Citizens of Ukraine can stay in the Czech Republic for 90 days without a visa, it is only necessary that they register with the Foreign Police within 30 days. Exceptions are children under the age of 15, who are not required to report their place of residence and do not need to register. The Regional Assistance Centers for Assistance to Ukraine (KACPU) were established for registration. It is also possible to apply there for temporary protection (formerly a long-term visa) for those who will want to stay in the Czech Republic and participate in everyday life. This visa should give them free access to the labor market, the provision of humanitarian benefits, health care, education, or the use of social services.

• Those who arrived in the Czech Republic after February 24, 2022, can apply at the Regional Assistance Centers for Assistance to Ukraine (KACPU).
• Those who were already in the Czech Republic before 24 February 2022 visa-free or on a short-term Schengen visa, which will soon expire, can come in person to the OAMP office of the Ministry of the Interior and apply for temporary protection.

The application for a long-term visa must be accompanied by a completed form, a valid passport, and a photo ID in the format (45 x 35 mm).

Due to the completely extraordinary situation, epidemiological measures related to protection against the spread of covid-19 were canceled for the citizens of Ukraine coming to the Czech Republic.

You can find more detailed information on the continuously updated website of the Ministry of the Interior. If you have any questions, you can contact the non-stop line of the Ministry of the Interior in the Czech and Ukrainian languages at +420 974 801 802.

Citizens of Ukraine who have been granted a residence visa by the Ministry of the Interior for tolerated stay / temporary protection can now find a job in the Czech Republic themselves, without an intermediary, with any employer looking for new employees. It is therefore no longer necessary to apply for a work permit. Then it is up to the employer to report to the Labor Office of the Czech Republic the arrival of a new employee.

People who need help with their job search can contact the contact office of the Labor Office of the Czech Republic, like Czech citizens, according to their place of residence in the Czech Republic, and ask for:

• inclusion in the register of job seekers or
• job placement

The Labor Office of the Czech Republic will help not only with finding a job but also with inclusion in Czech language courses and retraining for a profession that is in demand by employers.

Further useful information in Czech and Ukrainian is available on the website of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

By law, everyone in the Czech Republic must be covered by health insurance, including foreigners. The type of insurance depends on the type of residence the foreigner has. In the case of temporary protection, the person immediately becomes a participant in the public health insurance system with full access to health care, with the Czech state paying premiums for it. The health insurance document (the so-called replacement card of the insured) will be issued to the visa holder directly at the KACPU at the counter of the health insurance company.

If the person to whom the visa was granted does not yet have proof of health insurance, they can apply for it through online registration with the General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic (VZP ČR) or come in person to any VZP ČR branch, or other health insurance companies.

If a person needs urgent health care before obtaining a certificate, they can contact the nearest state hospital or contact a doctor offering their services in the Free Medical Care for Refugees from the Ukraine registry. There is also an info line of the Ministry of Health for citizens of Ukraine and Czech doctors.

Some Czech banks, which offer simplification of the procedure for opening a bank account, remission of bank fees, and other benefits in the form of various bonuses, have also decided to make it easier for the people of Ukraine to return to normal life. Most of them only require proof of passport, or other document or residence permit. These are, for example, the following financial institutions: Air Bank, CREDITAS Bank, Česká spořitelna, ČSOB, Fio banka, Moneta Money Bank, Oberbank, Raiffeisenbank, UniCredit Bank.

Those to whom the Ministry of the Interior has issued a special visa may also apply for assistance in material need by the Act on Assistance in Material Need. These include a subsistence allowance, a housing supplement, and emergency immediate assistance, which is paid on a one-off basis and provided by the authorities to refugees from Ukraine in the event of imminent serious injury due to lack of funds. An adult can therefore receive an amount to supplement the income up to the subsistence minimum, which currently amounts to 2,490 crowns. The subsistence minimum for dependent children is calculated, which varies from 1,970 to 2,770 crowns, depending on their age.

Foreigners can apply for benefits in person at the relevant work of the Labor Office where the applicant resides. An essential part of the application is a completed paper application and relevant documents according to the type of benefit.

People who have been granted a special tolerated stay visa in connection with the conflict in Ukraine can draw a so-called humanitarian benefit in the month in which the visa was granted, ie financial assistance of CZK 5,000 to help cover basic living needs. The Czech bank account is an advantage for faster payment of the benefit. The settlement of the benefit can be done electronically online or at any contact workplace of the Labor Office of the Czech Republic according to the place of residence.

If the applicant who received the first benefit still does not have sufficient funds to cover basic living needs, the Labor Office of the Czech Republic can apply for a second humanitarian benefit payment via an electronic application.

People who provide housing in the Czech Republic free of charge to refugees from Ukraine can apply for a so-called solidarity allowance. Its amount is set at CZK 3,000 per month for each accommodated refugee from March to June, but at the same time, it may not exceed CZK 12,000 per month per household. Another condition is that the accommodation must meet certain basic parameters and must last at least 16 consecutive days a month. The contribution will start to be paid after 11 April and will not be subject to income tax, nor will it be counted as income for non-insurance benefits. Thus, even those who receive, for example, a housing allowance can support Ukrainians in need.

A natural person will always be able to apply for a contribution after the end of the month via a special application that is currently being prepared or at the relevant branch of the Labor Office of the Czech Republic. The application shall state the identification data of the refugees, the period of their accommodation, the address of the property, and whether they own it or use it according to the contract. Lessor shall provide a solemn declaration that the housing meets the specified conditions and that they have provided it free of charge. The Office will send the money to a Czech bank account or by postal order.

On the special portal of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports on the issue of Ukraine, schools and the public will find all the necessary and constantly updated information and important contacts. According to the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Ukrainian families should consider entry of children to school only when the children are ready for it and do not perceive school as a stressful obligation. During the first three months of stay in the Czech Republic, the child does not have to start education in the Czech Republic. But if their parents want to enroll them in the education system, they have the right to do so.

If citizens of Ukraine legally residing in the Czech Republic, including those who are leaving Ukraine due to the war and who fall within the Czech Republic / EU into the group of persons under temporary protection, need social care, they can use any domestic social services under the Social Services Act.

The Caritas Czech Republic provides systematic assistance to foreigners of various nationalities who have found themselves in an emergency or in a situation that they cannot solve for many years. Among other things, through telephone helplines. Therefore, experienced operators from the Caritas infoline can help you answer specific questions that you did not find the answer to in the text at +420 731 432 431 in Czech and Ukrainian. It is available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 am to 1 pm, and from 2 pm to 6 pm.

Diocesan Charities can also help with specific problems - a signpost with information and contacts is on our website For Ukraine. Help for people coming from Ukraine is also organized by the Greek Catholic Caritas along the lines of individual parishes.

Summarized information in Czech and Ukrainian and a guide to offers and requests for assistance can be found on a special website www.nasiukrajinci.cz, established by the Ministry of the Interior.