Foreigners living In the Czech republic have 2 options for health insurance:
1. Public Health Insurance
Public health insurance is mandatory (statutory) insurance which fully covers the health care of the insured persons. It doesn’t have any limit of coverage and it covers preexisting conditions. Price of public health insurance is fixed for sole payers and for self-employed and employees, it depends on the amount of income.
Who must have Public health insurance:
- Spouse or child who is registered for health insurance in the Czech Republic;
- Foreigners with permanent residency;
- EU citizens sole-payers;
- Czech citizens;
- Employed;
- The self-employed of following third-country nationals - Albania, Israel, Tunisia, Turkey, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Syria, Monte Negro, USA, Japan.
Who’s insurance is paid by the government:
- People over 26 studying doctor’s degree,
- Children up to 26 years old,
- Women on maternity stay,
- People in retirement,
- Unemployed people,
- Refugees.
EHIC – European health insurance card. Czech health insurance companies issue automatically EHIC cards. EHIC cardholders can receive medical treatment in other EU countries free of charge or pay a reduced price.
Newborns of public health insurance holders get public insurance under their parents' insurance. This insurance is paid for by the government. One of the parents should bring a birth certificate to insurance companies and get the baby registered (US citizens with long-term residency excluded).
Foreigners who are not listed above cannot have Public health insurance in the Czech Republic and should have Commercial health insurance.
Public health insurance is accepted almost in all hospitals, depending on the company. VZP is the most common public health insurance in the Czech Republic.
Price of VZP and other Health insurance in 2023
- Sole-payers 2 336 CZK;
- Trade license holders 2 722 CZK (minimum);
- Employee 2 336 CZK (minimum);
- Government employee 1 900 CZK;
2. Commercial Health Insurance
Commercial health insurance plans cover all of your medical examination costs including acute health problems and fulfil conditions of a Czech Visa requirement and temporary residency (according to Czech law of Act No. 326/1999 Coll.) There are 2 types of commercial health insurance:
- Urgent care covers only emergency cases. That type of insurance is not accepted by CZ embassies and immigration offices;
- Comprehensive ins. Covers all medical treatments and fulfills Czech visa requirements.
Commercial health insurance holders should contact their insurance company before visiting the doctor, but the insurance company will send the insurance doctor with whom they have a contract, in case the insured person needs to visit a doctor with whom the insurance company doesn’t have a contract he pays medical treatment himself and claim the payment back with the insurance company.
Some commercial companies offer free EU coverage.
How much does it cost?
Cheap Czech Insurance PVZP, basic for 1 month - 700 CZK, comprehensive - starts from 2 000 CZK
Rules of immigration offices:
According to Czech immigration law, medical insurance should have a physical stamp of the agent on the contract and on the payment receipt.
The period of the future visa depends on the period of duration of health insurance. Newborns are covered by mothers' insurance for the first 3 days and then they should have their own insurance.
How to arrange the Insurance?
Here you can find one online form for PVZP applications. You just need to select the insurance company and type of insurance. You should just choose based on your purpose of staying in the Czech Republic and the number of months.
BREXIT
British citizens, living in the Czech Republic, who want to apply for an EHIC card after Brexit will get GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card).
British citizens, living in the Czech Republic, who already had an EHIC card will not need to apply for GHIC. EHIC cards are still recognized in EU countries. But from the 1.01.2021 GHIC and some EHIC cards will not cover foreigners in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.