Healthcare

Registering, the European Health Insurance Card, the S1 form.

In Czechia

Checked on 23 October 2026

How to be covered by health insurance in Czechia when you settle there

In Czechia, public health insurance (veřejné zdravotní pojištění) is compulsory for anyone who has permanent residence (trvalý pobyt) there, unless they come under the legislation of another EU state, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, for employees of an employer established in Czechia and, on the European side, for EU citizens who carry out paid activity there. You choose your fund (zdravotní pojišťovna, for example the VZP) and your doctor, provided they have a contract with it. If you meet none of these conditions (inactive without permanent residence, without an S1 form), you do not enter the public system and you must take out private health insurance.

Costs: Public contribution of 13.5% of the base (employer for employees, yourself if you are self-employed or have no taxable income); 2026 minimums: CZK 3,306 per month for a self-employed person in main activity, CZK 3,024 for an employee (minimum) or a person without taxable income; the state pays CZK 2,188 per month for the people it covers. The state pays for certain groups (children, Czech pensioners, jobseekers…). Private insurance: price varies by insurer.
Timeframes: The employer registers your hiring with your fund within 8 days; other notifications to the fund are also made within 8 days. Changing fund: once every 12 months, on the 1st day of a calendar half-year.

Steps

Work out where you stand. You are in the public system if: you have a trvalý pobyt in Czechia; you are an employee of an employer whose registered office is in Czechia; you are an EU citizen and you work in Czechia, as an employee or self-employed; you receive a Czech benefit that replaces income, such as a Czech pension; or you are a family member of one of these people.
Choose your fund. Each insured person freely chooses their public fund (the Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna, VZP, or another zdravotní pojišťovna). You will be able to change once every 12 months, on the 1st day of a calendar half-year.
Get yourself registered.
- Employee: on the day you are hired, tell your employer which fund you are with; it is the employer who registers your start of employment with the fund, within 8 days. If they have not done so, do it yourself.
- Self-employed (OSVČ): you declare the start of your activity to your fund yourself, within 8 days; a trade licence holder can also do it through the živnostenský úřad (trade licensing office).
- No taxable income but insured on the basis of your permanent residence: you declare yourself as an osoba bez zdanitelných příjmů (OBZP, person without taxable income) and you pay your contribution yourself, by the 8th of the following month at the latest.
- Form: Přihláška a evidenční list pojištěnce (registration and insured person record), to be submitted at any VZP branch, by post, via Moje VZP or by datová schránka.
Pensioner with an S1 form, or posted employee insured in another EU country: request the S1 from the fund of the country that pays your pension (or insures you), then hand it to the Czech fund of your choice. It registers you and gives you a registration certificate or a yellow European insured person card, with a Czech insured number, to show to healthcare providers. Any contributions remain governed by the law of the country that pays your pension.
Choose your doctor. You have free choice of doctor, but they must have a contract with your fund, otherwise the care is not covered by public insurance. Tell each doctor the name of your fund.
If you have access to none of these schemes, take out commercial health insurance (komerční zdravotní pojištění), for example with the VZP subsidiary, Pojišťovna VZP, a. s. It is an obligation for a foreigner who is not entitled to public insurance, and this proof is requested for the osvědčení o registraci (see CZ-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).

Documents

ID document and, if you have it, your rodné číslo (see CZ-NIF-TOUS-001).
Form Přihláška a evidenční list pojištěnce when it is up to you to register.
Pensioner or posted worker: S1 form (or the former E121 for a pensioner, E106 for a worker) issued by the body of your country of insurance.
Outside the public system: commercial health insurance contract.

Costs and timelines

Public contribution: 13.5% of the base. For an employee, the employer pays it; a self-employed person pays monthly advances with an annual settlement; a person without taxable income pays a monthly amount calculated on the year's minimum wage. 2026 minimum amounts (VZP): CZK 3,306 per month of advance payment for a self-employed person in main activity; CZK 3,024 per month for a person without taxable income, and it is also the minimum for an employee. These amounts change every 1 January.
The state pays the contribution for certain groups: dependent children up to 15 years (26 years for students), recipients of a Czech pension, recipients of parental or maternity benefits, registered jobseekers, carers.
Deadlines: 8 days for most notifications to the fund; 30 days for a change of name or rodné číslo. After a change of fund, return the old insured card within 8 days.
Once insured: as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen affiliated with the Czech public system, you receive the VZP blue card, which is also your European health insurance card (evropský průkaz zdravotního pojištění), and you are entitled to care like a Czech insured person.

