The Czech CV: what local employers expect on one or two pages

The same CV can win an interview in Berlin and bounce in Brno. The difference is rarely the career and usually the packaging: length, order, the photo, the line about data protection at the bottom. Czech employers are not strange about this, but they have habits, and a candidate who knows them looks better prepared than one who does not.

Czech or English, and which version

The first decision is language. A multinational head office, a software house or a shared-service centre in Prague will often advertise in English, run interviews in English and read an English CV. A small manufacturer, a regional bank branch or a public body will advertise in Czech and expect a Czech reply. Match the language of the advertisement. If the advertisement is in both, send the one in which you are stronger, and make sure it contains no machine-translation mistakes, because employers notice them.

If you apply in Czech without being fluent, say so honestly in a short line, and keep the content simple. A well-written English CV is better than a stiff Czech one that suggests a language level you do not have. When a posting asks for a language level, give it using the Common European Framework labels (A1 to C2), which Czech employers understand, and be precise: "Czech B1, studying" is more useful than "intermediate". If you are still on the way there, our guide to learning Czech as an adult compares the routes.

What goes in a Czech CV

A Czech CV is a životopis or, in a more formal setting, a strukturovaný životopis (structured CV). The usual order is personal and contact details, work experience, education, languages and skills, and sometimes a short section on interests or courses. Experience goes in reverse chronological order, with the most recent job first, and dates written as month and year.

Length is short. One page is common for early-career candidates and two for experienced ones; three pages invite the suspicion that you cannot edit. Use plain formatting on A4 paper, a readable typeface and no graphics that an applicant tracking system might scramble. For each role give the employer, the job title, the dates and a few lines of what you did and achieved. Numbers help if they are yours and true: a team size, a budget you managed, a delivery date you met. Never invent them.

The European format, Europass, is known and accepted, particularly in the public sector and in education. It is not obligatory in the private sector, where a clean custom layout is as good.

Photo, date of birth and other details

This is where applicants from other countries most often hesitate. Practice varies by country and by employer. In Czechia a photo on the CV is common and not required, and many employers do not mind either way. If you add one, make it a plain, recent head-and-shoulders picture. A date of birth is routine on Czech CVs, along with a town of residence and contact details, and you can include it without surprise.

Other items are different. The Labour Code and the Employment Act limit what an employer may ask for. An employer may not require information that is not directly related to the job, with examples such as pregnancy, family and property circumstances, sexual orientation, origin, and membership of political parties or trade unions. Criminal-record information may be requested only where the nature of the work justifies it. You are not obliged to write your marital status, your children, your religion or your nationality on a CV, and you can decline to answer such a question at an interview. If a form insists, the State Labour Inspection Office can tell you what the law allows.

An applicant's data are also protected by the GDPR. Many Czech CVs end with a sentence in which the applicant agrees to the processing of their personal data for the recruitment, often for a stated period. Employers include this wording in advertisements and forms. The legal basis for handling an application does not always depend on consent, so do not be alarmed by either its presence or its absence, but do ask how long your data will be kept if it matters to you.

The cover letter

A cover letter (motivační dopis) is expected more often than in some other countries, especially for advertised vacancies in Czech firms and in the public sector. Keep it to one page and aim it at the job. Say why this employer, which parts of the advertisement match your experience, and when you could start. Czech employers appreciate a direct tone and dislike padding and flattery. Do not repeat the CV line by line.

If you need a permit, say so briefly and early, with the type if you know it. A sentence such as "I am a non-EU citizen and would need an employee card; I understand the employer would register the vacancy" saves both sides time. Our guide to finding a job in Czechia as a foreigner explains how that process works from the employer's side, and the explainer on employee cards and Blue Cards describes the cards.

Qualifications, translations and references

Employers want to see what you studied, where and when. List your degrees with the name of the institution, the country and the year. If the title has no obvious Czech equivalent, describe it briefly in English (for example "Bachelor's degree, four years, economics"). Recognition of a foreign degree is a separate formal step that matters only for regulated professions and for certain public jobs; it is not usually required for a private-sector application. If you may be asked for certified copies, find out early how long authentication takes. Our checklist on apostille and legalisation and the explainer on sworn translations cover the formalities.

References are usually offered on request instead of printed on the CV. Ask your referees before naming them, and give them the job description. Employers in Czechia do contact referees, particularly for senior roles, and a reference that arrives promptly and says something specific carries more weight than a glowing letter that says nothing.

Salary, interviews and follow-up

Many Czech advertisements ask for salary expectations, and some employers expect a number in the first reply. Give a range if you can, in gross monthly terms, because Czech pay is quoted per month and gross. If you do not know the market, ask the recruiter for the range of the role before naming a figure. Pay is also governed by the minimum wage (CZK 22,400 a month for 2026, as of 2026; check MPSV), which is a floor, not a typical offer.

Interviews tend to be on time and fairly formal, with a handshake, direct eye contact and a quick move from small talk to the work. Dress to the industry. Expect questions about your practical experience, your reasons for moving to Czechia, your plans to stay and your language level, and expect an employer who needs a permit to ask about timing. A thank-you note the next day is polite and uncommon enough to be remembered.

Employers sometimes take weeks to reply. A single follow-up after about a week or two is acceptable; repeated messages are not. Keep a list of where you applied, with the version of the CV you sent, so that you can match a call to the right application.

Frequently asked questions

Should I put a photo on my Czech CV?

It is common but not required. If you include one, use a recent, plain, professional picture.

How long should a Czech CV be?

One to two pages, reverse chronological, with dates as month and year.

Can an employer ask about my family plans?

Not as a condition of employment. Employers may not demand information that is not directly related to the job, such as pregnancy or family circumstances.

Do I need a Czech CV if the advertisement is in English?

No. An English CV and cover letter suit an English-language advertisement; use Czech when the advertisement is in Czech.