Czech Travel Blog: 2008

Monday, 29 December 2008

Green cards in CR for 12 countries

In accordance with a new employment law the citizens of these 12 countries can obtain green cards starting from January 1, 2009:

5 former republics of Yugoslavia:
Serbia,
Montenegro,
Croatia,
Macedonia,
Bosnia

and then

Ukraine,
USA,
Canada,
New Zea land,
Australia,
Japan,
South Korea.

Applications should be submitted to the local consulates of the Czech Republic.

Read more on the pages of the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs.

Related postings:
Green cards for non-EU qualified staff

Thursday, 4 December 2008

Czechs love supermarkets

Czechs usually prefer shopping in big supermarkets, small shops are not so interesting any more.

Shopping Monitor 2009 from Incoma says 39% prefer big supermarkets or hypermarkets and only 12% go to small shops.
The first position takes Schwarz group that runs Kaufland and Lidl. The second and third position is shared between Ahold (Hypernova, Hyperalbert, Albert) and Tesco.

Friday, 17 October 2008

Orco flats price 10 percents down

Orco Property Group lowered prices by 10 percent for Tyršův Vrch project. If you buy a big flat, the discount could be about 600 000 CZK. Small flats can have a discount about 300 000 CZK.

GE Money Bank stopped 100 % mortgages, max mortgage is 80% now.

Monday, 29 September 2008

Flat and house prices down 30 percent in Prague

The party is over for many developers and investors in Prague and Czech Republic in general. Investors are less interested in Czech properties and many of them are moving to the East.

Experts expect 20-30 percent decrease in prices by the next summer. However, it is not the best time to buy a house yet. Experts recommend to wait for one year.

Even now it is possible to negotiate 30% discount if you can pay immediately and do not need mortgage.

The main reasons of sharp decrease are the following:

- Offer is higher than demand
- People are less interested in mortgages
- Developers are loosing their positions, for example ECM lost 20 mln EURO in half a year, Orco Property Group lost about 14 mln EURO

However, prices are still growing in some destinations.

Wednesday, 17 September 2008

Aquapalace Prague water park

Aquapalace is the best, the biggest, and the most expensive water park in Czech Republic, about 5 km from Prague.

Adrenalin lovers will definitely appreciate space bowl, 6 toboggans (the longest of those is 140 meters) and 3 slides. Water World section includes Wave Palace, Adventure Palace and Relaxation Palace.

Sauna world offers all types of sauna you can imagine, even Kello (log house) outdoor saunas. The combination of outdoor saunas with 2 outdoor Whirlpools can help anyone to refresh their body and mind.

Hope you will have enough time and money to enjoy ocean waves, tropical rains and storms.

More info: http://www.aquapalace.cz/

How to get there:

D1 - highway, D6 - exit, Průhonice – Čestlice u Prahy Commercial Zone, infront of KIKA store.

Buses:
324, 325, 328, 363, 385 from Opatov metro station

Related Posts:

Water park Babylon, Liberec

Monday, 7 July 2008

Driver Registry

Prague's office

Address:
Magistrát hl. města Prahy - Odbor dopravně správních agend
Jungmannova 35
11000 Praha 1

Phone:
236 002 800 (call center)
236 005 490 (information)

E-mail:
dsasek@cityofprague.cz

Web:
http://www.praha-mesto.cz

Working hours:
Monday:
07:00 - 16:15, 16:45 - 20:00

Tuesday:
07:00 - 16:15, 16:45 - 20:00

Wednesday:
07:00 - 16:15, 16:45 - 20:00

Thursday:
07:00 - 16:15, 16:45 - 20:00

Friday:
Closed

Registry of Motor Vehicles

Registry of Motor Vehicles

Prague's office

Address:
Magistrát hl. města Prahy - Odbor dopravně správních agend
Jungmannova 35
11000 Praha 1

Phone:
236 002 800 (call center)
236 005 490 (information)

