Work abroad

Persons who are insured in a state other than the state in which they reside should be familiar with the regulations of the state where they are insured. In these cases, the assessment of entitlement to the benefit, the amount and the payment of the benefit are governed by the rules of the state where the employee or self-employed person is insured, while respecting the basic coordination principles detailed in the coordination regulations (Regulations (EC) of the European Parliament and of the Council No 883/2004 and 987/2009).

According to the Regulation, sickness and maternity benefits are divided as follows:

Benefits in cash

In the Czech Republic, these are sickness benefit, maternity benefit , compensatory benefit in pregnancy and maternity, attendance allowance, paternity benefit and long-term attendance allowance. Their purpose is to compensate for income (wages, salary) during illness or maternity. In the Czech Republic, these benefits are provided under specified conditions from sickness insurance and fall within the competence of the CSSA. In terms of the implementation of the Regulation, the wage compensation provided under the Labour Code during the first 14 days of temporary incapacity to work by the employer is considered a sickness benefit in cash. A self-employed person is entitled to the payment of a benefit only if he or she voluntarily participates in sickness insurance. If the conditions are met, the sickness insurance entitles the self-employed person to sickness benefit, maternity benefit, paternity benefit and long-term attendance allowance.

Benefits in kind

In the Czech Republic, these benefits (for example, doctor’s treatment, hospitalisation, medicines) are provided from health insurance and fall within the scope of health insurance companies, which will provide you with relevant information. Further information regarding benefits in kind (health insurance) can also be obtained at the Health Insurance Bureau, nám. W. Churchilla 2, 130 00 Praha 3, phone: 234 462 041, email: info@kancelarzp.cz, https://kancelarzp.cz/en/homepage/

The provision of sickness and maternity benefits in cash is governed by the legal regulation of the Member State in which the person is insured. In practice, this means that if the person concerned resides in another Member State of the European Union (for example as a tourist or posted worker) and remains insured in the Czech Republic, his or her sickness and maternity benefits in cash will be provided in accordance with Czech legislation. If a citizen decides to work in another Member State and is also sickness insured in that State, he or she will receive sickness and maternity benefits in cash in accordance with the legislation of that State.

Rights and obligations

The rights and obligations arising from the insurance must always be sought with the competent institution in the Member State where the person is insured. For this reason, it is necessary to know the name and address of this institution and the identification number of the sickness insurance (not the health insurance, if there are separate sickness and health insurances). The CSSA may only provide contacts to other foreign institutions, not information on foreign sickness insurance (Institutions of EU and EEA Member States).