Free in Czech
Public universities, standard duration
Foreign-language programmes at the same university are charged.
Charles University · tuition feesSTUDY ABROAD / CZ
Do toho.Your next chapter.In Czechia.
Do toho / Do toho — 'go on, get into it'. What Czechs say when it is time to stop deliberating.
Prague’s courtyards. Brno’s student cafés. A new language that can open a different route into university. In Czechia, English-taught programmes and public study in Czech offer two distinct starting points. Choose the one that fits your ambition and your budget.
Guide checked · Official sources
PRAGUE / IN FOCUSCZECHIA
Rémi Diligent · Public domain (author dedication) · Display cropped
EUR 400,000 cover
Long-stay medical insurance minimum
Per insured event; comprehensive cover and exceptions depend on status.
Czech Interior Ministry · medical insuranceNo work permit
For accredited full-time programmes
The employer still notifies the Labour Office.
Study in Czechia · frequently asked questions01 / YOUR STARTING POINT
Where are you starting from?
Choose the closest match. Use it to plan your next checks, not as an admission decision.
Start with recognition, then pick the language.
Before a Czech university can admit you, your school-leaving qualification usually has to be recognised. The process is called nostrification and it turns on whether your curriculum is equivalent, not on how many years you studied.
Study in Czechia · frequently asked questions- 01Find out whether your school certificate needs nostrification and start it before you apply, not alongside.
- 02Decide between a Czech-taught programme, which is free at a public university, and an English-taught one, which is charged.
- 03Check the entrance examination — most Czech public universities set their own, and it is usually the real gate.
Keep in mind
Nostrification assesses curriculum equivalence rather than a fixed number of years, so two applicants with the same number of school years can get different answers. Allow real time for it.
02 / THE REAL COST
The same degree, at two very different prices.
What language costs you, what the permit file demands, and what happens after.
Foreign-language fees span an enormous range
Charles University publishes foreign-language programme fees from EUR 40 to EUR 30,620 a year depending on the programme, with its First Faculty of Medicine charging EUR 24,250 for General Medicine and Dentistry in English for 2026/2027 entrants. Czech-taught study at the same university is free for the standard duration plus one year.
Charles University · tuition feesAllow time for documents and insurance
Prepare the documents and translations your mission requires and check the current Interior Ministry insurance rules. The long-stay minimum is EUR 400,000 per insured event, with comprehensive coverage requirements depending on how and where you apply. Do not use the older EUR 60,000 figure.
Czech Interior Ministry · medical insuranceWork rights are unusually open — and accreditation-dependent
Non-EU students enrolled in a full-time programme accredited by the Czech Ministry of Education may work without a work permit; the employer simply notifies the Labour Office. That right rests on the programme's accreditation, which is another reason to verify it before enrolling.
Study in Czechia · frequently asked questions03 / MAKE THE NUMBERS YOURS
What would your first year look like?
Change the example figures to match your shortlist. See the expenses and the cash you may need to set aside.
UNIVERSITY STUDY / 12 MONTHS / CZK
Illustrative first year for English-taught General Medicine at Charles University’s First Faculty, not a typical budget for every subject. Its published 2026/27 first-year tuition of EUR 24,250 uses an assumed rate of 25 CZK/EUR, giving CZK 606,250. This is not a live bank quote. Many other programmes cost less; Czech-taught public study has a different fee structure. Living, insurance, arrival and housing deposit are planning allowances. Update them with quotes; deposit refunds depend on the tenancy.
YOUR FIRST-YEAR PICTURE
Total cash to plan forCZK 960,250.00
- Estimated expenses
- CZK 920,250.00
- Refundable deposit
- CZK 40,000.00
Living costs × 12 + tuition + other fees + arrival costs. The deposit is added separately as money to set aside.
Build from funds you can rely on.
No sign-up. Your figures stay in this page.This example deducts no unawarded scholarship or income from a job you have not secured.
04 / FUNDING THE MOVE
Find the right kind of support.
Start with an affordable study plan. Then explore funding that matches your background.
Consider the Czech-language route
Czech-taught study at public and state universities is generally tuition-free regardless of nationality, subject to applicable duration rules. Language preparation and other charges still cost money. Compare the full route, including an extra preparation year, against the fee for an English-taught programme.
Compare the two fee routesAsk the faculty, not the university
Fees and reductions in Czechia are set faculty by faculty, and a university-level figure tells you very little when the published range runs from EUR 40 to over EUR 30,000. Get the dean's fee measure for your programme and intake in writing.
