TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Czech Republic will no longer require Taiwanese nationals to obtain a work permit to be employed in the country next year. 

Czech media outlet Novinky.cz reported Thursday that starting next year, Taiwan will be included on the list of countries whose citizens can work in the Czech Republic without requiring a blue card, employee card, or work permit. In other words, Taiwanese citizens will no longer need a work permit to gain employment in the Czech Republic.

The Czech government announced that starting July, foreigners from nine non-EU countries can access the Czech labor market without a work permit. These countries include Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the UK, the US, Israel, and Singapore.

Taiwan was initially included in this list, but the Czech Republic does not officially recognize Taiwan as an “independent state.” Therefore, an amendment to the country's employment act was required to include "independent jurisdictions." 

The amendment was approved by senators last week and is expected to take effect in January. 

According to the Czech labor ministry, the administrative burden on employers will be reduced by waiving the requirement. The entry of these foreign nationals into the labor market will also be accelerated. 

The proposal needs to be reviewed and approved by the cabinet. However, the ministry does not expect the measure to meet any resistance considering the consensus during discussions on the original regulation.