Any advice would really help

Hello, the best option for your would be propably a Trada license - more infoo you can find here : - pexpats.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=98&catid=80.

It is the fastes way for you to get the long term visa and other good thing is that you can have more than one empoyer.

With the Trade license you should pay social insurance and submit taxes every year.

Good luck!

Czech state pre-schools require a teaching degree, private pre-schools are also becoming more discerning as well. What sort of teaching did you do in Japan?

It's very hard to find a ESL job in Prague, because there are so many Expats here. Your best option would be looking for a school in a smaller city. Plus they pay and cost of living is better outside of Prague.

I agree. Forget Prague, go to Brno. But don't expect a job to fall into your lap here either. You need to prove that you are serious, dedicated, and above all, professional. Native speakers have started to get a bad reputation here for being unreliable.

Here is what is required for Czechs to teach in a state pre-school ( from the Czech Education Ministry website):

In nursery schools, children are taught by teachers of nursery schools, who mainly have completed secondary education with a school-leaving examination specialised in preschool pedagogy (graduates of secondary pedagogical schools). They can also gain education at higher vocational schools or higher education institutions in a bachelors or masters study programme. The education must always be specialised in preschool pedagogy. The weekly extent of direct pedagogical activity of a nursery-school teacher is set at 31 hours.

So at the least you will need to show that you have some qualification for teaching at pre-school level. There are some kindergartens which have some English-language immersion classes, but the teachers also need to speak Czech.

A better idea would be for you to work as a private teacher.