The Czech Republic and Its Healthcare System

Preparing for borderless experience in any country, even if for a few months living, can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you want to make sure that you are prepared for most emergencies. A crucial part of this is, of course, healthcare. So with that in mind, we put together this short overview of the healthcare system in the Czech Republic: how it works, how to access it, and what are your options.

The Czech Republic ensures complete coverage of medical bills for all its citizens and permanent residents, in most cases, without any co-payments whatsoever. The way it works is that every month, employers based or working in the Czech Republic have to give the state a fee together with a cut of all their employees’ salaries which all go towards funding the public healthcare system.

The quality of medical care in the Czech Republic is pretty high, with well-staffed and equipped hospitals, easily available general practitioners and plentiful specialists you can visit both on a recommendation from your doctor and after your research (provided you have the proper forms). Many ex-pats even cite the healthcare system in the Czech Republic as one of the main reasons they moved there.

Even the waiting times at general practitioners tend to be reasonably manageable. The only place with a bit of a reputation for being understaffed and needing a long time to wait in the emergency room, but the staff will still take excellent care of you regardless.

As an ex-pat, you can get into the public healthcare system in two ways. You can either become a permanent resident (which takes quite a bit of time), or you need to work for an employer who is based or has some parts of its business in the Czech Republic. If you are employed for a company like that, you will need to pay a monthly salary cut into the public healthcare system.

This, however, takes no effort at all, as it is done by the employer together with your taxes. Another way you can technically still enjoy the free public healthcare of the Czech Republic, even though you technically won’t be paying anything into it, is by being part of a different public healthcare program within the EU and having the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). If you are a UK citizen, you’ll need the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) post-Brexit. Either way, you can enjoy full coverage in Czechia.

Private healthcare in the country has an excellent reputation. Being better paid, these healthcare providers are often better staffed and even have a more significant portion of their staff speaking English, ensuring a greater level of care, especially for ex-pats. The only drawback is the price. While Czech, public healthcare is not exactly cheap, private providers can be downright expensive. However, this price also cuts down on any waiting, especially for surgeries and emergencies.