Bringing children to Czechia: permits, insurance and school places

Parents tend to plan a move around their own job and their own permit, and then discover that a seven-year-old has to be somewhere on 1 September. The Czech system treats the child as a separate applicant in three places at once: the Ministry of the Interior, the health insurer and the school. Knowing which order they must come in turns a chaotic spring into a manageable one.

The Foreigners Act (Act No. 326/1999 Coll.) and the Education Act apply, and details change, so check each office's current instructions.

The child's residence permit

The route depends on the parent. If one parent is a Czech citizen, the child may be entitled to citizenship by descent; see our overview of how to apply for Czech citizenship for the general framework and ask the Ministry about the specific case. If a parent is an EU citizen living in Czechia, a non-EU child can obtain a residence card as a family member under EU law; see registration rules for EU citizens. If the parent holds a non-EU long-term or permanent residence permit, the child usually applies for a long-term permit for family reunification, which is the case this guide follows. How family reunification works in Czechia sets the wider context.

The child must be a minor and unmarried, and the parent must meet the sponsor's conditions, including accommodation, means, health insurance and, as a general rule, 15 months of residence in Czechia before the family application; Blue Card, intra-company transfer and researcher permits are exempt and a shorter period is described for employee card holders (as of 2026; check MV/OAMP). Where only one parent lives in Czechia, the Ministry wants to see that the other parent agrees, or that the sponsoring parent has the right to decide where the child lives, usually through a court order or a consent document. Prepare it early, because it needs an apostille and a sworn translation.

The usual documents are the child's passport, birth certificate, photographs, application form, proof of accommodation and insurance, and proof of the parent-child relationship. Young children are not fingerprinted; the Ministry's page gives the age limit. Foreign certificates follow the usual rule: apostille or legalisation, then sworn translation. See apostille and legalisation and sworn translations.

A child born in Czechia

A child born in Czechia to foreign parents does not automatically have a residence permit. The parents must apply to the Ministry of the Interior (OAMP) for the baby's residence within a period set in the Foreigners Act, commonly reported as 60 days from the birth (as of 2026; check MV for your case). Missing it creates avoidable trouble, so look it up in the first week. Register the birth first, get the Czech birth certificate, and then file with the Ministry. Our guide to the Czech birth number covers the number that the child receives.

Health insurance before anything else

A child needs health insurance from the day of arrival, and an application for a residence permit asks for proof. How the child is insured depends on the family's situation. If a parent works for a Czech employer and the child qualifies for the public system, the child is insured there; children are among the groups the state insures in certain situations, but for foreign children the conditions depend on their status, so ask the insurer rather than assume. If the child does not qualify for public insurance, commercial insurance for foreigners that meets the Act's requirements is needed. See how Czech health insurance works for foreigners and public health insurance: who pays and when.

Once the child is insured, register with a paediatrician (praktický lékař pro děti a dorost), who will also handle the vaccination schedule and school health forms. Our guide to registering with a GP describes the process for adults, which is similar.

Compulsory school

Schooling in Czechia is compulsory for nine years, starting on 1 September after the child turns six. Children can start a year later in some cases by deferral, and some start earlier. The last year of pre-school (mateřská škola) before primary school is also compulsory, from the September after the child turns five, and free in public kindergartens; it applies to foreign children staying more than 90 days. Primary enrolment (zápis) takes place in April, and kindergarten applications are handled in a separate spring window (as of 2026; check the school and the district office).

The Education Act (Act No. 561/2004 Coll.) gives children of foreigners access to primary and secondary school on the same terms as Czech children where the family stays in the country on a basis the law lists, which includes children of EU citizens and children of non-EU foreigners with lawful residence. Applicants do not have to speak Czech to enrol. Schools may offer extra Czech lessons and preparatory classes for pupils who need them, though the provision differs by school and municipality.

In Prague, state primary schools are assigned by catchment area, and the school you are entitled to depends on your registered address. That makes the address registration an early priority. Read our guide to Prague school catchments, and for the address duty see registering your address. If you are still planning the move, the pre-departure checklist lists which school papers to bring.

Choosing between state and international schools

State schools are free, taught in Czech and, for a child who will stay, the quickest route to integration. International and private schools teach in English or another language, charge fees and usually have their own admissions process; they suit families who expect to move on or who want a foreign curriculum. Hybrid arrangements exist, such as bilingual sections. A hypothetical family with two working parents with a six-year-old who plans to stay five years might choose a state school with Czech support and add English tutoring; a family expecting to leave in two years might choose an international school. Neither is better in general.

Visit schools and ask specific questions: how many foreign pupils they have, what Czech support is offered, what happens in the first term, and how teachers communicate with parents who do not speak Czech. Do not rely on a list; programmes change.

After the permit: what to keep up

Children's permits need renewing like adults': see how to renew a Czech residence permit. Report address changes, keep insurance current and tell the Ministry about changes in the family's circumstances. A child who turns 18 stops being a minor under the family track and needs a new basis of stay, so plan a year before the birthday and ask the Ministry what the options are, including study.

Frequently asked questions

At what age does school start in Czechia?

Compulsory schooling begins on 1 September after the child turns six, with a compulsory final year of pre-school before that.

Does my child need to speak Czech to enrol?

No. Children of foreigners with lawful residence have access to education on the same terms as Czech children, and many schools offer Czech support.

How is a child insured?

It depends on the family's status. Ask the health insurer whether the child qualifies for the public system; otherwise commercial insurance is needed.

What if my child is born in Czechia?

The baby needs a residence basis, which the parents must apply for within the period set in the Foreigners Act, commonly 60 days. Check the deadline with MV/OAMP.

This is a general explainer, not legal or tax advice.