Check the fee scheduleWork is permitted, but it is not a funding plan
Students in accredited full-time programmes can work without a permit, which is genuinely generous. You must still evidence funds for the permit before you arrive, and Czech entrance examinations and contact hours are demanding. Fund the year first and treat earnings as a buffer.
Read the work rulesSTUDY. WORK. UPSKILL.
Work during and after your studies.
Understand the study-related options, then prepare for the next stage.
During your course
Non-EU students enrolled in a full-time study programme accredited by the Czech Ministry of Education are allowed to work without a work permit, though the employer must notify the Labour Office. EU and EEA students work without restriction. Confirm your programme's accreditation status, since the right depends on it.
Study in Czechia · frequently asked questionsAfter you graduate
Non-EU graduates can apply for a job-seeking or business-seeking residence permit valid for up to nine months, which allows you to look for work or set up a business in Czechia after completing your degree.
Study in Czechia · frequently asked questionsThe permit type matters for the long stay
A long-term visa and a long-term residence permit are different procedures. Confirm the category for your course with your university and the mission; extensions depend on continued eligibility and the current study rules.
Study in Czechia · entry formalities and visa05 / FROM INTEREST TO ACTION
A route you can work through.
Start at the step that matches where you are. Course dates and your circumstances set the pace.
- 01
Start nostrification early
Recognition turns on curriculum equivalence, and it is the step people underestimate.
Study in Czechia · frequently asked questions - 02
Choose Czech-taught or English-taught
It is the difference between free and up to EUR 30,620 a year.
Charles University · tuition fees - 03
Apply for the residence permit, not the visa
The long-term visa caps at one year; the residence permit extends for a full degree.
Study in Czechia · entry formalities and visa - 04
Begin the translations and Apostille
Enrolment letter and accommodation document in Czech; police clearance apostilled.
Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi · long-term residence permit application - 05
Buy compliant insurance
At least EUR 60,000 cover, including urgent care, transport home and repatriation.
Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi · long-term residence permit application
06 / KEEP YOUR PLAN CURRENT
Worth knowing before you apply.
Reviewed guidance and official publishers to follow as your plan develops.
TWO PRICES
Czech-taught is free; English-taught can reach EUR 30,620.
Public and state universities charge no tuition for Czech-taught programmes for the standard duration plus one year. Foreign-language programmes at the same institutions are charged, with one university's published range running from EUR 40 to EUR 30,620 a year. Check both versions of your programme before deciding.
Charles University · tuition feesReviewed 12 September 2026ACCREDITATION
Your work rights depend on it.
The permission for non-EU students to work without a work permit applies to full-time programmes accredited by the Czech Ministry of Education. Verify your programme's accreditation before enrolling — it affects more than the value of the qualification.
Study in Czechia · frequently asked questionsReviewed 12 September 2026Keep an eye on what’s new
For the latest published notices, visit Study in Czechia. Read the date, eligibility and deadline on each announcement.
The reviewed guidance above is a dated reference. New announcements do not automatically change the page’s advice.
THE QUESTIONS THAT MATTER
A little more clarity.
Useful answers to bring into your next conversation.
For programmes taught in Czech at public and state universities, yes — for any nationality, for the standard duration of the programme plus one further year. Programmes taught in a foreign language are charged, and at one university those fees run from EUR 40 to EUR 30,620 a year.
Charles University · tuition feesYOUR NEXT MOVE, WITH STAAR
Turn “what if” into a first step.
Tell us where you are today. We’ll help you explore what comes next.
SOURCE NOTES
Check the detail at its source.
Reviewed 12 September 2026. Course, funding and immigration rules can change. Use the current rules for your nationality, residence and intake.
Study in Czechia · entry formalities and visa
Long-term visa versus long-term residence permit, documents, insurance and processing times.
Study in Czechia · frequently asked questionsWork without a permit for accredited programmes, nostrification, free Czech-taught study and the graduate permit.
Charles University · tuition feesForeign-language fee range, free Czech-taught study and the standard-duration rule.
First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University · tuition feeThe EUR 24,250 fee for English-taught General Medicine and Dentistry, 2026/2027 entrants.
Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi · long-term residence permit applicationDocuments in Czech, Apostille for Indian applicants, bank evidence, EUR 60,000 insurance and processing times.
Czech Interior Ministry · medical insuranceCurrent EUR 400,000 minimum per insured event, comprehensive cover and exemptions.
Czech Embassy in New Delhi · current visa informationCurrent local application instructions and appointment information.