Published on January 16, 2026
Fewer Worries for Foreigners Registered with the Employment Office: Ombudsman Secures Access to Health Insurance
The New Year has brought good news for foreigners holding a so-called non-dual employee card. If they are registered with the Employment Office, they are now entitled to public health insurance paid by the state. Foreigners with dual employee cards gained this entitlement earlier. The Ombudsman advocated for equal treatment of holders of both types of employee cards.
From January 1, the difference in how health insurance is paid for foreigners registered with the Employment Office has been eliminated. Whether they hold a dual or non-dual employee card, in both cases their health insurance is now covered by the state. The negotiations with the Ministry of Health that led to this change were initiated by Ombudsman Stanislav Křeček.
"The Ministry of Health, and health insurance companies in particular, must treat foreigners seeking employment equally—regardless of the type of employee card they hold. This follows from binding European Union legislation. I appreciate that the Ministry supported my position and quickly negotiated the practical arrangements with the insurance companies,” said Ombudsman Stanislav Křeček.
Referring to cases of foreigners with employee cards who were registered with the Employment Office after losing their jobs, Křeček added:
"In accordance with the interpretation of EU law, they received unemployment benefits. However, they were surprised to find that they did not have health insurance. I reviewed the entire situation and concluded that their insurance should be paid for by the state."
Practical notice
No document from the Ministry of the Interior is required to prove whether an employee card is dual or non-dual when dealing with a health insurance company.
What Is an Employee Card?
An employee card is a type of long-term residence permit that allows third-country nationals to live and work legally in the Czech Republic for more than three months.
Source: Information Portal for Foreigners
Dual Employee Card
A dual employee card is issued by the Ministry of the Interior as both residence permit, and work permit. It is issued to foreigners who do not have free access to the Czech labour market. The card is granted for a specific job position, which must be listed in the central register of vacancies available to employee-card holders.
Non-Dual Employee Card
A non-dual employee card is issued by the Ministry of the Interior only as a residence permit for employment purposes. The right to work is obtained under a different legal basis. For example, the foreigner may already have free access to the labour market as: a student, or a graduate of a Czech educational institution.