The Zivno visa is the common name for the Czech long-term visa for the purpose of doing business. Freelancers from outside the EU use it to live in Czechia while working under a Czech trade licence. This guide covers who can apply, the funds and documents required, the fees, the steps in order, and how renewal works. All facts were checked against Czech government pages on 23 October 2026.
What the Zivno Visa Is
People call it the Zivno visa because the trade licence behind it is called a živnostenský list. The official name appears on the Czech immigration portal.
- Official name: Long-term visa for the purpose of doing business.
- Type: A long-stay visa for stays over 90 days, for people who run a licensed trade or are self-employed in Czechia.
- Who can apply: Citizens of countries outside the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Nomad visa status: The Zivno is a business visa for people who base themselves in Czechia. Many of the official digital nomad visa programs in other countries are built for remote workers who keep clients abroad.
In practice, the visa suits freelancers who are ready to live in Czechia for a year or more. The visa comes with a local trade licence, a local registered address, and local tax and insurance registrations.
What You Need to Show
The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list the items below for the application.
- Trade licence registration: An extract from the Trade Licensing Register. A preliminary extract works if the trade was notified before the visa was issued.
- Proof of funds: CZK 156,500, about USD 7,450. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets this at 50 times the existential minimum of CZK 3,130. A bank statement and an international payment card in the applicant’s name are the usual proof.
- Proof of accommodation: A lease or a written confirmation from the owner.
- Criminal record: A document similar to a penal register extract from the country of citizenship.
- Health insurance: Proof of travel medical insurance before the visa is handed over. The policy can cover the first 90 days, with comprehensive insurance for the rest of the stay. Comprehensive insurance for the whole stay also works.
- Basic items: The application form, a passport, and a photograph. A medical report and records from other countries of residence can be requested.
Third-party websites list other funds amounts. The CZK 156,500 figure comes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and would rise if the existential minimum rises.
Our guide to health insurance plans for digital nomads is a starting point for comparing providers. The Czech mission decides whether a specific policy is accepted.
The funds and the trade licence extract take the most planning. Each consulate runs its own appointment process, and some use quotas for this visa type.
Can You Work for Clients Outside Czechia?
The official pages do not say whether a freelancer’s clients must be Czech. Here is what the sources do and do not confirm.
- Confirmed: The visa is for carrying out business activities, a licensed trade, or self-employment in Czechia.
- Also confirmed: Accace cites the Ministry of Industry and Trade. A third-country national living in Czechia still needs a Czech trade licence, even when the business relates only to the home country.
- Unclear: Practitioner websites disagree on whether foreign clients are acceptable. The Czech immigration pages reviewed do not address the point.
Freelancers with only foreign clients may face more questions than those with Czech clients. Asking the consulate and the trade licensing office in writing before paying any fees may help avoid surprises.
How to Apply Step by Step
The order matters because the visa is issued abroad while the trade licence is registered in Czechia. The steps below follow the Brno city guidance for third-country nationals. Offices apply the same national law, though details can differ by office.
- Choose a trade and a registered address. Most freelancers use an unqualified trade (volná živnost), which needs no proof of professional competence. Typical examples include software services, consulting, design, and translation. The licence needs a registered office address (sídlo), backed by a lease or the owner’s written consent.
- Notify the trade before the visa. A non-EU applicant can notify an unqualified trade without holding a residence permit. The trade licensing office asks for a passport, a criminal record extract, proof of the registered address, and a CZK 1,000 fee. The extract must be no older than three months. An attorney with a power of attorney can submit it. The office then issues a preliminary extract for the visa file.
- Prepare the visa file. The file includes the form, passport, accommodation proof, funds proof, photograph, preliminary extract, and criminal record. Documents not in Czech need an official translation. Foreign documents may need legalization.
- Apply in person at a Czech embassy or consulate. Applicants apply in the country that issued their passport. Another option is a country where they have held long-term or permanent residence for at least two years. The consular fee is CZK 5,000.
- Wait for the decision. The time limit is 90 days, or 120 days in complicated cases. The status can be tracked online. If a reason for refusal is found, the notice cannot be appealed, though a new assessment can be requested.
- Collect the visa. The mission asks for the insurance proof before placing the visa in the passport.
- Register after arrival. Registration with the Foreign Police is due within three business days of arrival. The visa goes to the trade licensing office within six months of the preliminary extract and within three working days of the police registration. The licence takes effect on the day the visa is shown, and the entrepreneur receives an IČO business number.
