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Every person, staying temporarily in the Czech Republic should be insured for purpose of healthcare treatment in case of need.

Every Czech healthcare provider is obliged to provide urgent treatment in case of need with no regard to nationality, financial or other situation of the patient.

Generally visitors coming from contracting states and visitors coming from all the other states can be distinguished.

Persons coming from contracting states

Visitors coming from some states are entitled to healthcare on the basis of obligatory public health insurance existing in the state of their residence. This concerns insured persons from the states having a bilateral Social Security Agreement with the Czech Republic (Serbia, Monte Negro, Macedonia and Turkey). Insured persons from these states are entitled to the same approach in the Czech Republic as if they were insured here. This entitlement is however limited to urgent healthcare. Entitlement document issued by the institution of the state of insurance (form 111) has to be submitted to any of the Czech health insurance companies (or in a very urgent case to a hospital) to utilise this entitlement.

Persons coming from states other than the EU and EEA states, Switzerland and contracting states

Visitors coming from these states must pay for provided urgent as well as subsequent healthcare themselves, or through their commercial insurer.

Commercial health insurance can be contracted abroad, or in the territory of the Czech Republic.

It is necessary to have the so called „complex“ commercial health insurance for foreigners in order to get a long-term stay permission in Czechia (without having employment on the Czech territory).

Health care in the Czech Republic is on very good professional and technological level, comparable to the most developed European states. Results of Czech doctors in some fields can be considered as top-ranking worldwide.

It is not only a coincidence that the Czech Republic is considered according to some statistics to be one of the most frequented destinations for medical tourists.

Attractiveness of the Czech health care can be illustrated as well by the fact that five times more insured persons travel from other EU member states to the Czech Republic than persons travelling for healthcare from the Czech Republic to the EU.

Limited financial possibilities of the local public health insurance system give rise to free capacity of Czech healthcare providers that could be provided to citizens of other states who are considering by any reason to receive healthcare abroad.

We as the Czech National Contact Point are ready to provide you with information that you need for making your decision whether to travel to the Czech Republic for your healthcare.

Entitlement to reimbursement or to additional refund of cost of healthcare provided in the Czech Republic

It is suitable to get information whether you are entitled to reimbursement or additional refund of costs before you travel for your healthcare to the Czech Republic. You should receive this information from your health insurance fund (or a national contact point in your country).

Generally said it is important whether you are coming from one of the EU member states, EEA, Switzerland or one of the states that concluded a social security agreement with the Czech Republic – This fact determines if you are entitled to reimbursement or additional refund. Further it is essential whether your healthcare in the Czech Republic was approved by your health insurance fund.

1. If you are coming from an EU member state where you are insuredyou are legally entitled to refund of costs for treatment in the Czech Republic.
   1. It is necessary to pay for your treatment upfront to the Czech healthcare provider
   2. You can claim a refund when you return to the state of insurance, up to the amount the treatment would have cost in your country under a public health insurance system.

                                                               i.      Before you travel to the Czech Republic you should also get information from your health insurance fund or a national contact point in your country whether the refund costs for some kind of treatment is or is not subject to prior authorization of your health insurance fund, or whether a recommendation of a specialist or fulfilment of other conditions is necessary.

                                                             ii.      You can as well ask your health insurance fund in advance how much it would refund you.

Insured from the following states are concerned:
EU member states:

1. If you are coming from an EU member state, EEA member state, Switzerland or from a state that concluded a social security agreement with the Czech Republic you can be treated under the same conditions that apply to a Czech insured person.

This means that the costs for your healthcare will be paid to a Czech healthcare provider by a Czech health insurance fund. Precondition for that is a previous consent of your health insurance fund with traveling for healthcare to the Czech Republic (S2 or E112 certificate).

Insured from the following states are concerned:
EU member states:

and in addition        

3.    If you are not insured in an EU member state, EEA member state, Switzerland or in a state that concluded a social security agreement with the Czech Republic, there is no international guarantee for a reimbursement of healthcare or a refund of your costs.
However you could have such an entitlement based on your private insurance or you can be entitled to a refund in a certain amount according to the laws of the state of your insurance. If you are interested in traveling to the Czech Republic for healthcare you should ask your health insurance fund about possible refund entitlements.