Common pitfalls

Living in Czechia with your EHIC. The European Health Insurance Card gives access to medically necessary public care during a temporary stay (in Czechia: at a provider under contract with a fund, CZK 90 for a visit to the first-aid service). It replaces neither travel insurance nor affiliation: in the EU, the country responsible for your coverage depends on your economic situation and your place of residence, not your nationality (Your Europe). If you make Czechia your habitual residence, register with a Czech fund, with an S1 form if you are a pensioner or posted worker, instead of relying on the EHIC.
Believing that residence is enough. Without trvalý pobyt, without employment or activity in Czechia and without an S1, you are not entitled to the public system: you need private insurance.
Showing the card of your former fund. Presenting the card of a fund you are no longer a member of can cost a fine of up to CZK 5,000, plus reimbursement of the care.
Choosing a doctor without a contract with your fund. The care is then at your expense.
Student on a temporary stay: you can use the EHIC of your home country during your studies; for a long stay, you can register with a Czech fund, which gives you a Potvrzení o nároku (certificate of entitlement) to show your doctor. If you work in Czechia, you must join the Czech system.

What changes by country of origin

EU citizens: the European coordination rules apply (work, S1, EHIC, family members). The Czech liaison body for these forms is the Kancelář zdravotního pojištění (Health Insurance Bureau), to be contacted on +420 236 033 411 or at info@kancelarzp.cz.
EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland: the VZP treats them like EU citizens for the blue card and the scope of care once they are affiliated with the Czech system.
United Kingdom (including Scotland): since Brexit, you are a third-country national for residence. For health insurance, the general Czech rules apply: you are in the public system if you have a trvalý pobyt, if you are an employee of an employer established in Czechia or, according to the British government, if you are self-employed; otherwise, commercial insurance is compulsory. Since 1 January 2021, the social security protocol of the EU–United Kingdom Trade and Cooperation Agreement takes up almost the same rules as European coordination, according to the VZP: a single country of insurance at a time, A1 form to determine the applicable legislation (for example if you are posted by a British employer, British law applies), S1 and S2 still usable. According to the British government, if you receive a British State Pension or an exportable benefit, you may be entitled to UK-funded care with an S1 form (conditions on the NHS website), to be registered with a Czech fund; for those entitled, the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services sends the new S1s. Otherwise, you need private insurance covering €60,000 of healthcare costs (amount given by the British government). The British card (GHIC or EHIC) is only valid for temporary stays (studies, posting). British government page (last updated on 19/10/2021), re-read on 23/10/2026.
Currency: amounts are in Czech koruna (CZK, Kč), as Czechia does not use the euro.

Official sources (17) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Czechia.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

For a Schengen short-stay visa, you must show travel medical insurance covering urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment and repatriation (including in case of death), valid in all Schengen countries, with at least €30,000 of cover (Visa Code, Article 15). For long stays, the EU directives ask for sickness insurance covering the risks normally covered for nationals of the destination, for example for students, family members, Blue Card holders and long-term residents. The exact proof, and whether you must buy private insurance or can join the public system, depend on the destination.

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

In Czechia

Checked on 23 October 2026

How to be covered by health insurance in Czechia when you settle there

Costs: Public contribution of 13.5% of the base (employer for employees, yourself if you are self-employed or have no taxable income); 2026 minimums: CZK 3,306 per month for a self-employed person in main activity, CZK 3,024 for an employee (minimum) or a person without taxable income; the state pays CZK 2,188 per month for the people it covers. The state pays for certain groups (children, Czech pensioners, jobseekers…). Private insurance: price varies by insurer.
Timeframes: The employer registers your hiring with your fund within 8 days; other notifications to the fund are also made within 8 days. Changing fund: once every 12 months, on the 1st day of a calendar half-year.

Steps

Work out where you stand. You are in the public system if: you have a trvalý pobyt in Czechia; you are an employee of an employer whose registered office is in Czechia; you are an EU citizen and you work in Czechia, as an employee or self-employed; you receive a Czech benefit that replaces income, such as a Czech pension; or you are a family member of one of these people.
Choose your fund. Each insured person freely chooses their public fund (the Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna, VZP, or another zdravotní pojišťovna). You will be able to change once every 12 months, on the 1st day of a calendar half-year.
Get yourself registered.
- Employee: on the day you are hired, tell your employer which fund you are with; it is the employer who registers your start of employment with the fund, within 8 days. If they have not done so, do it yourself.
- Self-employed (OSVČ): you declare the start of your activity to your fund yourself, within 8 days; a trade licence holder can also do it through the živnostenský úřad (trade licensing office).
- No taxable income but insured on the basis of your permanent residence: you declare yourself as an osoba bez zdanitelných příjmů (OBZP, person without taxable income) and you pay your contribution yourself, by the 8th of the following month at the latest.
- Form: Přihláška a evidenční list pojištěnce (registration and insured person record), to be submitted at any VZP branch, by post, via Moje VZP or by datová schránka.
Pensioner with an S1 form, or posted employee insured in another EU country: request the S1 from the fund of the country that pays your pension (or insures you), then hand it to the Czech fund of your choice. It registers you and gives you a registration certificate or a yellow European insured person card, with a Czech insured number, to show to healthcare providers. Any contributions remain governed by the law of the country that pays your pension.
Choose your doctor. You have free choice of doctor, but they must have a contract with your fund, otherwise the care is not covered by public insurance. Tell each doctor the name of your fund.
If you have access to none of these schemes, take out commercial health insurance (komerční zdravotní pojištění), for example with the VZP subsidiary, Pojišťovna VZP, a. s. It is an obligation for a foreigner who is not entitled to public insurance, and this proof is requested for the osvědčení o registraci (see CZ-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).

