Author
Beneficiaries of international protection (including subsidiary protection) have free access to the Czech labour market under the same conditions as Czech nationals (i.e., without a labour market test or special permit being needed)[1].
According to the experience of OPU, in practice, effective access to employment remains limited for many beneficiaries. While a significant number do enter the labour market, their employment is often unstable or concentrated in low-skilled sectors, and overall labour market integration remains challenging despite the absence of formal legal barriers. The main obstacles to finding and maintaining employment include insufficient knowledge of the Czech language, which significantly limits job opportunities, as well as difficulties with recognition of foreign qualifications and prior work experience, often resulting in over-qualification. Additional barriers include lack of documentation, and limited social and professional networks. The Czech state provides targeted support mainly through the State Integration Programme, which offers free Czech language courses, employment counselling, and assistance with qualification recognition, as well as access to Labour Office services such as retraining and active labour market measures. Despite these support mechanisms, institutional assistance is considered insufficient to fully overcome structural barriers, and practical access to suitable employment remains uneven.
In the Czech Republic, there are good practices facilitating access to the labour market for beneficiaries of international protection and other third-country nationals, in particular through targeted integration and employment-support projects implemented by specialised NGOs with EU funding.
From the recent period, a notable example is the project ‘Integration of Foreigners and Refugees into the Czech Labour Market ’ (Integrace cizinců a uprchlíků na český trh práce), implemented by OPU – between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2025[2]. The project was supported under OPZ+ (Operational Programme Employment Plus), which is financed from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). The project targeted third-country nationals, including asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection. Its main objective was to reduce inequalities in access to the labour market for at least 200 participants. The support provided included individual employment counselling and career guidance, mentoring and coaching, assistance with job search and placement, Czech language courses, support in finding suitable requalification courses, and assistance with the recognition (nostrification) of foreign education and qualifications. The project was implemented in several regions, specifically in Prague, Plzeň, Hradec Králové, Ostrava, and Brno, which enhanced its accessibility and regional coverage.
Professional and educational qualifications obtained abroad can be recognised in the Czech Republic, including for beneficiaries of international protection, but recognition is not automatic and depends on the type of qualification. Basic, secondary and higher vocational education is recognised through a nostrification procedure conducted by regional authorities,[3] [4] while foreign higher education degrees are recognised by a public Czech university offering a comparable accredited programme and, if no such programme exists, the Ministry of Education (MŠMT) may intervene.[5] [6] Applicants must submit original or certified copies of diplomas, documentation on the content and duration of studies, proof that the foreign institution is recognised in the country of origin, and official Czech translations. Where substantial differences are identified, authorities may require a nostrification examination (in case of secondary and higher vocational education). It is done in Czech language, but the applicant may arrange for an interpreter. For regulated professions (doctors, lawyers etc.), nostrification alone is not sufficient and additional licensing requirements apply under sector-specific legislation. The statutory processing time for recognition of basic and secondary education is 30 days, extendable by another 30 days in complex cases, while recognition of higher education is generally decided within comparable timeframes in practice, though no single fixed deadline applies uniformly. In reality, according to the experience of OPU, procedures often take longer due to incomplete documentation or the need for additional assessments. The main obstacles include the frequent absence of original diplomas or transcripts, the need for document authentication and certified translations, administrative complexity, and costs associated with the process. Beneficiaries of international protection can be allowed to replace the missing documents through a sworn statement.[7] It is up to the responsible regional authority (krajský úřad) to decide whether this would be allowed or not. In case of doubts about the level of education attained, the regional authority shall require the applicant to take a nostrification exam.
Based on the information provided by the Labour Office, there were 1,265 beneficiaries of international protection in employment at the end of 2025 (this includes recognised refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, as the statistical data does not distinguish between these categories).
[1] Section 98(c) of the Employment Act.
[2] See the information about the project here.
[3] Sections 108 – 108a of the Act No. 561/2004 Coll., on Preschool, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Professional, and Other Education (the Education Act).
[4] See the official governmental information on Recognition of primary, secondary or higher vocational education attained in foreign schools, available here.
[5] Sections 89-91 of the Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions and on Amendments to Certain Other Acts (Higher Education Act), availablein Czech here.
[6] See the official governmental information on Nostrification, available in Czech here.