Travel medical insurance during a stay longer than 90 days
As result of being parties to the International Treaty on Cooperation in the Area of Health and Social Security, medical travel insurance is not required from citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cuba, Japan, Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey and Serbia. The same exception applies to participants of the Erasmus Mundus program, Fulbright scholarship program, European Voluntary Service of the EC Youth in Action programme, as well as holders of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued by another EU member state and a GHIC card issued by the UK.
Foreign nationals who wish to use these advantages should follow the instructions published HERE!
Other non-EU citizens - application for a visa for a stay of over 90 days / application for a residence permit filed at a Czech Embassy
Proof of medical travel insurance is understood to be a document in which the relevant insurance company declares / confirms:
-
The period of insurance (insurance must cover the entire stay in the Czech Republic),
-
The extent of the insurance (the insurance policy must cover the costs that the foreign national is obliged to cover for the period of his/her stay in the Czech Republic in the event of providing necessary and urgent health care including the costs associated with transport or, in the case of his/her death, those associated with transferring his/her physical remains to the state that issued the travel document or to another state in which he/she has a residence permit),
-
The amount of the insurance benefit (the agreed insurance benefit limit for one insurance event must be at least EUR 60 000, that being without an insurance retention on the amount of the given costs).
The insurance policy must not exclude coverage for injuries and damage caused by the applicant´s intentional acts, injuries and damage caused by fault or contributory fault on the part of the applicant, and injuries and damage caused by the consumption of alcohol, narcotic and psychotropic substances by the applicant.
-
If it concerns insurance obtained abroad, along with the proof of travel medical insurance, the foreign national always submits an official translation of the insurance policy and its general terms and conditions into the Czech language. This proves the medical travel insurance policy has been taken out, above all its extent, the limit of coverage being EUR 60 000 and that insurance is taken out without retention and, upon request, a document on paying the insurance premium for an insurance policy for the entire period of the requested stay in the Czech Republic.
-
Upon request by the MOI, the foreign national is obliged to submit a document on having paid the insurance premium.
-
A document on medical travel insurance is not required from a foreign national who:
-
contributes to public health insurance (e.g. if it concerns a stay for the purpose of employment, proof of medical travel insurance is only required for the period of entry until the beginning of employment).
-
If the costs for health care covered on the basis of an international agreement, or
-
If the foreign national can show that health care is covered in another manner, that being on the basis of a written undertaking by a legal entity, if the foreign national’s stay in the Czech Republic is beneficial for developing spiritual values, protecting human rights or other humanitarian values, protecting the environment, cultural monuments and traditions, developing the sciences, education, physical education and sport, on the basis of a written undertaking by a state body or on the basis of an undertaking contained in an invitation verified by the Foreign police in accordance with § 15 of the ARFN).
-
As of August 2nd, 2021 the Law Concerning the Residence of Foreign Nationals specifies a duty for foreign nationals entering the territory and who will be on it for more than 90 days to conclude travel medical insurance in the scope of comprehensive healthcare within 90 days from entry to the territory of the Czech Republic. For a period of five years from the day when the amendment to the law concerning the residence of foreign nationals comes into force (i.e., from August 2nd, 2021 to August 2nd, 2026), travel medical insurance in the scope of comprehensive healthcare as required by the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals may be concluded exclusively with Pojišťovna VZP, a. s.
So if a request for a long-term visa or long-term residence permit is filed at an embassy of the Czech Republic on the date August 2nd, 2021 and later, before a long-term visa (or long-term visa for the purpose of collecting a residence permit) is marked in the passport of the foreign national, it is necessary to submit a document on travel medical insurance:
-
in the scope of necessary and urgent care for the first 90 days of residence on the territory and for the remaining period of residence also a document on comprehensive medical insurance concluded with Pojišťovna VZP, a. s. (can also be concluded on-line),
-
or a foreign national can directly submit a document on comprehensive medical insurance concluded with Pojišťovna VZP, a. s. for the entire period of the permitted residence on the territory (the insurance can be concluded online). It will only be possible to submit a document on concluded comprehensive travel medical insurance with another insurance company in the Czech Republic under the assumption that the insurance contract was concluded on the date August 1st, 2021 at the latest.