E-mail:
dsasek@cityofprague.cz

Web:
http://www.praha-mesto.cz

Working hours:
Monday:
07:45 - 12:15, 12:45 - 17:00

Tuesday:
07:00 - 11:30, 12:00 - 15:30

Wednesday:
07:45 - 12:15, 12:45 - 17:00

Thursday:
07:00 - 11:30, 12:00 - 15:30

Friday:
Closed

Driver Register

Friday, 20 June 2008

Property Register

Search By City and Building Number

Obec = City
Budova = Building
Cislo budovy = Building number

Address:

Český úřad zeměměřický a katastrální
Pod sídlištěm 9
18211 Praha 8
e-mail:nahlizeni@cuzk.cz
www.cuzk.cz

Trade Register

Companies Register (Obchodni rejstrik, Ministerstvo spravedlnosti CR)
Search by Company Name
Search by Owner

Register of Bankrupts

Tuesday, 8 January 2008

Long-term residence visas , Czech Republic

Long-term visas – residence visas for more than 90 days.

The Czech Foreigners' Police issues a residence visa for more than 90 days upon the request of a foreigner who is planning to reside in the Czech Republic for a purpose requiring more than 3 months. The long-term residence visa is valid for 1 year and allows multiple entries into the Czech Republic.
A residence visa for more than 90 days can be issued for one purpose of residence (employment, study, entrepreneurial purposes, membership in a legal entity´s statutory body, maintaining family ties with a Czech or foreign citizen , health reasons or other purpose).
Each purpose of residence indicated on the application form must be submitted with the required documents.

Procedure for issuing a residence visa for more than 90 days

• The application for a visa along with all the required documents in person at the Embassy or Consulate of the Czech Republic. The application form available at the Embassy must be used. Download the example here.
• The Foreigners’ Police Office in the Czech Republic decides on the application. The Czech Embassy or Consulate then issues the visa to the foreigner. The visa is affixed to the travel document / passport.
• The visa must be picked up at the same Czech Embassy or Consulate where the application was filed.
• The visa application may take up to 120 days, but it usually takes 6 to 8 weeks.

Visa for more than 90 days is marked as “type D”.

Residence visa for more than 90 days for the purpose of employment

The application (example) must include the following:

a) a travel document/passport valid for the period of residence;
b) 2 photographs (4.5 x 3.5 cm);
c) a document confirming purpose of residence - a notarized copy of a work permit issued by a Labor Office in the Czech Republic;
d) documents on the provision of accommodation for the time of residence on Czech territory –
This document can be a written statement by a private or legal entity stating that accommodation will be ensured
- sublease contract if the foreigner rents a property
- confirmation of accommodation from a landlord, hotel or other accommodation facility
- an original or notarized copy of an extract from the Czech real-estate register

e) an extract from the Czech Criminal Records Registeran extract
(the application form for this extract, which is available at the Embassy or Consulate, may be filed there – this application form must be accompanied by an original of the foreigner´s birth certificate or a notarized copy of a birth certificate and a valid travel document, usually a passport);

Additional documents:
an extract from the Criminal Records Register or similar document from the country of which the foreigner is a citizen (or an affidavit from the foreigner if the country does not issue such reports) or from the country in which the foreigner has resided during the last 3 years continually for longer than 6 months.
In some cases medical check-up report stating that he/she does not suffer from serious illness.

Related Posts:
Work permit

Foreigners' Police in Prague, Czech Republic

Foreigners' Police ( Cizinecka Policie )

Foreigners' Police Video

Oddělení cizinecké policie Praha
Koněvova 188/32, 130 02 Prague 3
Tel. 974 841 356, 974 841 357

Email: ocppraha@mvcr.cz
Office hours: Mon, Wed 07:30-17:00; Tue, Thu 07:00-14:00; Friday closed

EU and Permanent Residence

Praha – Bohdalec
Nad Vršovskou Horou 88/4
101 00 Praha 10
Tel.: 974 847 715, 974 847 712

