ICT Card

The ICT Card (Intra-Corporate Transfer permit) lets multinational companies move managers, specialists and trainee employees from a branch outside the EU to a branch inside it. It is grounded in the EU's 2014 ICT Directive, so the framework is common across member states - this page covers Germany, the lead country, and the Czech Republic.

Unlike a standard work visa, the ICT Card is tied to an existing employment relationship within the same corporate group; you do not need a new local contract because you remain employed by the sending entity abroad. Germany issues the ICT Card (ICT-Karte) for assignments of more than 90 days, distinguishing managers and specialists (up to three years) from trainees (up to one year). The Czech Republic issues an equivalent ICT employee card under the same directive.

A major benefit is intra-EU mobility: after being admitted in the first member state, an ICT holder can carry out short-term work in other EU countries on a mobile-ICT basis, or apply for long-term mobility in a second state. The card is designed for temporary assignments, not permanent relocation.

You must already be employed by the corporate group for a minimum continuous period before the transfer - at least six months for managers and specialists, and three months for trainees, immediately before the assignment. You must be transferred to a host entity belonging to the same group as the sending company. Managers and specialists need to demonstrate the relevant senior or specialised role and, for trainees, a recognised university degree plus a training agreement. The host position must offer pay and conditions at least equal to comparable local workers, in line with the destination country's collective agreements. You must hold valid health insurance, have a contract or assignment letter covering the full transfer period, and possess a passport valid for the assignment's duration.

Step one: the corporate group confirms the transfer and prepares the assignment letter detailing role, duration, salary and the host entity. Step two: assemble documents - proof of prior group employment, the assignment letter, evidence of the corporate-group relationship, qualifications, passport and health insurance. Step three: in Germany the employer can use the accelerated skilled-worker procedure through the local immigration authority to speed approval. Step four: the employee applies for an entry D-visa at the German or Czech mission abroad, submitting the file and biometrics. Step five: travel to the destination after visa issuance and register the local address. Step six: apply for the physical ICT Card at the local foreigners' authority - the Ausländerbehörde in Germany or the Ministry of the Interior in the Czech Republic - and collect the card. Step seven: for assignments touching multiple EU countries, file mobility notifications or long-term mobility applications for each additional member state. Family members apply for accompanying permits in parallel.

The German entry D-visa costs around €75 and the ICT-Karte residence permit roughly €100; the Czech ICT employee card carries comparable fees of €100–€200. Budget for certified translations of the assignment letter and corporate documents, biometric photos, and document legalisation. Health insurance for the assignment period is mandatory. Employers using Germany's accelerated procedure pay an additional fee of around €411. Family member permits are charged separately. Most assignment costs are typically borne by the employer rather than the transferred employee.

Standard ICT Card processing takes four to twelve weeks, covering the embassy D-visa stage and the local card issuance after arrival. Germany's accelerated skilled-worker procedure, initiated by the host employer, can shorten the pre-decision stage substantially, often to a few weeks. The Czech ICT employee card generally follows similar timelines. Intra-EU short-term mobility can begin once a notification is filed with the second member state, while long-term mobility applications add several weeks of processing in each additional country.

An ICT Card holder may work only for the host entity named in the assignment and remains employed by the sending company abroad. The card is strictly temporary - maximum three years for managers and specialists, one year for trainees - and does not by itself lead to permanent residence or citizenship, nor does ICT time generally count toward EU long-term residence. Family members receive accompanying residence permits, usually with work rights in Germany. If you wish to settle permanently, you would typically need to switch to another permit such as the EU Blue Card before the ICT Card expires. Intra-EU mobility lets you carry out assignments in other group entities across the EU during the card's validity.