Healthcare providing conditions in the Czech Republic

It is always advisable to contact the particular Czech healthcare provider and discuss in advance the providing of healthcare you are travelling to the Czech Republic for.

It is decisive from the provider’s point of view whether:

1.    You are traveling to the Czech Republic without a consent of your public health insurance fund (without an S2 or E112 certificate)
2.    You are traveling to the Czech Republic with a consent of your public health insurance fund (with an S2 or E112 certificate)
3.    You are insured in one of the EU, EEA member states, in Switzerland or in a state that concluded an international social security treatment with the Czech Republic

If you are not insured in any of these states the same price of healthcare as the one that applies to the Czech citizens cannot be guaranteed. The price in these cases depends on an approach of the provider.

Entitlement

Persons insured in other EU state on the basis of gainful activity residing in the territory of Czechia are entitled to the same approach and access to healthcare as Czech insured persons. The same entitlement concerns their non-active family members residing here.

The scope of healthcare is the same as for persons covered by Czech public health insurance scheme.

Registration

Registration in one of the Czech public health insurance companies is necessary for the above mentioned purpose.

Insured person must submit an entitlement document issued by the competent institution of the state of insurance (document S1, or E106) to be registered.  

Registering Czech health insurance company issues a national Certificate of registration or a yellow Card of a European insured person, residing in the Czech Republic. This national document includes a generated Czech insurance number and serves as a national entitlement document for submission to Czech healthcare providers.

Premiums

Health insurance premiums have to be paid in accordance with the law of the state of gainful activity.

Reimbursement of costs

Czech health insurance scheme covers the costs of healthcare in the territory of Czechia and subsequently requests its reimbursement from the institution of the state of insurance.

Temporary stay in other EU state

When visiting other EU or EEA country or Switzerland the person or his/her non active family member is entitled to receive the necessary healthcare on the basis of European health insurance card (EHIC), issued by the institution of the state of insurance.

Pensioners living in other country than the one they draw their pension in

Scope of entitlement

Pensioners of EU member states, EEA countries (Norway, Liechtenstein, Island) and Switzerland, living in Czechia, are entitled to the same access to healthcare as Czech insured persons are.

They must be registered by one of the Czech health insurance company.

Registration in Czechia

For purpose of registration, the entitlement document S1 or E121 must be issued by the competent health insurance institution of the state of pension.

Entitlement document must be submitted then to chosen Czech health insurance company.

Registering Czech health insurance company issues national Certificate of registration or yellow Card of EU insured person, residing in Czech Republilc. This national document, including  generated Czech insurance number, serves as a national entitlement document for submission to Czech health care providers.

Health insurance premiums must be paied, if necessary, according to the law of the state of pension.

Notice:If pensioner receives also the Czech pension (even the small one), foreign entitlement document and subsequent registration is not necessary. In this case, pensioner residing in Czechia is covered exclusively by Czech health insurance system and is considered to be ordinary Czech insured person (Czech State pays insurance premiums for pensioner in that case).

Reimbursement of health care costs

Czech health insurance scheme covers the costs of health care in the territory of Czechia and subsequently requests its reimbursement from the institution of the state of pension.

Temporary stay in other EU state

When visiting other EU or EEA country (Norway, Liechtenstein, Island) the pensioner is entitled to receive the necessary health care on the basis of EHIC, issued by the institution of the state of pension.

When visiting the original state of the pension, pensioner is either entitled to receive full scope of health care, or the necessary health care. States providing its own pensioners, residing in other state full scope of health care in their territory are listed in Annex IV of EU regulation 883/04:  Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Hungary, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Switzerland

1. People coming from other than EU states to reside in the Czech Republic can be insured within the Czech public health insurance scheme under the following conditions:

• existence of permanent residence permission (usually long-term stay of at least 5 years in the territory of Czechia is necessary)

• existence of employment in the territory of Czechia (employer must be based in Czech territory)

2. Pensioners from Serbia, Monte Negro and Macedonia can be registered by Czech health insurance company on the basis of the entitlement document, issued by the competent institution of the state of pension. In that case they are entitled to the same extent of health care and the same approach as persons, insured within the Czech public health insurance scheme.