Office hours: Mon, Wed 08:00-17:00; Tue, Thu 08:00-15:00; Fr 08:00-11:00

Prague-East, Central Bohemia

Oddělení cizinecké policie Praha - východ
Sdružení 1, 140 00 Praha 4

Office hours: Mon, Wed 08:00-17:00

Prague-West, Central Bohemia

Oddělení cizinecké policie Praha - západ

Zborovská 13, 150 00 Praha 5

Office hours: Mon, Wed 08:00-17:00

Sunday, 6 January 2008

Labor Offices, Prague, Czech Republic

Main Prague Labor Office ( Dislokované pracoviště Úřad práce hl.m. Prahy) - Domažlická č.p. 1139/11, Žižkov, 130 00, Praha 3
Prague 2 Branch (Pobočka v Praze 2) - Bělehradská č.p. 214/86, Vinohrady, 120 00, Praha 2
Prague 3 Branch (Pobočka v Praze 3) - Roháčova č.p. 133/13, Žižkov, 130 00, Praha 3
Prague 4 Branch (Pobočka v Praze 4) - Údolní č.p. 1147/106, Braník, 142 00, Praha 411
Prague 5 Branch (Pobočka v Praze 5) - Štefánikova č.p. 216/21, Smíchov, 150 00, Praha 5
Prague 6 Branch (Pobočka v Praze 6) - Bělohorská č.p. 688/165, Břevnov, 169 00, Praha 69
Prague 8 Branch (Pobočka v Praze 8) - Stejskalova č.p. 185/7, Libeň, 180 00, Praha 8
Prague 9 Branch (Pobočka v Praze 9) - Sokolovská č.p. 14/324, Vysočany, 190 00, Praha 9
Prague 10 Branch (Pobočka v Praze 10) - Vršovická č.p. 1429/68, Vršovice, 101 00, Praha 101

Czech Labor Code

Work permit

An application for a work permit should be submitted to the relevant local labor office in accordance to the place of employment.

The following documents are necessary for the application :

passport/travel document and copy of the page with personal data;
draft of the employment contract/agreement or employer's declaration of employing the foreigner;
confirmation of the medical check-up - not older than one month;
officially notarized document confirming the qualification for the job;
officially notarized power of attorney in the case of submitting the application on your behalf.

Administrative fee is about 500 CZK.

The work permit is issued for maximum one year and can be extended no later than 30 days before expiration.

The application is usually processed within 1 - 2 weeks, but the period can be extended up to 60 days.

Related Posts:
Long-term residence visas , Czech Republic

Thursday, 3 January 2008

Green cards for non-EU qualified staff

The Czech government has approved the project to introduce "green cards" for skilled immigrants which should take effect within the first half of 2008.
Work permits and resident permits will be issued under a single procedure in accordance to the new project.
The project is evidently based on experience obtained by the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the Pilot project Selection of Qualified Foreign Workers

Related news:
Czech Republic approves plan for immigrant green cards
More green cards for non-EU skilled workers

Jobs database of the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs

Jobs database of the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs :

Jobs for EU citizens and their family members are posted on EURES webpages.

Jobs for citizens of third countries (non EU-citizens) can be found here.

Job seekers can post their CVs here.

Related Posts:
Jobs for international speakers in Prague, Czech Republic

Countries with visa requirements

The citizens from the countries with Visa Waiver Regime (f.e. citizens of the United States, Japan) do not require visa to enter the Czech Republic, therefore they can stay for 90 days without visa (short-term visa).

If the foreigner who is NOT EU citizen intends to reside in the Czech Republic for the purpose of employment, they need to apply for a work permit to get long-term or short-term visa.

Long-term residents of another EU member state (NOT EU citizen ) can reside in the Czech Republic for 90 days without visa.

Now visas issued by the Czech Republic are Schengen.

EU citizens and free movement of labour

The citizens from the following countries and their family members do not need a work permit or visa to enter or reside in the Czech Republic for more than 90 days:

European Union - Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Ireland, Luxemburg, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
Estonia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia,
Romania and Bulgaria

European Community - Switzerland
European Economic Zone - Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein

Wednesday, 2 January 2008

Czech Embassies and Consulates Abroad

Foreign Embassies and Consulates in Prague, Czech Republic

Czech Travel Blog