Czechia · Business & founder
Long-Term Visa and Residence Permit for the Purpose of Doing Business (Zivno)
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open. The standard trade-licence route into Czechia.
The cheapest legitimate route into Czechia by a wide margin — CZK 156,500 (roughly EUR 6,300) of proof of funds against CZK 75m for the investment permit. For a self-employed professional who will genuinely operate from Prague, this is the sensible answer.
Qualifying routes
156.5k CZK
Trade licence (zivnostenske opravneni)
Proof of funds of CZK 156,500; registration in the Trade Licensing Register, Commercial Register, or a liberal-profession register
The facts
- Minimum investment
- 156.5k CZK
- Total landed cost
- CZK 156,500 proof of funds plus a CZK 5,000 consular fee; running costs of at least CZK 3,143/month health insurance and CZK 5,720/month social security
- Timeline
- 2–3 months — 60-day statutory processing
- Physical presence
- Genuine business activity in Czechia
- Family
- spouseminor childrenvia family reunification
- Permanent residency
- 5 years of continuous residence — this route does accrue
- Citizenship
- 10 years, or 5 after permanent residence
- Language test
- B1 Czech plus civics exam
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- trade licence or professional registrationproof of funds of CZK 156,500accommodation and health insuranceclean criminal record
What can go wrong
- The initial long-term visa is capped at 1 year; you must convert to the 2-year long-term residence permit, which is then repeatedly renewable.
- You need a genuine trade licence and genuine activity — this is policed at renewal.
- Mandatory social security and health insurance contributions apply from the start and are a real ongoing cost.
- Czech language B1 plus a civics exam still stand between you and citizenship, 10 years out.