- Notify the authorities. Social security must be notified within 15 days of starting work and the health insurer within 8 days. Anyone choosing the flat-rate tax regime (paušální režim) notifies the tax office by the day activity starts.
What the Visa Costs
Official fees are small next to the funds that must be shown. USD figures use about CZK 21 per US dollar. The 2026 average was about CZK 20.9, according to PoundSterlingLive.
- Consular fee: CZK 5,000 (about USD 240), paid when applying.
- Trade licence notification: CZK 1,000 (about USD 48).
- Visa extension: CZK 1,000 (about USD 48) per application.
- Long-term residence permit: CZK 2,500 (about USD 120), paid by card at the Ministry of the Interior.
- Trade licence continuation notice: CZK 100 (about USD 5).
- Other costs: Translations, legalization, a registered address, insurance premiums, and the funds statement. Prices vary by provider and are not set by the government.
The consular fee and the trade licence fee add up to CZK 6,000, about USD 286. The CZK 156,500 funds requirement is separate from these fees.
How Long It Lasts and How to Renew
The first visa works as a one-year step, and longer stays move to a residence permit.
- First visa: Valid for a maximum of one year, including extensions.
- Extension: Possible when the first visa was issued for less than a year. Applications go to the Ministry of the Interior between 90 days before expiry and the last valid day. The fee is CZK 1,000 and the time limit is 14 days.
- Long-term residence permit: Valid for up to two years. The fee is CZK 2,500 and the time limit is 60 days. Applications are made in person at a Ministry of the Interior office, no later than the last day of the visa.
- Permit documents: Proof of funds based on monthly income, comprehensive medical insurance, proof of no outstanding debts, and the trade licence registration.
- Trade licence: Valid for the permitted period of residence. The holder announces the wish to continue before expiry, with a CZK 100 fee.
- Travel: Holders can leave and re-enter Czechia and travel within the Schengen Area without a visa.
Residence stays legal while an application filed on time is being processed. Permanent residence follows separate rules that this guide does not cover.
Tax Note
The points below are general information and do not count as tax advice. A qualified tax professional can confirm how Czech rules fit an individual situation.
- Residency trigger: A person is generally a Czech tax resident with a permanent home in Czechia. Staying 183 or more days in a calendar year has the same effect, according to the Czech government portal.
- Worldwide income: Czech tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, according to EURAXESS Czech Republic.
- Flat-rate option: The paušální režim is an optional regime for the self-employed. Amounts depend on the income band chosen.
A freelancer who lives in Czechia for most of the year will usually pass the 183-day line. The home country may also claim taxing rights, so a professional can help with any treaty questions.
The Czech Digital Nomad Program
Czechia also runs a Digital Nomad Program through CzechInvest and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
- Who qualifies: IT or marketing specialists working remotely. The route covers employees of foreign companies, own companies managed from outside Czechia, and the self-employed.
- Passports: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- Freelancer route: The applicant holds or will hold a Czech trade licence and applies for the long-term visa for the purpose of business.
- Admission: Requests for inclusion go by email to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as described on the CzechInvest program page.
For freelancers, the program offers another way into the same business visa. Applicants who meet the passport and job criteria may want to ask the ministry about it before applying.
Who the Zivno Visa Suits and Who Should Skip It
The visa suits freelancers in unqualified trades who plan to live in Czechia for a year or more. They also need to show CZK 156,500 and a lease. Others may find a different route easier.
- EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens: The visa is for third-country nationals.
- Short stays: Stays under 90 days do not need this visa. The Schengen 90/180 day rule governs them.
- Regulated professions: Tax and accounting advisers and legal advisers cannot use an unqualified trade. Qualified trades require proof of professional competence.
- Company directors: The same visa type covers directors of trading companies. Our guide to starting a company as a digital nomad explains the options.
- Other freelance routes: Readers weighing Germany’s freelance visa can compare it with the Czech route.
- Still choosing a city: The Prague digital nomad guide covers costs and coworking spaces.
Planning the Move to Czechia
The Zivno visa takes several months of paperwork, though the steps follow a clear order. Confirming the funds, the registered address, and the consulate’s rules early may help the process run smoothly. Once the trade licence extract is ready and the consulate appointment is booked, travel is the next item to plan. Search flights to Czechia on FlyBibe and compare routes that fit a remote work schedule.
Immigration and tax rules change. Confirm current requirements with the relevant Czech embassy or a qualified professional before making plans. The article reflects information as of 23 October 2026.