Working "on DPP" or "on DPČ": what these Czech agreements really give you

Prague job adverts often offer a role "on DPP" or "on DPČ", usually for part-time, seasonal or project work. The abbreviations are not employment contracts in the full sense, and the difference matters for pay, insurance and, for foreigners, the residence permit.

This explainer covers what the two agreements are and where the lines sit. The standard contract is in how a Czech employment contract works.

The two agreements

The Labour Code lets employers engage people outside a normal employment relationship through two agreements. Both are in writing, and both are limited.

DPP: agreement to complete a job (dohoda o provedení práce). It is meant for limited work, capped at 300 hours per calendar year for each employer (Labour Code, § 75). The limit is counted per employer, not across all of them. Exceed it and the arrangement stops being a valid DPP. The work is defined by a task or purpose, not by a fixed weekly schedule.

DPČ: agreement to perform work (dohoda o pracovní činnosti). It is meant for ongoing part-time work, limited to an average of half the standard weekly working time, so 20 hours against a 40-hour week, over a period of up to 52 weeks (Labour Code, § 76). It is closer to a part-time job but with fewer protections.

Both can end by notice or agreement on the terms in the document, and neither carries the full dismissal protection of a standard contract. Pay can be agreed freely, subject to the minimum wage and the pay rules.

The choice between the two is not the worker's to make in a vacuum. An employer who needs a few hours of help on an event or a translation project fits a DPP. One who needs a regular two days a week fits a DPČ. If an employer offers the wrong one for the work, that is a question to put to them.

What has changed

The Labour Code has been amended in recent years to give agreement workers more protection, including rights relating to leave and to advance notice of schedules, and the insurance rules have been updated. The thresholds that trigger insurance are tied to the average wage and have been adjusted. Because the details have moved, read the current text on the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs' site or ask payroll (as of 2026; check the official source).

An agreement signed years ago on the basis of old rules is a particular risk. If you work under an arrangement that predates the amendments, ask the employer in writing how the current rules apply to you and what has been changed in the document.

Insurance: the line that matters

Social and health insurance on agreement income depends on earnings per employer per month. For a DPP the threshold is 25% of the average wage, rounded down to the nearest CZK 500, which gives CZK 12,000 a month in 2026; for a DPČ it is the threshold for small-scale employment, CZK 4,500 a month in 2026 (as of 2026; check ČSSZ). Earn at least that from one employer in a month and the usual social and health contributions apply to the whole amount for that month; earn less and none are deducted for that agreement. The thresholds are updated, and income from each employer is assessed separately. Employers must still report every DPP to ČSSZ each month, including those below the threshold.

The consequences are practical. Income below the threshold looks attractive because take-home pay is higher, but there is no sickness insurance, so no state sick pay, no maternity benefit and nothing added to the pension record for those months. Income above the threshold brings cover. See Czech social security contributions explained and Czech sick pay and sick leave explained.

Health insurance has its own rules. A worker who is not otherwise insured, say not employed elsewhere and not state-insured, must make sure health insurance is paid, and an agreement below the threshold does not settle that. See public health insurance in Czechia: who pays and when.

Tax

Agreement income is taxed. On small agreement income, if you have not signed the taxpayer's declaration with that employer, the employer can withhold tax at a flat rate, and that withholding can be final for that income within limits the law sets. In other cases the employer withholds advances as on a standard wage. If you hold several agreements, or an agreement alongside a job, you may need to file a return. See how Czech income tax works for employees and how to file a Czech personal tax return.

Foreigners on agreements

For non-EU nationals the decisive question is whether your residence status lets you do the work. An employee card ties you to one employer and one position. Agreement work for another employer is not covered, and doing it can put your status at risk. Some statuses, such as permanent residence, and some categories, such as students under defined conditions, allow agreement work. See employee cards and Blue Cards explained and Czech visa types explained. If in doubt, ask the Ministry of the Interior before you sign.

EU citizens can take agreement work on the same terms as Czechs.

When an agreement is a bad fit

An agreement is unsuitable where the work is really full-time and long-term, with fixed hours and the employer's direction. The authorities and courts look at substance, and a worker in that position has a case that the arrangement should be an employment contract. A pattern of repeated agreements for what looks like a regular job is a warning sign. Complaints go to the labour inspectorate.

A fair test is to ask four plain questions. Do I work set hours that the employer decides? Do I work only for this employer, most of the week? Do I use the employer's equipment and follow its instructions? Has this been going on for a long time? Several yeses suggest the work looks like employment, and the person doing it should ask for a standard contract.

A worked example

Take a hypothetical student who takes a DPP at a conference company to staff an event, and a DPČ at a café for a few shifts a week. The conference pays a small amount for a one-off job, below the insurance threshold, so no social insurance is deducted and nothing goes on her record. The café pays regularly and its monthly figure passes the threshold, so insurance is deducted and she builds sickness cover and a pension record there. The two employers are counted separately, which is the rule that surprises people: earnings are not added up across employers for the threshold.

Because she is a student, her status in the health insurance system may be that of a state-insured person, which is a separate question from the agreements. If she were not, she would have to check that health insurance was being paid some other way.

Leave and notice on agreements

Rights have been extended to agreement workers in recent years, including a right to leave in some cases and advance notice of the schedule. The details have been changed, and employers have sometimes lagged behind the law. If you work regular hours on an agreement, ask for the schedule in writing and ask how leave is calculated. If the employer says there is none, point to the current Labour Code and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs' guidance, or ask the labour inspectorate. Do this politely and early. A short exchange of messages at the beginning is much easier than a dispute at the end.

Who uses agreements, and why

For workers, agreements suit students, people with a main job who want extra income, parents returning gradually to work and anyone who wants a flexible arrangement. For employers they are cheaper to administer and easier to end. Neither motive is improper. The difficulty arises when the worker needs the stability of a contract and is offered an agreement because it is convenient for the employer.

What to check in the agreement

Frequently asked questions

Is a DPP the same as an employment contract?

No. DPP and DPČ are written agreements for limited or part-time work outside a full employment contract, each with an hours cap set by the Labour Code, and neither carries the full protection of a standard contract.

Do I get sick pay on a DPP?

Only if your earnings from that employer pass the insurance threshold. Below it there is no sickness insurance, so no state sick pay or maternity benefit.

Can I work on a DPP on an employee card?

An employee card ties you to one employer and one position, so agreement work for another employer is not covered. Ask the Ministry of the Interior before you sign.

Where do I complain about an abusive use of agreements?

To the labour inspectorate, which looks at the substance of the arrangement.

Ask the employer in writing which insurance applies to your expected earnings.

This is a general explainer, not legal or tax advice. Employment and immigration rules change; check the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior or a licensed adviser.