Czechia's Digital Nomad Program: a fast track for Americans in IT and marketing
Remote employees and freelancers who earn at least 73,823 koruna a month (about $3,460) can get a Czech long-term visa with a 45-day decision. Here's who qualifies, what it costs, and what happens after you land.
This isn't an open door for every remote worker. It's a government program for skilled IT and marketing people from a short list of countries, and the U.S. is on it. If your work fits, it's one of the quicker ways to live legally in the middle of Europe.
The program in four numbers
$3,460
Minimum monthly income
73,823 koruna, through April 2027
$120 / $240
Washington embassy visa fee
employee / freelancer track
45 days
Decision on your visa application
after the program accepts you
1 + 2 years
Visa, then residence permit
permit renewed from inside Czechia
Who qualifies
Two tracks, one short list of jobs
You need U.S. citizenship (the list has grown since 2023 but the U.S. was on it from day one) and highly qualified work in IT or marketing. Then you pick a track:
Remote employee
You work for a foreign company and keep doing that job from Czechia. You get a long-term visa for "other" purposes.
Freelancer
You hold, or will hold, a Czech trade license (živnostenský list) and bill your own clients. You get a long-term visa for business.
IT applicants need either three years of IT experience or a university degree in a STEM field. Marketing was added in 2025 and asks for a marketing diploma from a higher vocational school or above.
One thing to know going in: there's no legal right to a spot. The Ministry of Industry and Trade decides who gets in.
How the application runs, in order
1. Gather U.S. papers
Your FBI record needs an apostille and a Czech translation. Start here, since apostilles are the slow part.
2. Lock in housing
Sign a lease or get a notarized confirmation from the owner. Applicants report that housing for less than a year shortens the visa.
3. Apply to the program
Send your file to the Ministry of Industry and Trade at digitalnomad@mpo.cz. Freelancers also set up the trade license, about 1,000 koruna ($47).
4. File at the embassy
Apply in person at a Czech embassy or consulate in the U.S. with originals or notarized copies. You must be in the U.S. when the visa is issued.
5. Register on arrival
Report your address to the Foreign Police within three working days of landing. It's the deadline people miss.
6. Switch to a permit
Before the one-year visa ends, apply inside Czechia for a long-term residence permit good for two years.
After you land
Insurance, Czech taxes and your U.S. return
Health insurance
You show comprehensive medical insurance for foreigners covering at least €400,000 per event (about $456,000) with no co-pay. Since September 2023 any authorized Czech insurer can sell it, not only the state-owned one.
Czech tax
Spend 183 days in a calendar year in Czechia, or keep a permanent home there, and you're a Czech tax resident. Freelancers can pick the flat-rate tax: 9,162 koruna a month in band I from July 2026 (about $430), covering income tax, social security and health insurance. On the standard system, the minimum advances are 5,005 koruna for social security and 3,306 for health, about $390 a month together.
Your U.S. return
You still file every year. The foreign earned income exclusion shelters up to $132,900 of 2026 earnings, so talk to an expat tax pro before you choose how to report.
Where this visa can lead
After five years of continuous residence you can apply for permanent residence (2,500 koruna, about $117, plus a Czech exam). Keep single trips under six months and total time away under 310 days, or the clock resets. Five years after that, you can apply for citizenship, and Czechia has allowed dual nationality since 2014, so your U.S. passport stays.
People who can help with this move
Thais Silva
Czech Republic Local Guide
Thais Silva moved to Czechia in 2020 after a decade in the Netherlands and has 14 years of HR and coaching experience. She helps newcomers decide if the country fits and build a life once they arrive.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
Hunter Schultz is a healthcare coach who helps you plan how you'll get care abroad before you commit to a country or a policy.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
ExpatInsure matches Americans moving abroad with international health insurance plans and explains the choices.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
MyExpatTaxes is tax software for Americans abroad that files your U.S. return, including the foreign earned income exclusion.
Czech digital nomad visa: common questions
How much does the Czech digital nomad visa cost?
At the Czech embassy in Washington, a regular long-term visa is $120 and a business long-term visa is $240 (fees valid September 2026). Freelancers also pay about 1,000 koruna ($47) for a trade license, plus apostilles, translations and health insurance.
How long does the Czech digital nomad visa take?
Once the Ministry of Industry and Trade accepts you into the program, the visa application is processed within 45 days. Getting U.S. documents apostilled and translated can add weeks before you file, so plan a few months ahead.
Can my spouse and kids come with me?
Yes. Your spouse, registered partner and children can join the program if they apply for residence at the same time as you. Fragomen reports that dependents can't work on these visas.
Can Americans apply for the Czech Digital Nomad Program?
Yes. U.S. citizens have been eligible since the program started in July 2023. You need highly qualified work in IT or marketing, either as a remote employee of a foreign company or as a freelancer with a Czech trade license.
How long can I stay in Czechia on the digital nomad visa?
The long-term visa lasts up to one year. Before it ends, you apply inside Czechia for a long-term residence permit valid for two years. After five years of continuous residence you can apply for permanent residence.
Will I pay Czech taxes as a digital nomad?
You become a Czech tax resident if you spend 183 days or more in Czechia in a calendar year, or keep a permanent home there. Freelancers on a trade license pay monthly tax and contributions. You also keep filing a U.S. return every year.
How much income do I need for the Czech digital nomad visa?
At least 73,823 koruna a month in gross income, about $3,460 at the September 2026 exchange rate. The floor is 1.5 times the Czech average gross wage, and this figure applies through April 2027.
Do I need a degree to qualify?
Not necessarily. IT applicants need either three years of IT experience or a university degree in science, technology, engineering or math. Marketing applicants need a marketing diploma from a higher vocational school or above.
Not sure Czechia is your best bet?
Take the free Expatsi Test to see how Czechia compares with other countries on cost, healthcare, climate and safety.
Why not you?