Before you start

For an Employee Card: a job offer registered in the central vacancy database, with qualifications matching the role
For a trade licence: a clean criminal record and, for regulated trades, evidence of qualification
Proof of accommodation in Brno, usually a lease with the landlord's notarised consent
A passport with adequate validity, and an apostilled criminal record certificate from your home country

Step-by-step

1
Choose your route deliberately, not by default
The Employee Card ties you to a specific employer and position; changing jobs requires notifying the ministry and can require a new card. A trade licence lets you contract freely but moves all insurance and tax administration onto you. Brno's tech market makes the freelance route genuinely available, which is exactly why people take it without understanding the insurance consequence.
OnlineWho: You
2
Apply at a Czech embassy or consulate before you travel
Employee Card applications are lodged abroad at a Czech representation. In high-demand countries the appointment alone can take weeks to secure, before the two to three months of processing that follows.
In personWho: You
3
Book your Tuřanka appointment through ipc.gov.cz before you fly
The Ministry of the Interior's Department for Asylum and Migration Policy office for the South Moravian Region is at Tuřanka 1554/115b in Brno, out towards Slatina rather than in the centre, and it serves Brno-město, Brno-venkov, Vyškov, Blansko, Břeclav, Znojmo and Hodonín. That catchment means slots are consumed quickly. Reserve through the ministry's official portal rather than turning up.
OnlineWho: YouBefore arrival
4
Register your address within three working days of arriving
This is the hard, short deadline that catches people. It applies to the address where you actually stay. Some accommodation providers do it for you and many do not — get it confirmed in writing before you travel, and remember a Friday arrival leaves almost no margin.
In personWho: YouWithin 3 working days of arrival
5
Use the Brno Expat Centre, which is free
The city supports a free English-language service that will go through your residence file with you, tell you exactly which office and which documents apply, and help with health insurance and finding a doctor. The South Moravian Region runs a separate Centre for Foreigners. Both cost nothing and both are better informed than a general relocation agency.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
6
Give biometrics and collect the card, then plan the renewal early
Attend the ministry office for biometrics; the physical card follows. Employee Cards are issued for the duration of the contract up to two years and are renewable. Permanent residence becomes available after five years of continuous residence.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport
Employment contract and confirmation the vacancy is in the central register, or the trade licence
Qualification documents, often requiring nostrification — Czech recognition of a foreign degree
Proof of accommodation with notarised landlord consent
Criminal record certificate, apostilled and officially translated
Passport photographs

Things most newcomers don’t know

Three working days is genuinely tight, and Friday arrivals lose most of it.

Non-EU arrivals must report their address to the Foreign Police almost immediately. Some accommodation providers handle it and many do not, and they will not necessarily tell you which. Confirm in writing who is registering you before you fly, and if you can choose your flight, do not land on a Friday afternoon.

Source: Czech Ministry of the Interior — obligations of foreign nationals

The Brno office serves seven districts, so book the slot before you need it.

The Department for Asylum and Migration Policy office at Tuřanka 1554/115b handles Brno-město, Brno-venkov, Vyškov, Blansko, Břeclav, Znojmo and Hodonín. A city of 400,000 is being served by an office whose catchment is far larger, and the reservation system through ipc.gov.cz fills accordingly. Booking from abroad before you arrive is the difference between a smooth first month and a scramble.

Source: Czech Ministry of the Interior — OAMP office contacts

Brno gives you a free service that most cities charge for.

The city-supported Brno Expat Centre and the regional Centre for Foreigners both provide free English-language help with residence paperwork, insurance and registration. Newcomers routinely pay a relocation consultant several thousand koruna for advice they could have had at no cost, because nothing in the immigration process points them to either organisation.

Source: Brno Expat Centre; Centre for Foreigners of the South Moravian Region

Nostrification of your degree is the sleeper cost of the Employee Card.

Many roles require Czech recognition of a foreign qualification, which involves a university, fees, certified translations and months of waiting. People budget for the visa and the flights and are blindsided by this. Ask your employer early whether your role needs it, because the answer determines your timeline more than the visa processing does.

Source: Czech qualification recognition requirements

Common mistakes to avoid

Missing the three-working-day Foreign Police registration, particularly after a Friday arrival.
Turning up at Tuřanka without a reservation made through the ministry's portal.
Paying a relocation consultant for advice the Brno Expat Centre gives free.
Not budgeting the time or money for nostrification of qualifications.
Changing employer on an Employee Card without notifying the ministry properly.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.