Working in Czechia as a French National: Right to Work, Wages, Contract, Taxes and Contributions

Citizens of the European Union have free access to the Czech labour market, with the same rights as Czech citizens: they start working as soon as they arrive and change jobs without authorisation from the Ministry of the Interior (Ministry of the Interior). Registration with the Foreign Police is required for a stay of more than 30 days, and the registration certificate remains optional, as detailed in the page on living in Czechia.

The guide to working abroad helps you prepare the departure on the French side, from the end of the contract in France to the procedures with the health insurance funds.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs announces a monthly minimum wage of 22,400 CZK from January 2026, 1,600 CZK more than in 2025. This amount also serves as the minimum contribution base for an employee (CLEISS). The employer must pay a supplement if pay falls short of this floor, with premiums for overtime, night work or public holidays not counted in the comparison (labour inspectorate).

• Average wage: 49,215 CZK a month in 2025, up 7.2% over one year, i.e. 3,316 CZK, or 4.6% in real terms with inflation of 2.5%; 52,283 CZK in the fourth quarter of 2025 (ČSÚ, publication of 6 March 2026).
• Median wage: 45,523 CZK in the fourth quarter of 2025, i.e. 48,342 CZK for men and 42,692 CZK for women, with a rise of 8.8% over one year (ČSÚ).

To compare a Czech offer with a job in France, the guide to secondment versus expatriation recalls the differences in status that change net pay and social protection.

The labour inspectorate brochure (January 2023) recalls that the employment contract is concluded in writing and states the nature of the work, the place and the start date. The employer notifies in writing the rights and obligations not written in the contract within one month of its conclusion.

• Probationary period: it does not exceed three consecutive months from the start of employment, and six months in certain cases provided for by law; either party can end it without giving a reason, in writing.
• Working time: 40 hours a week, with shorter hours for shift work; overtime remains exceptional, entitles the employee to a premium of at least 25% of the average wage or to compensatory rest, and is limited to 150 hours per calendar year unless the employee agrees.
• Paid leave: at least 4 weeks per calendar year.
• Termination: notice of at least two months generally applies; the employer dismisses only for a reason provided for by the Labour Code, and an employee may resign without giving a reason.

A Czech tax resident, that is, a person who has a home there or stays at least 183 days in the calendar year, is taxed on all their income. The rate is 15% on the part of income up to 36 times the average wage, and 23% beyond (public services portal; Finanční správa, the Czech Financial Administration). The employee generally files their return within three months of the end of the year.

• France-Czechia tax treaty: signed in Prague on 28 April 2003 and in force since 1 July 2005, supplemented by the multilateral BEPS convention, it provides that the salary of a resident is taxable only in their State of residence, unless the employment is exercised in the other State, where it is then taxable (article 15). A stay not exceeding 183 days in any twelve-month period, with an employer who is not a resident of the State of activity and a cost not borne by a permanent establishment, keeps taxation in the State of residence.
• Double taxation (article 23): France grants a tax credit equal to the French tax corresponding to income taxable in Czechia; Czechia grants a deduction equal to the tax paid in France, within the limit of the corresponding fraction of Czech tax.

In case of doubt about tax residence or about the same job being taxed in both countries, the French tax office for non-resident individuals and the Finanční správa remain the points of contact.

According to CLEISS (page updated on 18 June 2026), the rates at 1 January 2026 for an employee are as follows: health 9% borne by the employer and 4.5% by the employee; sickness and maternity 2.1% and 0.6%; pension 21.5% and 6.5%; unemployment 1.2% for the employer; work accidents from 0.28% to 5.04% depending on the risk. Social security contributions are capped at 2,350,416 CZK a year.

• Employee: the employer registers the employee with the health insurance fund and deducts the contributions; in the event of illness, the contributions open entitlement to Czech social security cash benefits, including the sickness and maternity insurance at 0.6% for the employee.
• Self-employed: the health contribution is 13.5% of the base, with a minimum monthly advance of 3,306 CZK in 2026 (VZP, the public general health insurance fund), the pension contribution is 28% and optional cash sickness insurance is 2.7% (CLEISS). The self-employed are not covered by work accident and occupational disease insurance (CLEISS).
• Seconded from France: the seconded employee stays in the French scheme with the A1 form and does not contribute in Czechia during the secondment.

These entitlements open access to the care described in the page on the Czech healthcare system.

Czech self-employed people can deduct flat-rate expenses of 30% to 80% of their receipts depending on the activity, within annual ceilings of 600,000 to 1,600,000 CZK. A flat-rate scheme allows a single monthly payment covering tax, health insurance and pension contributions: the first tier rises to 9,984 CZK in 2026, from 8,716 CZK in 2025 (public services portal; Finanční správa).

A European framework agreement, applicable since 1 July 2023, allows an employee who teleworks for less than 50% of their total working time from a signatory State to remain attached to the social security scheme of their employer’s State. France and Czechia are both parties; the employer applies to the competent institution with the employee’s agreement (CLEISS). The guide to digital nomad insurance presents the points of caution for this status.

ČSÚ reports that GDP grew by 0.4% over the quarter and by 1.9% over one year in the second quarter of 2026. Annual growth in value added was driven by industry (+1.8% over one year), trade, transport, accommodation and food services (+2.4%) and information and communication (+4.1%). Household consumption rose by 2.7% and investment by 7.1% over one year (publication of 28 August 2026). Employment and unemployment figures are in the “Economic indicators” block below.

• Currency: Czechia keeps the Czech koruna (CZK) and does not use the euro. Income received in euros therefore carries an exchange-rate risk, the movement of which is tracked in the “Economic indicators” block.
• Outlook: forecasts for growth, inflation and unemployment are continuously updated in the “Economic indicators” block of this page.