Other non-EU citizens - application for a visa for a stay of over 90 days / application for a residence permit filed in the Czech Republic
-
When applying for a visa for a stay of over 90 days, if it is filed in the Czech Republic, or an extension of the stay period in the Czech Republic on this visa, equally in the case of an application for a long-term residence permit, if it is filed inside the Czech Republic, and in the case of extending a long-term residence permit, it must ensue from the proof of travel medical insurance that it has been arranged to the extent of comprehensive health care with an insurance company that is authorised to provide its services in the Czech Republic, in the period from August 2nd, 2021 to August 2nd, 2026 comprehensive medical insurance must be concluded with Pojišťovna VZP, a. s.
-
It therefore applies that from August 2nd, 2021 (inclusive) only the following may be submitted to the Ministry of the Interior on the territory as a document on travel medical insurance for applications for the granting of a long-term visa [section 33 (1) c)], extending a long-term visa and for applications for the issue or extension of a long-term residence permit:
-
insurance contract for comprehensive medical insurance concluded with Pojišťovna VZP, a. s.
-
insurance contract for comprehensive medical insurance concluded with another insurance company operating in the Czech Republic, but only under the assumption that the contract was concluded on August 1st, 2021 at the latest.
-
-
Proof of travel medical insurance is not required from a foreign national who:
-
contributes to public health insurance (e.g. if it concerns a stay for the purpose of employment, the document on medical travel insurance is only required for the period of entry until the beginning of employment).
-
has the costs for health care covered on the basis of an international agreement, or
-
can show that health care is covered in another manner, that being on the basis of a written undertaking by a legal entity, if the foreign national’s stay in the Czech Republic is beneficial for developing spiritual values, protecting human rights or other humanitarian values, protecting the environment, cultural monuments and traditions, developing the sciences, education, physical education and sport, on the basis of a written undertaking by a state body or on the basis of an undertaking contained in an invitation verified by the Foreign police in accordance with § 15 of the ARFN).
-
EU citizens and their family members
Proof of travel medical insurance for an EU citizen and his/her family member, who is not an EU citizen, can be deemed to be:
- European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
- A certificate temporarily replacing the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
- A registration certificate
- A card of an EU policy holder residing in the CZ
- A card of a policy holder living in the CZ
- One of the forms E 106, E 109, E 112, E 120, E 121
Instead of the above documents on medical insurance, a citizen of the European Union and his/her family member may submit another document with a scope corresponding to the institute of travel medical insurance. But for so-called extended family members (see section Who is an EU citizen and his family member?), there is a duty to furnish a document on concluded comprehensive medical insurance for an application for the issue of a permit for the temporary residence of a family member of an EU citizen. In other words, foreign nationals who are so-called extended family members of an EU citizen or citizen of Great Britain and who from August 2nd, 2021 apply for the issue of a temporary residence permit must submit an insurance contract for comprehensive medical insurance concluded with Pojišťovna VZP, a. s. along with their application (or with another insurance company operating in the Czech Republic, but only under the assumption that the contract was concluded on August 1st, 2021 at the latest).
List of insurance companies
A list of insurance companies authorised to provide their services in the Czech Republic can be found at the Czech National Bank web pages, to a specific date. The relevant categories in the listing of the types of subjects are:
- Insurance companies and branches of foreign insurance companies.
- Foreign insurance companies and branches of insurance companies providing cross-border services in the CZ.
We draw your attention to the fact that it concerns a listing of insurance companies authorised to provide their services in the Czech Republic, however, we do not have information as to whether and to what extent the individual insurance companies provide health insurance for foreigners.