The Czech Embassy in Cairo has announced that appointment slots for long-term visas under the seasonal-employment category will open on 20 November 2025 between 10:00 and 16:00 local time. Only five applications will be accepted for the entire month, reflecting Prague’s tight quota management for labour-migration programmes.
Seasonal-work visas allow non-EU nationals to stay in Czechia for up to nine months to fill shortages in agriculture, food processing and tourism. Demand from Egyptian workers has surged since pandemic-related travel curbs were lifted last year, but the embassy can process only a fraction of requests. Applicants must book online at the exact opening time; previous rounds have filled within minutes.
![Czech Embassy in Cairo Opens Limited November Slots for Seasonal-Work Visas]()
The embassy reminds employers that, since 1 July 2025, it no longer accepts "off-programme" employee-card applications. Firms must instead use one of the government’s targeted economic-migration schemes—such as "Qualified Employee" or "Key and Scientific Personnel"—or hire workers already inside the EU.
Companies planning spring 2026 recruitment cycles should therefore monitor embassy calendars closely and consider alternative labour markets or intra-EU transfers. Failure to secure a slot now could delay onboarding by up to six months, given that visa adjudication takes 90 days and high-season processing backlogs are common.
Labour advisers also caution employers to align appointment dates with the new pre-employment reporting rules introduced on 1 October 2025, which require notification of a foreign worker’s start date *before* they commence duties—non-compliance carries fines of up to CZK 3 million.
Seasonal-work visas allow non-EU nationals to stay in Czechia for up to nine months to fill shortages in agriculture, food processing and tourism. Demand from Egyptian workers has surged since pandemic-related travel curbs were lifted last year, but the embassy can process only a fraction of requests. Applicants must book online at the exact opening time; previous rounds have filled within minutes.
The embassy reminds employers that, since 1 July 2025, it no longer accepts "off-programme" employee-card applications. Firms must instead use one of the government’s targeted economic-migration schemes—such as "Qualified Employee" or "Key and Scientific Personnel"—or hire workers already inside the EU.
Companies planning spring 2026 recruitment cycles should therefore monitor embassy calendars closely and consider alternative labour markets or intra-EU transfers. Failure to secure a slot now could delay onboarding by up to six months, given that visa adjudication takes 90 days and high-season processing backlogs are common.
Labour advisers also caution employers to align appointment dates with the new pre-employment reporting rules introduced on 1 October 2025, which require notification of a foreign worker’s start date *before* they commence duties—non-compliance carries fines of up to CZK 3 million.
