Expat's guide to the pandemic

1. Where can I get tested?
2. What are the numbers to call?
3. Is the Brno Expat Centre open?
4. Where can I get vaccinated?
5. How do I reach the Immigration office?
6. How can I register at the Foreign Police?
7. How does this situation affect my residency?
8. Can I travel in and out of the country?
9. How can I help?
10. I am self-employed, is there any financial relief?
11. How can I spend the time at home?

1. Where can I get tested?

• Covid testing centre at Janáček Theatre  (referred by a doctor or self payer)
• ELISABETH PHARMACON (referred by a doctor or self payer)
• Fakultní nemocnice Bohunice (referred by a doctor only)
• Dětská nemocnice (referred by a doctor only)
• Fakultní nemocnice U Svaté Anny (referred by a doctor or self payer)
• Nemocnice Milosrdných Bratří (referred by a doctor only)
• Poliklinika Lesná “Medila” (referred by a doctor only)
• Mobile testing centre at shopping centres Královo Pole, Olympia and Globus
• Mobile testing centre at Brno Technology Park
• Mobile testing centre at Spielberk, Vlněna, Ponávka office parks and shopping centre Futurum
• Cytogenetická laboratoř (referred by a doctor or self payer)
• Spadia Lab Veveří (referred by a doctor or self payer)
• IFCOR Dobrovského (referred by a doctor or self payer)
• Synlab Tuřany (referred by a doctor or self payer)

A complete list of testing places (and location) is available at the Ministry of Health website (in Czech only, see “Jihomoravský” section)

2. What are the numbers to call?

• contact your GP via phone or mail if you show symptoms
• or the national helpline at 1221. They will discuss your case and give you further recommendations
• other important numbers (mental health helpline, family and school, difficult life situatations)

3. Is the Brno Expat Centre open?

Yes, we are open. See our opening hours and Covid vaccine / testing requirements here. Please, be careful and always consider the necessity and safety of meeting in person. You can also set up an appointment or video call with the right expert.

4. Where can I get vaccinated?

Registration for vaccination is possible for people who are in the public health insurance system in the Czech Republic or another EU/EEA country as well as for self-payers (people who only have commerical health insurance). More information in English on the vaccination process (including the vaccination timeline, the system of prioritization or booster and additional doses) is available on the governmental info website. There is also a national telephone Covid-19 helpline, 1221, where some operators speak English.

5. How do I reach the Immigration office?

Your obligations regarding your legal stay are still in place! You have to apply for an extension of stay, report changes, apply for a change of employer, etc. in time.

Read the up to date info at the change of operations of the Immigration Office. Visits are possible only by appointment, apart from some exceptions: you’ll find their list on the OAMP office Brno website.

Note that some applications, notifications or any other submissions can be sent by post to the local office of the Ministry of Interior: Address: Ministerstvo vnitra, Odbor azylové a migrační politiky Jihomoravský kraj, Tuřanka 1554/115b, 627 00 Brno-Slatina or to the data mailbox (How to set up a data mailbox?) of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic (ID 6bnaawp).

Please note that if you choose postal delivery, all the required personal documents must be either originals or notarized copies, with the exception of passports, ID cards or EHIC, which can be regular copies and do not need to be notarized. You should send them as a registered letter.

You can arrange your appointment either by phone (974 801 801) or electronically at frs.gov.cz.

You can find more information at mvcr.cz.

6. How can I register at the Foreign Police?

Even in the days of the pandemic, you’re obliged to register at the Foreign Police after arrival in case you decide to stay in the CR, EU and nonEU both (see our guide for details). Luckily, there are various ways to fulfill this duty:

1. in person with a police officer (Cejl 62b, 1st floor): fill in the form, sign it and give it to the police officer, In return, you should get a confirmation of your registration. Beware of restricted opening hours due to the pandemic: Mon, Wed: 8 – 10:00, 14 – 17:00
2. in person into a collection box (Cejl 62b, groundfloor): Mon – Thu: 8 – 17:00 – just fill in the form and throw it into the collection box
3. remotely
   1. via email – fill in the form, sign it, scan it and send it as an attachment to krpb.ocp.opa.bm.sekret@pcr.cz
   2. via postal mail – fill in the form, sign and send (ideally as a registered letter) to the following address:

• • • Odbor cizinecké policie – Oddělení pobytových agend Brno, Cejl 62b, 602 00 Brno

You will thus get registered into the system of the Foreign police. 

If you would like to get a confirmation about this registration, you will have to visit the office later on in person. You will get

• either a stamp into your passport stating the date of your registration
• or a stamp into a separate document (hraniční průvodka) – also with the date of your actual registration

7. How does this situation affect my residency?

More detailed information regarding the stay of third-country nationals in the Czech Republic can be found here and here.

Czech Embassies

The activities of diplomatic missions of the Czech Republic are gradually resumed. Depending on the epidemiological situation, the conditions for entry into the Czech Republic also keep changing. Czech embassies abroad resumed accepting visa applications (from nonEU foreigners) in countries with low risk of infection. The list of countries accepting visas is available at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

8. Can I travel in and out of the country?

For the up to date information about the border crossing read the Ministry of Interior website or call the telephone line 974 820 680 for inquiries related to travelling during the Covid-19 pandemic in English.

9. How can I help?

10. Where can I get help if I cannot manage on my own?

• Masaryk University Helps – if you need help from volunteers, post your request here (shopping, homeschooling, babysitting…)
• Social service of the city of Brno (for contacts to intercultural workers click on “Etnické menšiny a cizinci”)
• Professional social and legal counselling at the Integration center for foreigners

11. How can I spend the time at home?

There’s only that much Netflix one can watch. Intersperse it with:

• some integration
  • learn Czech – with the Centre for Foreigners
  • cook your favourite Czech recipe – with Czech Cookbook
• reading books
  • library online with some titles in English – The Municipal Library of Prague
• streaming some culture into your living room
  • concerts – cabarets, singers, bands, jazz musicians performing from a closed bar
  • documentaries and movies – at Dafilms and Aerovod
  • opera – from the Met
  • or theatre plays in English
• visiting museums&monuments from your couch
  • Moravian Gallery in Brno – browse through their collections, watch their videos
  • or 12 world-famous museums
  • or world heritage sites, courtesy of UNESCO and Google Earth

Picture by Jirka Lubojacky.

Edited by Jan Kopkáš, Lucia Konôpková, Katka Báňová, Veronika Kiruščanka and Jack Stephens.