Effective 1 January 2026, foreigners who lose their jobs in Czechia but remain in the country as registered job-seekers will have their public health-insurance premiums covered entirely by the state.
The change—quietly confirmed in a Ministry of Health interpretative statement at the end of 2025—closes a long-criticised loophole that left thousands of non-EU nationals without medical coverage the moment their labour contract ended. Until now, holders of the Czech “employee card” (whether the dual or non-dual variant) had to shoulder the monthly premium themselves or purchase costly commercial policies while looking for a new position. That practice, the Czech Ombudsman argued, violated the EU Single-Permit Directive’s equal-treatment clause.
Whether you are an employee-card holder planning your next steps or an HR professional coordinating foreign assignments, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork involved in Czech visas, residence permits and renewals. Via its dedicated Czech Republic portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/), the platform offers real-time guidance, document reviews and submission services—helping applicants stay compliant as new benefits such as state-funded health insurance come online.
![Czech Government Agrees to Pay Health Insurance for Unemployed Foreigners Holding Employee Cards]()
Under the new rules, once an employee-card holder registers with the Labour Office as unemployed, the state automatically adds the individual to the public health-insurance roster—exactly as it does for Czech nationals on unemployment benefit. Health insurers no longer need to check whether a card is dual or non-dual; the sole criterion is official registration as a job seeker.
For global-mobility managers the reform removes an administrative headache. HR teams will no longer have to arrange interim commercial insurance or reimburse premiums if a non-EU assignee’s Czech contract ends unexpectedly. Foreign employees can focus on finding another role rather than navigating complex insurance paperwork, while companies avoid reputational risk linked to uninsured staff.
The Ministry’s decision follows pressure from the Ombudsman’s office and several high-profile legal cases in which foreign workers were denied care despite paying taxes. Legal advisers expect the change to be written into the Public Health Insurance Act later this year, but emphasize that the obligation is already in force via the ministry’s guidance. Employers are therefore advised to update termination checklists and notify departing foreign staff of their new entitlement.
The change—quietly confirmed in a Ministry of Health interpretative statement at the end of 2025—closes a long-criticised loophole that left thousands of non-EU nationals without medical coverage the moment their labour contract ended. Until now, holders of the Czech “employee card” (whether the dual or non-dual variant) had to shoulder the monthly premium themselves or purchase costly commercial policies while looking for a new position. That practice, the Czech Ombudsman argued, violated the EU Single-Permit Directive’s equal-treatment clause.
Whether you are an employee-card holder planning your next steps or an HR professional coordinating foreign assignments, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork involved in Czech visas, residence permits and renewals. Via its dedicated Czech Republic portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/), the platform offers real-time guidance, document reviews and submission services—helping applicants stay compliant as new benefits such as state-funded health insurance come online.
Under the new rules, once an employee-card holder registers with the Labour Office as unemployed, the state automatically adds the individual to the public health-insurance roster—exactly as it does for Czech nationals on unemployment benefit. Health insurers no longer need to check whether a card is dual or non-dual; the sole criterion is official registration as a job seeker.
For global-mobility managers the reform removes an administrative headache. HR teams will no longer have to arrange interim commercial insurance or reimburse premiums if a non-EU assignee’s Czech contract ends unexpectedly. Foreign employees can focus on finding another role rather than navigating complex insurance paperwork, while companies avoid reputational risk linked to uninsured staff.
The Ministry’s decision follows pressure from the Ombudsman’s office and several high-profile legal cases in which foreign workers were denied care despite paying taxes. Legal advisers expect the change to be written into the Public Health Insurance Act later this year, but emphasize that the obligation is already in force via the ministry’s guidance. Employers are therefore advised to update termination checklists and notify departing foreign staff of their new entitlement.
