Who needs it
Every student from outside the EU who comes to the Czech Republic for more than 90 days - on a long-term visa for study or a long-term residence permit for study - has to prove health insurance. The embassy asks for it before it stamps the visa (§ 31(6) and § 42d(4) of the Act on the Residence of Foreigners), and you will need it again whenever you extend your stay.
You do not need it only if you are already in Czech public health insurance, if your care is paid under an international agreement, or if a Czech state body or an organisation has undertaken in writing to pay for it - for example as part of some scholarships (§ 180j(4)).
What the policy has to meet
Czech law (§ 180j) sets the conditions, and they apply to every insurer:
- Limit of at least EUR 400,000 per claim, with no excess. You must not pay any part of the costs yourself.
- No exclusion for your own fault. The policy must not refuse to pay for an injury you caused yourself or that happened under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- The whole stay. The policy has to cover the entire period you are applying for, not just a semester.
- Comprehensive cover within 90 days. If you arrive with basic cover (urgent care only), you must switch to comprehensive cover from an insurer authorised in the Czech Republic within 90 days of entry. Comprehensive means you are treated at the insurer's partner doctors and hospitals without paying on the spot, and the policy must not exclude preventive care, follow-up care for long-term conditions, or pregnancy and childbirth.
If you apply for a visa or extend your stay while already in the Czech Republic, only comprehensive cover from an insurer authorised in the Czech Republic is accepted.
Buy at home, or from a Czech insurer?
The law lets you arrive with a policy from an insurer in your home country or elsewhere in the EU. But then you have to submit officially certified Czech translations of the contract and the general terms, and within 90 days you still have to buy comprehensive cover from a Czech-authorised insurer.
For most students the practical answer is therefore simple: buy comprehensive cover from a Czech insurer for the whole stay before you go. One policy, no translations, nothing more to arrange after arrival.
Checklist before the embassy appointment
- Start date - the day you plan to arrive.
- End date - at least the end of the period you are applying for.
- Comprehensive cover from an insurer authorised in the Czech Republic.
- Paid in advance - the authority may ask for proof of payment.
- Czech address - the place where you will stay first is enough.
- Documents printed - the policy and the proof of payment; they arrive by email, usually in Czech and English.
How it works with us
In our calculator you see the prices of several Czech insurers side by side, including student rates where an insurer has one. You can arrange the policy online, or with an advisor if you prefer to go through it together. More on insurance for students is on our student page.