Ukrainian employees in 2026: special long-term residence and new rules for occupational health examinations
Similar to last year, the government will invoke the application of Lex Ukraine and launch a process allowing temporary protection holders to register for special long-term residence. Furthermore, from 1 January 2026, new conditions for occupational health examinations for selected foreigners (including Ukrainians) apply.
Special long-term residence is a concept that the Czech Republic introduced for the first time last year. It allows temporary protection holders to transition to a longer-term residence status, which brings them security and stability with the prospect of obtaining permanent residence in the future. However, its conditions are quite strict, especially in terms of financial self-sufficiency, so not all temporary protection holders will be able to obtain this permit.
Persons able to gain this residence status can count on all its benefits, i.e. validity extended for five years, free access to the Czech labour market and the possibility of further transition to selected residence titles.
Last year, applicants in the transition process undertook the first step, i.e. the expression of interest, from 1 to 30 April via the Ministry of the Interior’s information portal for foreigners. From May to August, the Ministry of the Interior evaluated the submitted notifications and then informed applicants whether they had met the conditions. If they had, they could register for a residence permit via the same portal from 1 September until the end of 2025.
If they had not met the conditions, they were informed of this fact and were no longer able to re-register for this type of residence permit. Subsequent steps in the transition process followed the standard process for issuing residence permits, i.e. the collection of biometric data and the actual issuance of the card. Approximately 16,000 people obtained special long-term residence permits in this way.
This year, the system for issuing special long-term residence permits will be very similar. According to the draft government regulation, the only difference should be that the actual registrations for the issuance of the residence permit itself will not take place until October 2026. The Ministry of the Interior thus wants to gain more time to evaluate the initial expressions of interest.
Changes in occupational health examinations, not only for Ukrainians
Employers should also take note of changes to the rules for initial occupational health examinations.
From 1 January 2026, job applicants from high-risk countries will be required to undergo a tuberculosis examination (chest X-ray), regardless of the risk category of the work they will be performing. One of these countries is Ukraine, others include the Philippines, China, Indonesia and most African countries, i.e. countries where the annual incidence of tuberculosis exceeds 40 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Already employed workers do not need to undergo this examination.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Health, this obligation does not apply to foreigners who reside in the Czech Republic on a long-term basis. However, the implementing decree does not specify this term in more detail. Many foreigners visit their home countries, and therefore the risk of infection cannot be ruled out. Employers are thus advised to have applicants undergo the examination, especially if they recently returned from a longer stay in their home country, as it is still unclear how the supervisory authorities will interpret this obligation and failure to comply with the rules on occupational health examinations may result in sanctions.