Health insurance in the EU and the Czech Republic
As a citizen of one of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland you have access to state-provided health care all across Europe. You receive full medical care in the country, where you are insured (usually the one, where you work). During a temporary stay in other EU countries and Switzerland you are entitled to medically necessary healthcare, provided you are a holder of the EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card).
As an employee at UCT, you will be registered by the Personnel department in the Czech state-provided health insurance system. New employees who do not yet have an insurance company in the Czech Republic are typically registered with the company VZP (less often they can be registered with another insurance company). The health insurance premium will be paid monthly by UCT Prague and you will receive a blue EHIC card issued by the relevant Czech insurance company.
Below you can find more information about the EHIC card and other variants of health insurance cards, including information for those, who are insured in another EU country and are temporarily living in the Czech Republic.
EHIC card
An EHIC card is a proof that you are insured in one of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.
The EHIC card gives you free access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in another EU country under the same conditions and at the same cost as people insured in that country. However, while travelling, we recommend you to take an extra travel insurance, as the EHIC card covers only medically necessary healthcare.
You can check the validity of your insurance card here: https://eforms.zpmvcr.cz/ehic/
If you have any kind of questions, please don't hesitate to contact your UCT coordinator or to check the FAQ's: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=857&langId=en&intPageId=1304
Here is a sample of a standard EHIC card issued by VZP ČR to Czech citizens and EU/EEA and Switzerland citizens who carry out the substantial part of their working activities in the Czech Republic or who have permanent residence in the Czech Republic.
Secondment in the Czech Republic: the yellow health insurance card
If you are sent by your university, that continues to pay you a salary, for long-term secondment or fellowship (maximum length of 2 years) to a university in the Czech Republic, and you move your habitual residence to the Czech Republic, you should register with a health insurance provider here.
With the A1 certificate, you can apply at your health insurance provider for the S1 certificate.
After arrival to the Czech Republic you should visit a Czech insurance company that is part of the state-provided healthcare system (typically VZP) and register there with the S1 certificate and your EHIC card. You will receive a yellow health insurance card that entitles you to a full medical care in the Czech Republic.
Below are samples of yellow VZP ČR cards issued to persons who are temporarily living in the Czech Republic and their state-provided health insurance is paid in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland. VZP ČR is their Czech auxiliary health insurance company and they will be entitled to a type of healthcare specified on the card. This yellow card is only valid in the Czech Republic and VZP ČR charges insurance company in the member state, where the insurance is paid, for any medical care provided in the Czech Republic.
Sample of a card entitling to full medical care (PLNÁ PÉČE): issued typically to persons employed by employer from another EU/EEA state who have a habitual residence in the Czech Republic:
Sample of a card entitling to medically necessary care (LÉKAŘSKY NEZBYTNÁ PÉČE): issued typically to students or tourists from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland studying or residing in the Czech Republic:
Sample of a card entitling to necessary and urgent care (NUTNÁ A NEODKLADNÁ PÉČE): assigned to insured persons from non-EU but contracting states (North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Albania, Tunisia):
