Ahoj, Monday! 5 things you need to know this week in Czechia

Do you have any international friends who hope to work in Czechia? You may want to tell them this big news: from July 1, foreigners from nine countries – Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the UK, the U.S., Israel, and Singapore – won’t need work permits or employment cards to work in Czechia. However, they still need to have valid visas or residency permits to stay in the country.

July 5 sees Czechia celebrate Saints Cyril and Methodius Day. The public holiday will not affect stores’ operations; no closures are expected. Many office workers will have the day off. The day after – on Saturday – is Jan Hus Day, another public holiday with no store closures. Liechtenstein Palace in Prague 1 has open days July 5-6, with free guided tours roughly every 15 minutes.

Beginning July 1, all employers will be obligated to register their employees who are working under a work-performance, part-time contract, known as dohoda o provedení práce or DPP, with the Czech Social Security Administration. This requirement must be completed by Aug. 20. Previously, registration was only required for employees earning a monthly income of more than CZK 10,000. More info on this and other changes to employment law this year is in our article.

Both road and public transport maintenance will affect travel around Prague this week (and for the rest of the month). Road repairs on several major streets, including Cínovecká, Peroutkova, Bubenská, and Bucharova streets, will affect summer traffic in Prague, with more delays and queues expected. These repairs will begin on July 1 and will impact various routes until October. Repair work in central Prague will also affect over 25 tram and bus lines.

Three big musical acts play in the Czech capital this week. They are The Pet Shop Boys (July 1), Rod Stewart (July 3), and The Smashing Pumpkins (July 4), all at Prague's O2 arena or universum. The Master of Puppets festival (July 1 to 7) and Beats for Love (July 3 to 6) also take place this week.