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You must have health insurance cover to live in the Czech Republic. Most healthcare is free if you鈥檙e insured, but you may still have to pay to use some parts of the healthcare system.

UK nationals usually access the Czech healthcare system in one of these ways:

• joining the state health insurance scheme
• private health insurance
• using a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for temporary stays when studying, or as a 鈥榩osted鈥� (detached) worker
• registering a UK-issued S1 form with one of the insurance companies offering the state healthcare scheme (see 鈥楿K-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in the Czech Republic鈥� below)

Healthcare if you live and work in the Czech Republic

If you are planning on moving to the Czech Republic, see the guidance on Living in the Czech Republic for more information about visa and residency requirements.

You must show proof of required healthcare cover:

• before you can register as a resident
• when you apply for a visa

For details about the healthcare cover required for residency applications, contact local authorities in the Czech Republic or the appropriate Czech Republic embassy or consulate in the UK.

You can join the state health insurance scheme if you鈥檙e either:

• employed by a Czech employer
• self-employed
• a permanent resident in the Czech Republic (you can apply for permanent residency after living there for 5 years)
• a dependant of the above

If you are none of the above, you need to have private health insurance that will cover you for 60,000 euros of healthcare expenses.

There are (website in Czech) offering the state health insurance scheme. Most doctors are only contracted with some of the companies.

If you already have a doctor, make sure you pay your health insurance contributions to a company they have a contract with.

You may be entitled to a Czech EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.

You may also have the right to apply for a UK S1 if you start drawing a UK State Pension (see 鈥楿K-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in the Czech Republic鈥� below).

How to register for healthcare

Once you鈥檝e registered as resident, you need to join one of the offering the state healthcare scheme.

If you鈥檙e employed by a Czech employer, they鈥檒l arrange for you to join your chosen insurance company. Your monthly contributions will be taken out of your salary before you鈥檙e paid.

If you鈥檙e self-employed or a permanent resident who鈥檚 not working, you can register directly with one of the 7 insurance companies. You鈥檒l pay your monthly contributions to them.

You can add your dependants on your insurance plan.

Once you鈥檝e registered you鈥檒l get an insurance card.

Show your insurance card with your passport when you register with a GP. You鈥檒l need to find a GP that accepts new patients and has a contract with your insurance company.

How to access healthcare services

on the National Register of Health Service Providers website (in Czech).

How much you鈥檒l pay

If you鈥檙e employed, 4.5% of your salary will automatically be deducted each month for health insurance contributions

If you鈥檙e self-employed, you鈥檒l need to pay 6.5% of your income after tax to your insurance company. There鈥檚 a minimum amount each month.

If you鈥檙e a resident and not working, you pay fixed monthly contributions for state health insurance.

Most healthcare is free if you have state health insurance.

You need to pay part of the cost of certain medicines, but not during hospital stays.

There鈥檚 a one-off charge of 90 Czech korunas for emergency care. Sometimes you can get the money back for this, for example if you鈥檙e admitted to hospital.

You may have to pay a small charge for things like specialist tests, medical notes from your GP and health checks for your driving licence application.

You鈥檒l need to pay something towards most dental treatment. Dental care is only part covered by the state insurance scheme.

If your UK employer has sent you to the Czech Republic temporarily (鈥榩osted workers鈥�)

A posted worker, also known as a 鈥榙etached worker鈥�, is someone employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

UK posted workers can access healthcare in the Czech Republic using a GHIC, EHIC or S1 form.

HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.

UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in the Czech Republic

There鈥檚 different guidance if you have an S1 as a 鈥榩osted worker鈥� (see 鈥業f your UK employer has sent you to the Czech Republic temporarily (鈥榩osted workers鈥�)鈥� above).

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you鈥檙e a resident in the Czech Republic and receive a UK State Pension or an exportable benefit. See on the NHS website for more information about eligibility.

You may also be entitled to an S1 form if you鈥檙e a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you鈥檙e eligible.

Once you have an S1 form, you must register it on the Czech system.

This will mean you and your dependants will be entitled to healthcare in the Czech Republic on the same basis as a Czech citizen.

You鈥檒l also get:

• a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel
• planned treatments in other EU countries

You can find out more about and the rules on on the NHS website.

Dependants and family members may be classified differently in the Czech Republic than the UK.

Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.

If you鈥檙e entitled to an S1 form as a dependant of a State Pensioner, your health cover will be cancelled once you begin claiming your UK State Pension.

You will be sent a new S1 form to your registered address from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. You must register this form to ensure continuation of healthcare cover.

You are responsible for informing NHS Overseas Healthcare Services if you change your address or your circumstances change.

How to get an S1 form

If you have a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (see contact details above).

How to use an S1 form in the Czech Republic

Once you鈥檝e registered as resident, you need to register your S1 form with one of the (website in Czech) offering the state healthcare scheme.

Once you鈥檝e registered you鈥檒l get an insurance card.

This will show you鈥檙e entitled to healthcare on the same basis as a Czech citizen.

Studying in the Czech Republic

You should apply for a Student GHIC to get medically necessary, state-provided healthcare for the duration of your study period in the Czech Republic, whether this is for part or all of your course. This means that you鈥檒l get necessary healthcare services on the same basis as a Czech Republic citizen either for free or at a reduced cost.

If you already hold a valid Student EHIC you can use this until the card expires.

on the NHS website.

Getting treatment in the UK

Because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis may lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare.

If you are a UK national and move to the EU, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK unless you have an EHIC, PRC or S2 to show your healthcare costs are funded by the EU country in which you now live, or another exemption applies.

Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes:

• UK war pensioners
• UK government employees
• UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, once they have a registered, UK-issued S1

Read more about using the NHS when you no longer live in the UK (see 鈥楿K nationals who no longer live in the UK鈥� in Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU).

If you return to live in the UK you鈥檒l be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.

Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.