a resident of another EU member state and you currently have a Czech  long-term residence permit for the purpose of employment or business (§ 42c),
         
         * a foreigner residing in the CR on the basis of a binding international agreement facilitating the entry and temporary residence of some categories of natural persons in connection with doing                        business and investments,
   
                 * a foreigner residing in the CR on the basis of a residence permit for seasonal workers, or
   
                 * a foreigner who is employed by an employer in another EU member state and is dispatched to work in the CR within the framework of providing international services,
   
                 * a seeker of international protection through asylu m or a person who has been granted the status of refugee or subsidiary protection,
   
                 * an applicant for a residence permit for the purpose of temporary protection in the CR, or a foreigner who has already been granted such a permit.

An application for an EU Blue Card is to be filed by a foreign national at a Czech embassy as well as, in selected cases, at a MOI office inside the Czech Republic, that is if you are already in the CR on a long-term visa or long-term residency permit, or are a holder of a Blue Card issued by another EU state and you apply within 1 month of entering the CR. You must file your application personally.

EU Blue Card application document requirements are as follows:
    Application form:
    Travel document
    Photographs:
Two
    Document confirming your purpose of application:
a contract of employment for the performance of a job requiring a high level of skills for a term of at least one year and for the weekly working hours
        defined by law; the contract must also contain the amount of the agreed gross monthly or annual salary equal to at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary stated in an announcement of the                  Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA)
   
            1. documents confirming the high level of skills (documents on attained education) – in justified cases, particularly if reasonable doubt exists as to whether you have the required education or                     whether your         education is appropriate for the nature of employment, an administrative autority will request to prove and submit a document certifying that your foreign education has                         been recognised by the relevant         authority of the CR
   
               2. if it is a case of a regulated job, then a document confirming the compliance with the conditions for performing such a job is required (Note: The Ministry will make a decision on the EU Blue Card                        after the relevant recognition authority issues its opinion statement.),
   
                      * Proof of available accommodation
   
                      * Police Clearance Certificate;,
   
                      * Fees: Once the embassy considers the application as admissible then only the application charges and/or attestation charges are received (in Indian Rupees in cash as updated  in accordance                               with the Forex rates);, and
   
                     * Overseas travel Insurance (for the duration of visit/stay) prior to receiving a long-term visa for the purpose of receiving a long-term residence permit – Blue Card, you are obliged to present                             proof of travel medical insurance for the period from entering the CR until the day you fall under public health insurance, and, at the same time, proof of having paid the insurance fee stated                              on the proof of travel medical insurance. In case you are applying inside the CR, please present this document automatically.

An application for an EU Blue Card is to be filed with the Czech embassy as well as, in selected cases, at a MOI office inside the Czech Republic, that is if the applicant is already in the CR on a long-term visa or long-term residency permit, or are a holder of a Blue Card issued by another EU state and applied within 1 month of entering the CR. The application must be filed personally.

Application has to be filed on a relevant form with all the particular requirements. Orginals or notarized copies of any documents are to be provided. Any documents attached to the application must be in the Czech language or in the form of an official translation. Foreign public documents must be provided with an Apostille or superlegalization.

The Ministry of the Interior makes a decision on an application for an EU Blue Card within a period of 90 days.

The application proceedings are subject to the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals, the Administrative Act  and all other related laws.

In the event that the application was not submitted with the prescribed requirements or has defects, and if the application is submitted at the Ministry of Interior, the clerk receiving the application will help the applicant remove these deficiencies or prompt to remove them and give a reasonable time period to do so, and will inform about the consequences of failure to remove the deficiencies within this period, while the proceedings on the application may be interrupted.

During the proceedings, applicant may ask for access to the file materials and become acquainted with them. Applicant may also be prompted by the Ministry to become acquainted with them before it rules a decision.

For an application submitted to a Czech embassy, the embassy invites the applicant to present himself/herself and receive a visa for a stay over 90 days for the purpose of receiving a residence perrmit – Blue Card.
 
After assessing the Blue Card application, the Ministry of Interior shall inform the employer that the applicant have met the conditions for a Blue Card.
 
An EU Blue Card is issued with a period of validity that is 3 months longer than the period of time for which the contract of employment was concluded, but the maximum period of validity is 2 years. A Blue Card can be renewed.
 
The residence permit - Blue Card will be issued in the form of a residence card with biometric data.
 
Before issuing the residence permit - Blue Card, the applicant will be provided with a confirmation of having met the conditions for a Blue Card. This serves to confirm that the applicant is entitled to reside in the CR and to work even before the residence permit - Blue Card with biometric data is issued.

In case of a negative assessment of the application submitted to the Ministry of Interior through the embassy, the applicant will receive a decision on the dismissal of the application by post to the address specified in the application as contact address.

The applicant has the right to appeal against this decision in a period of 15 days from the receipt of the decision.