Czech Republic Has Limited Free Accommodation & Insurance for Ukrainian Refugees

The Czech Republic has announced some new rules regarding housing and free health insurance for Ukrainian refugees, which changes came into force on April 1 of this year.

As reported by VisitUkraine.today (Ukrainian information portal for help), such a move came due to changes in the law on refugees from Ukraine, “Lex Ukraina V”, signed by the Czech president.

The updated rules for free accommodation include the point that the maximum duration for free accommodation for Ukrainians is 150 days, starting from the date of receiving temporary protection. At the same time, the period of free accommodation before the entry into force of Lex Ukraine V should also be taken into account.

Based on these new rules, Ukrainian citizens will lose their right to free housing if they refuse to live in the apartment or leave it without a good reason. This means that the person has exhausted the maximum term.

In addition, if the 150-day period has already been exhausted before the entry into force of Lex Ukraina V or within 90 days thereafter, then there remains a protection period of 90 days from the date of entry into force of Lex Ukraina V.

As a result, Ukrainian refugees even after 150 days will be able to stay for another 90 days without payment, which will give them some time to find another place to live.

On the other hand, after 150 days of stay in the Czech Republic, the state will no longer automatically pay health insurance for Ukrainian citizens aged 18 to 64. The state will continue to pay for such insurance only in cases where a person’s serious health condition prevents them from working.

This includes those people who are bedridden, women with dangerous pregnancies and people with terminal cancer who need palliative care.

In December last year, the authorities of the Czech Republic decided to extend the period of validity of the temporary protection status for Ukrainian refugees until March 31 of this year.

In this regard, the Ministry of Labor of the Czech Republic also announced that the country has decided to reduce the amount of financial aid that Ukrainian refugees receive in the country, where the refugees’ income will be taken into account when calculating the aid. The same emphasised that the first payment will not be automatic.

According to the Ministry, the amount of financial assistance for Ukrainians will be a smaller amount for displaced persons instead of 5,000 crowns, which means they will receive 4,860 crowns for adults and 3,490 crowns for children.