Czech Republic: the Senate adopts the new law on the residence of foreigners

In the night of 22 October 2026, the Czech Senate adopted the law on the entry and residence of foreigners, with 44 votes in favour, none against and 1 abstention. The text, prepared by the Ministry of the Interior, now goes to the President of the Republic for signature. It will replace the patchwork of amendments that has governed immigration since 1999 and is due to enter into force on 1 January 2029.

The core of the reform is digitalisation. Visas, residence permits and renewals will go through a single online portal, linked to the databases of the police, the labour market and social security. According to the Minister of the Interior, applicants will be able to follow each step, and the administration will automatically retrieve most of the supporting documents. The average processing time would fall from 90 jours today to an estimated 45 jours.

The law widens the grounds for withdrawing a residence permit: in the event of a conviction for an intentional offence punishable by at least 3 ans of imprisonment, or if the intelligence services report a security risk. Asylum and temporary protection are not covered by the text.

Another novelty: EU citizens who stay for more than 90 jours will have to register electronically for the first time. The ministry justifies this obligation by the quality of population data and emergency planning.

For companies and mobility providers, the main practical effect will be paperless communication. Powers of attorney, employment contracts and proof of accommodation will have to be submitted with a qualified electronic signature. A pilot phase is expected at the end of 2027, and HR departments are advised to review their document workflows well in advance.

Employers' organisations accept stricter compliance rules in exchange for faster processing. They nevertheless call for sufficient funding for the implementation and for the publication of transitional guidance at least 6 mois before the launch.

The source does not say whether the president will sign, or on what date. It does not detail the scope of the pilot phase, the penalties provided for failure by EU citizens to register, or any fees linked to the portal. These points should be checked in the final published text.