Czechia
Stricter notification requirements for employers
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has announced that, effective 1 October 2025, an amendment to the Employment Act brings changes to the reporting of employment for foreign nationals and introduces the concept of undeclared work.
What is changing?
Previously, the obligation to report an employee’s employment to the Labour Office was no later than the day of their employment. Now, the notification must be made before the actual start of work.
The change applies to the employment of all foreign nationals, i.e. EU citizens, their family members and family members of Czech citizens, third-country nationals who need a work permit, and foreign nationals with free access to the labour market, including holders of temporary protection.
The only group to which the provision on undeclared work will not apply are workers posted to the EU internal market by an employer established in another Member State. In this case, the current deadline and reporting via the SÚIP portal will continue to apply.
The notification requirements for changes or termination of employment are unchanged.
Newly introduced offence and sanctions
If the report is made retroactively within five days of the start of work and no inspection is carried out in the meantime, the failure to comply with the obligation will be considered undeclared work, but will not be penalized as a misdemeanour.
If the report is made retroactively so that more than five days have passed since the start of work, the employer has committed an offence of enabling undeclared work, and the potential fine may take into account that the worker has already been reported by the employer.
If the worker has not been reported by the employer at all, the situation is considered undeclared work – a fine of up to CZK 3 million may apply.
Italy
Working holiday visa takes effect
Italy has ratified the Working Holiday Visa agreement it signed with Japan in May 2022. The deal took effect with the publication of Law No. 136 in the Official Gazette on 27 September 2025.
The Working Holiday Visa allows Japanese citizens between 18 and 30 years old to stay in the Italy for one year and to engage in employment, with one or multiple employers, for up to six months in total, without obtaining a work permit.
Poland
Suspension of certain deadlines for foreign nationals
The government has suspended until 4 March 2026 certain deadlines for voivodeship offices to process the legalization of stay of foreign nationals.
The Act of 12 September 2025 (Dz. U. pos. 1301) extends until 4 March 2026 the suspension of deadlines for the following cases conducted by voivodeship offices:
- granting and withdrawing a temporary, permanent and long-term resident permit of the European Union,
- changes to a temporary residence and work permit and a temporary residence permit for the purpose of performing work in a profession requiring a qualification level.
The voivode is not obliged to inform applicants about the failure to settle a case on time, and will not send a notification of inaction or delay to the Office for Foreigners.
Similarly, effective 30 September 2025, the deadlines and notification requirements are suspended until 4 March 2026 for international protection proceedings managed by the Office for Foreigners.
The Office for Foreigners notes that only the deadlines and not the processes themselves are suspended, and that new applications will be accepted.
The suspension of deadlines has been introduced in response to a large increase in the number of applications from mainly Ukrainian nationals.
Switzerland
No lifting of protection status S
The Federal Council has announced that it decided at its meeting on 8 October 2025 to maintain protection status S for individuals seeking protection from Ukraine until at least 4 March 2027. Support measures under Programme S, which provide assistance to those holding this status, will also be extended until that date.
Following a parliamentary decision, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) now distinguishes between regions where return is reasonable and those where it is not when granting temporary protection.
As Switzerland is a member of the Schengen area, the Federal Council places strong emphasis on close coordination with the European Union. On 13 June, EU member states agreed to extend temporary protection until 4 March 2027, without geographical restrictions.
Following the adoption of the Friedli motion (24.3378), the Federal Assembly decided to limit protection status S to individuals whose last place of residence was in occupied or contested regions of Ukraine. A distinction is now made between areas where return is considered reasonable or unreasonable when assessing eligibility for temporary protection. Currently, return to the regions of Volyn, Rivne, Lviv, Ternopil, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi is deemed reasonable.
This regulation does not affect individuals who already hold protection status S in Switzerland, nor does it apply to family members of status S holders who remain in Ukraine. As the security situation in Ukraine continues to evolve, SEM will review this list on an ongoing basis and adjust it if necessary.
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) will continue to assess each application on a case-by-case basis. If an application is rejected because the applicant comes from a region where return is considered reasonable, a removal order will be issued. However, if enforcement of that order is not permitted or not reasonable, the person will be granted temporary admission to Switzerland. Individuals excluded from protection status S may still apply for asylum under the regular procedure.
The new regulation will come into effect on 1 November 2025 and will apply to all applications assessed after that date, including those submitted earlier. An amendment to current practice – also taking effect on 1 November 2025 – will allow persons with protection status S to stay in Ukraine for up to 15 days per half-year, rather than 15 days per quarter.
In line with the extension of protection status S, the Federal Council has also decided to prolong the specific support measures under Programme S, originally adopted on 13 April 2022, until 4 March 2027. The federal government will continue to contribute CHF 3000 per person per year to cantonal integration efforts, with a particular focus on language support, access to education and labour market integration.
