Health Insurance and Medical Care

HEALTH INSURANCE

Students from third countries

If you wish to stay in the Czech Republic for a period exceeding 90 days from the date of your entry into the Czech Republic, you must ensure, that you have a travel insurance covering a comprehensive medical care. From September 20, 2023 such insurance can be arranged with any insurance company authorised to provide it in the Czech Republic.

If you applied for long-term visa or for long-term residence permit at an office of the Diplomatic Mission of the Czech Republic, you have to submit a certificate proving your travel medical insurance, before you can collect your long-term visa or your long-term visa for the purpose of residence permit, meeting the following criteria: 

  • Travel and medical insurance covering necessary and urgent medical care for the initial 90 days of your stay, and at the same time another agreement concluded with an insurance company authorised to provide comprehensive medical insurance in the Czech Republic.
  • You may also submit a Certificate of Agreement with insurance company on a comprehensive medical insurance for the entire period of your stay.

Certificate of travel and medical insurance must confirm:

  • The period of insurance validity (insurance must be concluded for the entire period of your stay in the Czech Republic).
  • The scope of insurance coverage (the agreement must include the coverage of expenses).
  • The amount of indemnity (the contracted limit for one insured accident must be at least EUR 400,000, without participation of the insured person on the costs).

Insurance agreement must not exclude an accident indemnity, in cases where the accident is caused by your intentional or wrongful act, joint culpability, or as a result of alcohol-, narcotic- and psychotropic substance misuse.

If you conclude an insurance agreement abroad, you must also submit a certified translation of your insurance agreement and of the general terms and conditions into the Czech language.

On request, you have to submit the proof of payment of the insurance premium stated on the comprehensive travel and medical insurance certificate.

Application for a long-term visa or for a long-term residence permit filed in the territory of the Czech Republic

If you apply for a long-term visa, a long-term residence permit or extension of validity of the two above residence permits in the Czech Republic, your certificate of travel and medical insurance must prove, that the relevant insurance is valid for comprehensive health care.

From September 20, 2023 the comprehensive medical insurance can be arranged with any insurance company authorised to provide it in the Czech Republic.

Thus, if you apply for the above-mentioned residence permits or for an extension of their validity, with effect from September 20, 2023, your certificate of travel and medical insurance can be arranged with any insurance company authorised to provide it in the Czech Republic.

Recommended comprehensive insurance providers:

UNIQA – This insurance company provides comprehensive insurance for shorter periods.

  • COMPLEX +
  • COMPLEX

AXA – This insurance company provides comprehensive insurance for a minimum of 1 month.

  • Foreigner´s comprehensive health insurance

Vitalitas – This insurance company provides comprehensive insurance for a minimum of 1 month.

PVZP – This insurance company has comprehensive insurance. However, there is a minimum term of 4 months. There are other products that can be purchased for a shorter period (see PVZP options below).

 

HEALTH INSURANCE

Students from EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland

EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card)

EU citizens can temporarily use their own European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), and citizens of the United Kingdom should bring their Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).

The EHIC card gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country. The insurance company will not pay for anything above the framework of essential care and will not even settle the excess stipulated by the local laws.

Important – the European Health Insurance Card:

  • is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property,
  • does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment,
  • does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country.

Please bear in mind that your European health card insurance entitles you only to coverage of the costs of medical care in the Czech Republic and Czech doctors are instructed to try to ensure that you need not leave the country earlier than you planned as a result of medical problems.

Other kinds of medically related care, e.g. non-urgent treatment, or medically assisted transport home following serious illness or injury, are not covered, and for these eventualities we recommend you take out extra medical or commercial travel insurance with an insurance provider in your home country.

After your arrival, we advise you to register at VZP (Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna – General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic). Beware of EU health insurance policies and check the insurance regulations here.

To register, you may visit the VZP office at Na Perštýně 6, Prague 1. Bring your EHIC (GHIC) card and passport or ID card. You will obtain an official document providing you with the same health services as if you were a citizen of the Czech Republic. If you are unsure and need some help, you may contact them directly at the e-mail address: info@vzp.cz

 
 

HEALTH PROBLEMS

If your medical problem isn't an emergency, Prague has several clinics that cater to English-speaking clients that can provide a network of services from basic examination to accompanying a patient to the hospital. Please note, however, that these are usually commercial operations that may charge a high fee.

Before seeing any doctor for the first time we recommend you to register with the S1 form with one of the seven statutory Czech health insurance companies. The largest one is VZP (Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna - General Health Insurance Company). Registration is a very easy and free of charge procedure that simplifies appointments and covering costs by doctors. You will be asked to present your blue European health insurance card and will be given your personal health insurance number you should show to doctors or in hospitals. The address of the nearest VZP office is - Na Perštýně 6, Prague 1.

Students from EU countries (+Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) - just visit an office of the chosen statutory health insurance company to register.

Students from non-EU countries - it is obligatory for all foreigners (staying more than 90 days in the Czech Republic) to have arranged a health insurance which complies with the Czech law requirements.

RECOMMENDED HEALTH CENTRES

You should primarily choose any of the doctors/hospitals contracted with your insurance company. You can look them up on the web sites of the insurance company or call its assistence line. When visiting a doctor/hospital, please be sure to take your passport/ID.

Polyclinic at Národní
address: Národní 9 (3rd floor), Prague 1
making a prior appointment required
poliklinika@narodni.cz
phone: +420 222 075 119, +420 222 075 119
regular office hours: 8:30 - 17:00
WEB

Motol University Hospital - Foreign and Private Patient Department
address: V Úvalu 84, Prague 5 (metro station Nemocnice Motol, line A)
making a prior appointment required
ops@fnmotol.cz
phone: +420 224 433 691, +420 224 433 681
WEB

In case of psychological problems you can use services of the following health centres:

Crisis Intervention Center RIAPS (continuous outpatient and residential services for people in acute crisis)
address: Chelčického 39, Prague 3
no previous registration required
riaps@mcssp.cz
phone: +420 222 586 768, +420 222 585 350

Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague
address: Ke Karlovu 11, Prague 2
phone: +420 224 965 344-5, +420 224 916 858, +420 224 961 111
WEB

Experienced psychologists and psychiatrists are on duty 24 hours/day but not all of them speak English.

INEP – Institute of Neuropsychiatric Care
address: Křižíkova 22, Prague 8 - Karlín
info@inep.cz
phone: +420 222 201 020
WEB

Other hospitals:

Nemocnice Na Františku (Na Františku Hospital)
gynecological care
address: Na Františku 847/8, Prague 1
gynekologie@nnfp.cz
phone: +420 222 801 381

Centrum Lípa (Lípa Dental Care)
dental care
address: Seydlerova 2451, Prague 5, (2nd floor)
recepce.stomatologie@lipacentrum.cz
phone: +420 251 511 951

Nemocnice Na Homolce (Na Homolce Hospital - foreign pavilion)
address: Roentgenova 2, Prague 5
phone: +420 257 272 144, +420 257 272 146
WEB

Affidea - Chodov
address: Šustova 1930, Prague 11 - Chodov
phone: +420 267 090 811 – 14
WEB

(in the same building as Policlinics Jižní Město II)
Metro line C, Station Chodov
Bus number 115, 118, 122, 177, 197 - station Chodov