Yes, although an EU citizen needs no work permit. You must notify the labour office for the place of work when employment starts and ends, using an electronic information card with a qualified electronic signature, each time within seven working days. The same duty applies to family members. Failure to file the card may attract a fine of up to EUR 100,000.
For employees from the Czech Republic, Poland or Hungary, companies often assume that EU membership means nothing needs to be reported. The first part is correct: no permit is needed. However, the duty to notify the labour office also applies to EU citizens, and neglecting it can be expensive.
No permit is needed, but an information card is
Act No. 5/2004 Coll. on Employment Services ties work permits and confirmations that a vacancy may be filled only to third-country nationals; citizens of EU Member States and their family members start work without them. Nevertheless, the employer must notify the office when their employment starts and ends, using a form commonly called an information card.
How and when to file the card
An employer employing a citizen of a Member State of the European Union, their family members, family members of a Slovak citizen or a third-country national under Section 21(1)(a), third or fourth point, or Section 23a, provides data to the office electronically on a form prescribed by the Central Office, signed with a qualified electronic signature, no later than seven working days from the start of employment and no later than seven working days from the end of employment.
— Section 23b(5) of Act No. 5/2004 Coll. (unofficial English translation)
The card is therefore filed electronically and signed with a qualified electronic signature; the Central Office switched to revised electronic forms on 1 September 2025. The deadline is seven working days from the start and likewise seven working days from the end of employment. The competent office is determined by the place of work, rather than the employer’s registered office, which matters for operations across several districts.
What happens if the card is missing?
Failure to comply with Section 23b is an administrative offence. The office may impose a fine of up to EUR 100,000 (Section 68a(1) of Act No. 5/2004 Coll.), considering the seriousness, consequences and repetition of the deficiencies. Make the card as firm a part of onboarding as registration with the Social Insurance Agency, and also build it into departures, which are even more often forgotten.
The good news is that failure to file an EU citizen’s information card alone does not make the company an illegal employer. That arises where a contract is missing, Social Insurance Agency registration is late, or the conditions for employing a third-country national are not met. The card violation is “only” an administrative offence, but still an avoidable one.
Third-country nationals face a stricter regime
For third-country nationals, reporting duties are supplemented by confirmations, permits, notification attachments and reports of failure to start work. We discuss these in a foreign national starting work and notification to the labour office.
How we can help
We can structure onboarding and departure processes for foreign employees so cards and notifications are submitted automatically and on time, from individual cases to a complete HR system, through our employing foreign nationals service. We prepare contracts and onboarding documents through employment contracts and documentation.
If you have not filed cards so far, review past starts too: the time limit for imposing a fine runs for years.
This answer provides general information on the law as at 29 August 2026. It does not constitute legal services or replace an assessment of an individual case. The details of your situation may differ. Book a consultation to discuss them.
