Brno Expat Centre — one-stop integration service for international talent

The Brno Expat Centre (BEC) is a non-profit one-stop service for international skilled professionals in Brno, the Czech Republic’s second-largest city (population ~400,000). Co-funded by the City of Brno and the South Moravian Region, it has operated continuously since 2010 and entered its 15th season in September 2024.

Services cover individual consultations on residence permits, visas, healthcare, housing, schools, taxes, and labour-market formalities, available in multiple languages. Since 2023, BEC also serves international university students, resulting in a 50% increase in student users within the first year. A buddy system pairs newcomers with local residents for social integration.

Over 14 years, BEC has served more than 13,000 highly skilled professionals drawn to Brno’s growing tech and life-sciences cluster. In autumn 2024, five new staff members were hired to manage growing demand. Labour Office data (end-2021) records 77,201 foreign workers in Brno — a 33% increase over the preceding six years.

The Talent Attraction and Integration Management (TAIM) initiative, launched by Brno City Hall and the South Moravian Region, coordinates BEC, employers, universities and public services to increase Brno’s visibility as a talent destination globally.

Source: Brno Expat Centre (https://www.brnoexpatcentre.eu/) | Radio Prague International (https://english.radio.cz/expat-fair-showcases-what-life-brno-can-offer-foreign-professionals-8747059) | Official Brno city portal (https://in.brno.cz/en/brno-expat-centre-opens-its-15th-season/)

Read the full analysis: https://www.brnoexpatcentre.eu/