Visa and Insurance

For full information about the student visa application please see the website of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic.

EU citizens

EU citizens (or citizens of Schengen Area – Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) need neither a visa nor a permit to study in the Czech Republic. They only need a valid passport or another equivalent ID.

Non-EU citizens

Exchange students accepted to study at VSE (Prague University of Economics and Business) who are not EU citizens (further on as applicants) are required to have a long-term visa for the purpose of studies (further on as VISA) before arriving in the Czech Republic. Please note that it is necessary that the applicant be physically present in the country where she/he applied at the time the VISA is issued in the passport.

The application procedure for obtaining a VISA rarely takes less than 60 days since the completed VISA application was submitted to the local Czech Embassy/Consulate. The information below is to be read carefully and the application procedure is to be started immediately after receiving the Supporting Documents from VSE. Approximately 3 months prior to the start of the semester, the Supporting Documents will be sent to the coordinators of the home universities by post. The Supporting Documents contain:

• Confirmation of Study (“Potvrzení o přijetí ke studiu/o studiu”) – this document is to be handed in with the VISA application
• Proof of Accommodation(“Doklad (potvrzení) o zajištění ubytování”) confirming that the applicant has a place to live during her/his stay in the Czech Republic. Applicants, who are not going to stay at VSE dormitories, have to get the Proof of Accommodation from their landlord.

Apart from the Supporting Documents, VSE sends the Proof of Accommodation directly to the Czech Embassy/Consulate where the applicant is going to apply for the VISA (as announced during the online Application). For this purpose VSE needs the applicant to provide the information where her/his VISA application is going to be handed in.

A list of Czech diplomatic missions abroad can be found here.

„Confirmation of Study“ and „Proof of Accommodation“ are necessary for the VISA application. It is important to contact the local Czech Embassy/Consulate for details on VISA Application and to read the instructions on filling in the application properly. Different Czech Embassies may require different forms.

In general, the filled-in application form must be accompanied by:

• Confirmation of Study “Potvrzení o přijetí ke studiu/o studiu”– issued by VSE and sent to the home university by post
• Proof of Accommodation”Doklad (potvrzení) o zajištění ubytování” – issued by VSE and sent to the home university by post and also electronically directly to the Czech Embassy/Consulate indicated by the applicant
• Financial Statement – a statement confirming that the applicant has financial resources to cover her/his stay in the Czech Republic- i.e. confirmation of a scholarship (if granted), or a bank account statement: the minimum amount required is approx. 35 000 CZK (approx. 1 200 EUR) for each month of the stay in the Czech Republic.
• Criminal Record Check verifying that the applicant has no criminal record
• Health insurance for VISA purposes
• 2 passport-sized photos (45mm x 35mm)
• Valid passport

Please note that some documents must be translated into Czech language by a translator with an official stamp. For details, please contact the local Czech Embassy/Consulate. If the applicant plans to travel in the Schengen area, it is neccessary to make sure the particular type of VISA allows it.

In case any assistance with VISA procedure is needed, it is advisable to contact an NGO which should be able to assist and to answer related questions. VSE is not entitled to provide advising in VISA matters and neither is it entitled to obtain any information regarding the VISA status of any applicant.

EU citizens

Students from EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are entitled to the provision of necessary and urgent health care free-of-charge. It is only necessary that they have a certified E 128 form from their home country or a European Health Insurance Card, which replaces the paper forms needed.

It is, however, highly recommended to enter into contract with one of the commercial insurance companies. To rely on the EU blue card is not a good idea, since it only covers the very basic interventions. Some situations are not always considered urgent, even though they involve a lot of pain.

In our experience it is way easier to book an appointment at the doctor’s given that the student is commercially insured.

Non-EU citizens

Students from non-EU countries, staying in the Czech Republic longer than 3 months, must contract an insurance with an insurance company, which is licensed to operate the insurance in the territory of the Czech Republic according to a special legal regulation, i.e.:

• National insurance companies and insurance companies from non-EU countries that were provided by the Czech National Bank with a license to carry on insurance business;
• Insurance companies from other EU countries, whose operations in the Czech Republic are based on the right to set up branch offices or are based on the freedom to provide services temporarily.

It is recommended to consult the Czech Embassy or consulate and verify whether the insurance meets the requirements for an application for a visa or residence permit for stays longer than 90 days. Travel medical insurance must cover the cost of emergency medical care, including medical evacuation or, in the event of death, repatriationhttp://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/diplomatic_missions of remains to the country that has issued the applicant´s travel document or to the applicant´s country of residence. 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. The minimum coverage is EUR 30 000 per one insured event without any coinsurance or co-payment. Here you can find an illustrative list of insurance companies, which offer adequate travel medical insurance. For buying insurance from abroad refer to websites of respective insurance companies.

Insurance Company	Home Page	On-line insurance *	Price (Basic Insurance) **
Maxima pojišťovna, a.s.	www.maximapojistovna.cz	does offer	1500 CZK
Pojišťovna VZP, a.s.	www.pvzp.cz	does offer	2800 CZK
AXA Assistance	www.insurance-for-visa.cz/index.html	does offer	app. 3877 CZK
UNIQUA pojišťovna, a.s.	www.uniqua.cz	does offer	2100 CZK
ERGO pojišťovna, a.s.	www.ergo.cz	does offer	2000 CZK