EU citizens can now enter the Czech Republic for up to 72 hours to work, meet family

Prague, May 25 (CTK) – EU citizens and foreigners with the status of a long-term EU resident can enter the Czech Republic for a maximum of 72 hours for work or family purposes as of Tuesday, if they produce a negative test for COVID-19 and the address they will stay at, the Czech cabinet has decided.

If arriving for family reasons, only the foreigners with evident family ties in the Czech Republic, including a long-standing partner, will be let into the country, Health Minister Adam Vojtěch (for ANO) told media after the cabinet meeting.

Additional exceptions to the ban on foreigners’ entry will be EU citizens arriving in the Czech Republic to study at a university, if they produce a negative test for COVID-19, and also food industry workers with Czech visa valid since May 11.

The entry of foreigners without a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic has been banned since mid-March over the coronavirus outbreak.

Foreigners who arrived in the Czech Republic before the ban could stay in the country even if their visa or visa-free stay period expired in the meantime.

Since May 11, the Czech Republic can also be entered by non-EU foreigners with a negative COVID-19 test to do seasonal jobs or work in selected branches of the economy.

PM Andrej Babiš (ANO) today also said that from Wednesday on, Czechs and Slovaks will cross the common border without having to show a negative test or going to quarantine if they return home in 48 hours.