Information for Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic
Visa valid until 31 March 2027; extension to 31 March 2028 needs online registration (dates TBA) and an office visit
Important to know
Since 5.08.2026 new applicants aged 18–60 with military duty must prove compliance via Reserve+. Keep your address up to date: 90 days registered at an authority's address ends protection. Special 5-year long-term residence for self-sufficient holders: the 2026 round is open only to those who registered interest in April 2026 (registration until 31.12.2026). A pending government bill (May 2026) would tie HuD to work and 16 days a month in Czechia. MV: temporary protection
Useful links
Official information
- Our Ukrainians: Ministry of the Interior portal (in Ukrainian)nasiukrajinci.cz (opens in a new tab)
- Temporary protection and stay (Ministry of the Interior, in Ukrainian)nasiukrajinci.cz (opens in a new tab)
- Information Portal for Foreigners (in Ukrainian)ipc.gov.cz (opens in a new tab)
Getting there
Housing
International hosting platforms (Host4Ukraine)
Work
International job platforms for Ukrainians
Telegram channels
- Telegram: Labour Office of the Czech Republic (in Ukrainian)t.me (opens in a new tab)
- Telegram: Gromada.cz (news for Ukrainians)t.me (opens in a new tab)
- Telegram: ProUkrainu.czt.me (opens in a new tab)
More links
- Further help incl. psychologist (Ministry of the Interior, in Ukrainian)nasiukrajinci.cz (opens in a new tab)
- Integration Centre Prague (in Ukrainian)icpraha.com (opens in a new tab)
- OPU: Organization for Aid to Refugees (free legal help)opu.cz (opens in a new tab)
- Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republicczechia.mfa.gov.ua (opens in a new tab)
Status and documents
- How long protection lasts
- The temporary protection visa is valid until 31 March 2027. Extension to 31 March 2028: online registration on the Ministry of the Interior portal (dates not yet announced) plus a visit to an MV office for a new visa sticker; no military-duty proof needed for it.
- Documents
- Passport (or other ID), proof of stay in Ukraine on 24.02.2022, proof of housing (host confirmation with certified signature, or lease). Since 5.08.2026, those with military duty aged 18–60: printed eVOD from Reserve+ (at 23–60 showing full release from duty).
- Where and how to apply
- In person at a Regional Assistance Centre for Ukraine (KACPU) or a Ministry of the Interior office; the form can be filled in advance. Children under 15 apply through a legal representative.
- Processing time
- Often granted on the spot; the legal deadline is 60 days.
- When protection ends
- Protection or an asylum application in another EU state; a long-stay visa, residence permit or international protection in Czechia or elsewhere; over 90 days registered at an authority's address; written renunciation; missed extension.
Travel, pets and language
- How to get there
- Train Chop – Košice with through coaches to Prague; international buses; car via Poland or Slovakia (no common border). No flights: Ukrainian airspace is closed.
- Pets
- Simplified entry ended on 31.01.2023; standard EU rules apply: microchip, valid rabies vaccination, rabies antibody test in an EU-approved lab (entry ≥90 days after the sample), EU health certificate.
- Languages
- Czech (needed for work, school and offices).
Work, healthcare and education
- Right to work
- Allowed without a work permit (free access to the labour market) while protection is valid. If protection lapses (e.g. because of address problems), the right to work ends at once.
- Jobs in demand
- Assembly and production-line workers, forklift and mobile-machinery operators, truck drivers; little demand for office and sales jobs (Labour Office, June 2026).
- Healthcare
- Public health insurance: the state pays for 90 days after protection is granted, then only for children, students up to 26, people 65+, registered jobseekers and carers of young children; others are insured through work or pay themselves.
- Kindergarten
- Public kindergarten is free from the school year after the child turns 5 (compulsory pre-school year); for younger children the kindergarten charges a monthly fee.
- School
- Yes, public schools are free. School attendance is compulsory for children with protection (start within 90 days); online Ukrainian school does not replace it.
Benefits
- Housing support
- Free state humanitarian accommodation only for the first 90 days after first protection. Housing costs are counted in the humanitarian benefit: 6,000 Kč/month per vulnerable person, 4,000 Kč for others (who must work or be registered at the Labour Office).
- One-time payment
- None.
- Monthly allowance for adults
- Humanitarian benefit (HuD), income- and savings-tested: 4,860 Kč/month in the first 5 months, then 3,130 Kč (vulnerable people keep 4,860 Kč), plus counted housing costs; apply monthly online at the Labour Office.
- Monthly allowance for children
- HuD for a child: 3,490 Kč/month (4,188 Kč for ages 6–10), income- and savings-tested.
Cost of living
- Average rent
- Approx. 18,000–22,000 Kč/month for a studio in Prague (EURES); much cheaper in regions such as Ústí nad Labem or Moravia-Silesia. Utilities are extra.
- Groceries per person per month
- Approx. 3,300 Kč/month per person (Czech Statistical Office: 40,071 Kč per person per year on food and soft drinks in 2025).
- Kindergarten fees
- — (no reliable data; public kindergartens are free from age 5).
- Health insurance cost
- If neither employed nor insured by the state: public health insurance as a self-payer, 3,024 Kč/month in 2026.
All information is for reference only. Rules and benefits change often, so some of it may be out of date. Always check with official sources before making a decision.
If you spot an inaccuracy, please write to us at howtohelpuacom@gmail.com.