If the Czech Republic has become your new home and you’d like to give birth and raise a child here, then you should get to know the important information that we’ve prepared for you in this article.
Health insurance
Make sure to have health insurance at all times. We’ll explain under what conditions will medical expenses related to pregnancy and childbirth be covered down below.
- Public health insurance
If you’ve got public health insurance, all pregnancy and childbirth medical expenses will be covered. However, this rule only applies to the health condition of the mother. You’ll find details about the newborn’s health insurance in the “What to do after birth” section.
- Complex commercial insurance
Whether the aforementioned medical expenses will be covered by your complex commercial insurance depends on the type of the insurance and meeting set conditions.
A. – standard type – In the case of the standard type of complex commercial insurance, your pregnancy and childbirth expenses will only be covered after passing a so-called Waiting period. For pregnancy, the waiting period is 3 months (medical expenses will only be covered if at least 3 months have passed from the beginning of the health insurance contract to the date of conceiving). For childbirth, the waiting period is 8 months (medical expenses for childbirth will only be covered if at least 8 months have passed from the beginning of the health insurance contract to the date of the childbirth).
B. – special pregnancy package – If you opt for commercial medical insurance including a pregnancy package, you won’t have to abide by any waiting period and the insurance company will cover all costs related to pregnancy and childbirth. However, the price of this type of complex commercial insurance is higher.
If you don’t have any health insurance or your contracted health insurance type does not cover these expenses, you’ll have to pay the medical expenses yourself. The prices range from tens to hundreds of thousands of crowns.
If you’d like to learn more about health insurance in the Czech Republic (e.g. what type of health insurance are you eligible for, which insurance company to choose etc.), we’d recommend reading our article about health insurance.
What to make sure of before childbirth?
- Visit your OB-GYN for regular check-ups. If you don’t have one, we’d recommend checking the www.znamylekar.cz website, where you can search for doctors based on area, reviews, contracted insurance companies, and even based on whether they accept new patients. You can also find doctors who speak foreign languages and who can help you without the assistance of an interpreter there. For interpreting, you may also use the services of our intercultural workers.
- Register into a maternity hospital ahead of time, because their capacity is limited. Most maternity hospitals require registration in the 14 + 0 weeks of pregnancy. You may choose any maternity hospital regardless of your place of residence. Some even offer the option of online registration (e.g. ÚPMD Podolí, Apolinář, Thomayerova nemocnice or Nemocnice na Bulovce)
- Nezapomeňte, že se na vás v těhotenství vztahují speciální práva, jako např.:
- Your employer cannot terminate your employment
- You may attend OB-GYN check-ups during your working hours
- You may only be sent on business trips with your consent
- You cannot work overtime
- If your job position is unfit for pregnant women, your employer must transfer you to a different position
- In general, pregnant women in the workplace are treated in a way that further ensures their safety and protects their health
- If you and your partner aren’t married and you wish for your partner to be listed in the child’s birth certificate as a father, visit any registry office before childbirth to declare paternity.
- Before childbirth, choose and talk to your pediatrician, so that you may register your child with them immediately after birth.
- When it’s time to go to the maternity hospital, take your pregnancy card and test results from your check-up in the 36th week of pregnancy with you.
What to do after birth?
- Immediately after delivery (within 8 days at the latest) get your child health insurance. If you are the child’s parent, a permanent resident, an asylum seeker, an EU citizen working or doing business in the Czech Republic, or an applicant for international protection, your child is automatically covered by public health insurance from birth.In the case of long-term other types of residence, this rule does not apply from 2 August 2021.The rule that the child born is also covered by public health insurance applies, but only for a limited period of time. This is the period from the date of his birth to the end of the calendar month in which he has reached 60 days of age. The insurance premiums for the child are paid by the child’s legal representative (usually the parent). In this case, you must report the birth of the child to the health insurance company with which the child’s mother is insured. If the child’s mother does not have public insurance in the Czech Republic, the birth must be reported to the insurance company with which the father is insured. If the father does not have public insurance in the Czech Republic either, you must report the birth to the VZP ČR. For more information, see Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic.
- Register your newborn with the chosen pediatrician. They’ll set up an appointment for the first check-up and vaccination with you.
- Pick up the child’s birth certificate from the registry office within 14 days
- Have the birth certificate translated by a certified interpreter, so that the embassy of your country of origin may issue a passport for the newborn or have the newborn listed in your passport.
- Apply for the newborn’s residence permit at the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior within 60 days of the birth.
Do You Have Further Questions?
If we haven’t covered all that might interest you, please reach out to our intercultural workers, who’ll be happy to provide advice or make you an appointment for our free-of-charge social counseling.