Business in the Czech Republic

Foreign legal entities are allowed to conduct trade activities, including acquisition of real estate, under the same conditions and to the same extent as Czech entrepreneurs. They may become founders or co-founders of a company, or may join an existing Czech company. Foreign companies may operate in the Czech Republic, either by establishing a branch office registered in the Czech Republic or by establishing a Czech company.

According to World Bank, setting up a business in the Czech Republic requires approximately 24 days. You need to take 10 steps and pay 960 USD. You can find more information on setting up a business in the Czech Republic here.

Visa issues are another hot topic for foreign investors. The conditions applying to a foreign citizen's entry to the Czech Republic and their residence in the country are set by Act No. 326/1999 Coll., on residence of foreign citizens in the Czech Republic, as amended. For detailed, but reader-friendly information on both short and long-term visa and work permits for citizens of EU as well as non-EU countries click here.

In attached files you can find general information covering other areas of interest, e.g. taxation and customs systems. For more specific issues, investors are recommended to contact the Association for Foreign Investment whose member companies offer a range of services:

• Legal services
• Personnel Consultancy and Recruitment
• Real Estate Consultancy
• Environmental Consultancy
• Interpreting and Translation Services
• Auditing
• Corporate Financing
• Taxation Consultancy
• Architecture and Design
• Information Technology Support

There are other institutions which you might find useful for doing business in the Czech Republic. Check out a list of useful contacts.