Documents

ID document and, if you have it, your rodné číslo (see CZ-NIF-TOUS-001).
Form Přihláška a evidenční list pojištěnce when it is up to you to register.
Pensioner or posted worker: S1 form (or the former E121 for a pensioner, E106 for a worker) issued by the body of your country of insurance.
Outside the public system: commercial health insurance contract.

Costs and timelines

Public contribution: 13.5% of the base. For an employee, the employer pays it; a self-employed person pays monthly advances with an annual settlement; a person without taxable income pays a monthly amount calculated on the year's minimum wage. 2026 minimum amounts (VZP): CZK 3,306 per month of advance payment for a self-employed person in main activity; CZK 3,024 per month for a person without taxable income, and it is also the minimum for an employee. These amounts change every 1 January.
The state pays the contribution for certain groups: dependent children up to 15 years (26 years for students), recipients of a Czech pension, recipients of parental or maternity benefits, registered jobseekers, carers.
Deadlines: 8 days for most notifications to the fund; 30 days for a change of name or rodné číslo. After a change of fund, return the old insured card within 8 days.
Once insured: as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen affiliated with the Czech public system, you receive the VZP blue card, which is also your European health insurance card (evropský průkaz zdravotního pojištění), and you are entitled to care like a Czech insured person.

Common pitfalls

Living in Czechia with your EHIC. The European Health Insurance Card gives access to medically necessary public care during a temporary stay (in Czechia: at a provider under contract with a fund, CZK 90 for a visit to the first-aid service). It replaces neither travel insurance nor affiliation: in the EU, the country responsible for your coverage depends on your economic situation and your place of residence, not your nationality (Your Europe). If you make Czechia your habitual residence, register with a Czech fund, with an S1 form if you are a pensioner or posted worker, instead of relying on the EHIC.
Believing that residence is enough. Without trvalý pobyt, without employment or activity in Czechia and without an S1, you are not entitled to the public system: you need private insurance.
Showing the card of your former fund. Presenting the card of a fund you are no longer a member of can cost a fine of up to CZK 5,000, plus reimbursement of the care.
Choosing a doctor without a contract with your fund. The care is then at your expense.
Student on a temporary stay: you can use the EHIC of your home country during your studies; for a long stay, you can register with a Czech fund, which gives you a Potvrzení o nároku (certificate of entitlement) to show your doctor. If you work in Czechia, you must join the Czech system.

What changes by country of origin

EU citizens: the European coordination rules apply (work, S1, EHIC, family members). The Czech liaison body for these forms is the Kancelář zdravotního pojištění (Health Insurance Bureau), to be contacted on +420 236 033 411 or at info@kancelarzp.cz.
EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland: the VZP treats them like EU citizens for the blue card and the scope of care once they are affiliated with the Czech system.
United Kingdom (including Scotland): since Brexit, you are a third-country national for residence. For health insurance, the general Czech rules apply: you are in the public system if you have a trvalý pobyt, if you are an employee of an employer established in Czechia or, according to the British government, if you are self-employed; otherwise, commercial insurance is compulsory. Since 1 January 2021, the social security protocol of the EU–United Kingdom Trade and Cooperation Agreement takes up almost the same rules as European coordination, according to the VZP: a single country of insurance at a time, A1 form to determine the applicable legislation (for example if you are posted by a British employer, British law applies), S1 and S2 still usable. According to the British government, if you receive a British State Pension or an exportable benefit, you may be entitled to UK-funded care with an S1 form (conditions on the NHS website), to be registered with a Czech fund; for those entitled, the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services sends the new S1s. Otherwise, you need private insurance covering €60,000 of healthcare costs (amount given by the British government). The British card (GHIC or EHIC) is only valid for temporary stays (studies, posting). British government page (last updated on 19/10/2021), re-read on 23/10/2026.
Currency: amounts are in Czech koruna (CZK, Kč), as Czechia does not use the euro.

Official sources (17) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Czechia.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

Healthcare

In Czechia

How to be covered by health insurance in Czechia when you settle there

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics

Healthcare

In Czechia

How to be covered by health insurance in Czechia when you settle there

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics