Czechia’s statutory minimum wage climbed to CZK 22 400 on 1 January 2026, triggering an automatic recalculation of salary thresholds for the EU Blue Card and Intra-Corporate Transfer (ICT) permit. New applications must now offer at least 1.5 times the forecast average wage—CZK 77 245 gross a month—up from CZK 72 365 in 2025.
Pending files lodged before 31 December will still be assessed against the 2025 benchmark, but applicants may be asked to submit updated contracts if a decision is issued after 31 March. The Labour Ministry argues the uplift keeps Czechia competitive with Germany and Austria and reflects a red-hot labour market with unemployment hovering near 2.7 percent.
Companies navigating these changing thresholds can streamline the entire visa process through VisaHQ, whose Czech Republic portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) offers real-time salary benchmarks, document checklists and an online filing platform for both EU Blue Card and ICT permits—helping HR teams move faster and stay fully compliant.
![Rise in Czech Minimum Wage Pushes Up EU Blue-Card & ICT Salary Thresholds]()
For multinationals the change could add roughly CZK 60 000 (€2 400) a year to each assignee’s compensation package. Employers using cost-of-living equalisation clauses or host-country pay scales should revisit budgets and offer letters immediately, and ensure exchange-rate volatility does not push euro-denominated packages below the line.
Relocation vendors expect a short-term spike in requests for salary attestations, payroll forecasts and certified translations. Advisers recommend filing supporting documents in Czech to speed Labour-Office checks and flagging upcoming threshold reviews as early as October to avoid year-end surprises.
While the new floor still sits below Prague’s median tech salary, it could affect entry-level regional-hub roles and deter wage arbitrage strategies that rely on lower Czech labour costs.
Pending files lodged before 31 December will still be assessed against the 2025 benchmark, but applicants may be asked to submit updated contracts if a decision is issued after 31 March. The Labour Ministry argues the uplift keeps Czechia competitive with Germany and Austria and reflects a red-hot labour market with unemployment hovering near 2.7 percent.
Companies navigating these changing thresholds can streamline the entire visa process through VisaHQ, whose Czech Republic portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) offers real-time salary benchmarks, document checklists and an online filing platform for both EU Blue Card and ICT permits—helping HR teams move faster and stay fully compliant.
For multinationals the change could add roughly CZK 60 000 (€2 400) a year to each assignee’s compensation package. Employers using cost-of-living equalisation clauses or host-country pay scales should revisit budgets and offer letters immediately, and ensure exchange-rate volatility does not push euro-denominated packages below the line.
Relocation vendors expect a short-term spike in requests for salary attestations, payroll forecasts and certified translations. Advisers recommend filing supporting documents in Czech to speed Labour-Office checks and flagging upcoming threshold reviews as early as October to avoid year-end surprises.
While the new floor still sits below Prague’s median tech salary, it could affect entry-level regional-hub roles and deter wage arbitrage strategies that rely on lower Czech labour costs.
