What happens if your employment in the Czech Republic ends, but your next job won’t start immediately? If you are a holder of a dual Employee Card, there is no need to worry about your health insurance — even during this waiting period.

Who is this for?

This applies to third-country nationals who hold a dual Employee Card, meaning those with a long-term residence permit for employment purposes in the Czech Republic and with no free access to the labour market.

If your employment has ended and you are waiting to start a new job, you might face a short gap not only between contracts but also in your health insurance coverage.

What has changed?

Foreigners with a dual Employee Card whose employment has ended can now register as job seekers at the Czech Labour Office (Úřad práce).

And the key benefit? Once you are officially registered as a job seeker, the state will pay your health insurance for this period — just as it does for Czech citizens.

But registration at the Labour Office alone is not enough.

To make sure that the health insurance is truly covered by the state, you must also report this situation to your Czech health insurance company. The insurance coverage is linked to confirmation from the Labour Office that you meet the conditions (such as holding a dual Employee Card) and that you are registered as a job seeker.

Why is this important?

This prevents a situation where you would have to arrange and pay for private commercial health insurance during the gap period between jobs. In many cases, commercial health insurance cannot be arranged just for a few days or weeks — insurers often offer minimum contract periods of three to four months, which may be unnecessarily expensive.

If you register at the Labour Office and notify your health insurance company, you won’t need to worry about this issue, and your health coverage will continue without interruption.

Legal background

This possibility is based on Directive 2011/98/EU on a single permit, which guarantees equal treatment for holders of dual Employee Cards in certain areas, including social security and health insurance.

A short break between two jobs doesn’t have to cause problems. As long as you know what to do.

Thanks to the current rules, even holders of dual Employee Cards can use the support of the Czech Labour Office and keep their health insurance paid by the state.

Not sure how to proceed in your specific situation? Feel free to contact us — we will be happy to help.

Source of photo: Canva

Source of text: Směrnice