Czechia
Long-term Business Visa (Živno) · Prague
The freelancer's value play: a trade licence, a famously generous expense deduction and a real residency clock — wrapped in one of Europe's most liveable capitals.
CZK 69,000/mo
60–120 days
1 year
82/100
95 Mbps
Moderate
Cool continental
UTC+1
Model your move to Czechia
Set who's coming and what you earn. We'll handle eligibility, taxes, contributions, living costs and what you'd have left — and compare it to home.
Staying more than ~183 days?
Affects tax residency for territorial & exempt regimes.
Your monthly life in Czechia
Pre-filled with typical costs in Prague. Drag or type to match your life.
A nice place in a popular area
Power, water, gas
Home fibre + data
Food at home
Transit, rideshare, fuel
Private cover nomads usually need
Eating out, coffee, going out
Shopping, gym, subscriptions, misc.
You meet the income requirement
Needs $2,967/mo · plus ~$6,729 savings.
Your qualifying income
$6,000
$5,100
$2,094
$3,006
Tax in Czechia
Effective rate
15.0%
- Income tax / mo
- $900
- Social security / mo
- Not charged
- Total deductions / mo
- $900
- Take-home / mo
- $5,100
Typically covered by your home country under a totalization agreement, so €0 locally.
Private health insurance is mandatory for this visa — it's already counted in your living costs above.
15% personal rate (23% above CZK 1,762,812 in 2026); the 60% lump-sum expense scheme is very generous for freelancers.
vs. United States
Tax
22.8% at home → 15.0% here
Same lifestyle costs
$4,273 at home → $2,094 here
Money left over
$360 at home → $3,006 here
Estimates for planning only — actual tax depends on treaties, your residency and personal circumstances. Confirm with official sources and a qualified advisor before you move.
What it takes to qualify
Income & savings
- Monthly income (single)
- CZK 69,000
- Basis
- 1.5× avg Czech wage (Digital Nomad Programme)
- Family add-on
- +30% spouse · +20%/child
- Savings required
- CZK 156,500
- Combine two incomes?
- Yes
Two routes. The fast-track Digital Nomad Programme needs income of ≈1.5× the average Czech wage (~CZK 69,000/mo in 2026, reset yearly); the general živno trade-licence route is gated on proof of funds (CZK 156,500 ≈ 50× the subsistence minimum) rather than a monthly salary.
The visa
- Program
- Long-term Business Visa (Živno) (Živnostenské oprávnění)
- Introduced
- 2023
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Max total stay
- No fixed cap — renews annually
- Fees
- $260 (approx)
- Who can apply
- Freelancers, Business owners
- Bring family?
- Yes
- Schengen access
- Yes
Trade-licence and long-stay visa fees. The 2023 Digital Nomad Programme fast-tracks 13 nationalities (incl. US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, India); others route in via the freelance 'živno' trade licence. The long-stay visa runs up to a year, then converts to a long-term residence permit for business.
What you'll actually pay
Income tax
- Treatment
- Foreign income can be taxed
- Headline rate
- 15%
- Tax residency at
- 183 days
- Employee social
- Usually home-covered
- Self-employed social
- 12% of income
- Health insurance
- Required for the visa
Social + health on a 50% base after the 60% lump-sum expense deduction (≈11–12% effective).
15% personal rate (23% above CZK 1,762,812 in 2026); the 60% lump-sum expense scheme is very generous for freelancers.
Good news
There's effectively no local income tax to worry about on your foreign earnings here.
This visa requires private health insurance. Get covered with SafetyWing (sponsored)
Reviewed Source: Czech MOI
Path to residency & citizenship
On the visa
Year 0+
Live legally on the Long-term Business Visa (Živno).
Permanent residency
~5 years
Settle permanently with full rights.
Citizenship
~10 years
Apply for a passport.
Permanent residence after 5 years; citizenship after 10 with a Czech-language exam.
Reviewed Source: Czech MOI
Typical costs in Prague
Rent (1-bed)
$1,050
Rent (family)
$1,600
Groceries / person
$280
Utilities
$200
Internet
$25
Transport / person
$25
Health insurance
$60
Dining / person
$230
Cost index 49/100 vs New York · prices are about 56% of US levels (PPP). Monthly figures shown in USD.
Highlights & watch-outs
What makes it great
- The 60% flat expense deduction makes effective freelance tax very low.
- Prague offers big-city life at mid-European prices.
- Trade-licence route counts toward residency.
What to watch
- Paperwork is slow and in Czech.
- Mandatory social contributions for freelancers.
Reviewed Source: Czech MOI
Compare Czechia
Head-to-head with similar destinations.
Moving to Czechia from…
See the tax & cost picture for your home country.