JohnT652

Hey,

Born and bread in the UK (excluding time spent traveling and 18 months living n the Nederlands). I am seriously considering moving out to the Czech Republic - have visited the place many times in the past and currently thinking about moving to the South of the Country (Czech/Austrian border), restore a property and open a B&B.

So....

Are there any expats living in CZECH and what advice can you give with regard to moving/living there.

Any advice about medical insurance would be a great help. Checking (excuse the pun) on line have found one Czech medical insurance provider, who appears to be a LOT cheaper than 'expat' insurance purchased here in the UK.

And anything which you think might be 'good to know' - I am all ears.

Thanks you - John

Buccy67

Hi John,

I am moving to Prague this summer. I got onto the Czech embassy in London to ask their advice. No one has ever asked them about moving from the UK to Czech before, only the other way around

They sent me an email with loads of links and asked me to vet it for them so they can produce a document for the future should anyone else ask. I can forward you the email if you like.

There are links for medical information too. I suffer from Diabetes so found it useful.

Let me know

Regards

Phil

scot47

Lots of teachers have been there of recent years. Well, since 1989. Check Daves ESL Cafe.

JohnT652

Hey Phil,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes - it sounds as if that email from the Czech Embassy would be usefull - my email is <snip>. I did try the Czech Embassy myself who send me a link to a Czech government website (home office I think) - useful stuff but heavy going. Can forward the link if you like.

Anyway - once again thanks

John

JohnT652

Hey - the ESL cafe website looks interesting -thanks

Cihadlo

John,

Sorry, I didn't see this. I hope the following is useful to you or anybody else contemplating such a move!

About 3 years ago, I did what you are planning to do and moved to a rural area of the Czech Republic. In my case, it was to live and work close to the city of Teplice in north-east Czech. My experience?

Well it’s a beautiful place to live, I really enjoy it here and it is really worth making the effort. So, please do bare this in mind when considering some of the following points:

1. Czech language. Tourist guides will give the impression that English is widely spoken in the Czech Republic. In my experience, this might be true in Prague but elsewhere it is not the case. You will be very lucky to access any services in English. I have a Czech partner, which helps enormously, but learning Czech language skills is still essential for me. Everyone will tell you that Czech is a very difficult language and I can tell you that it is! I’ve had over two years of lessons and I’m miles off where I would like to be. I am over 50 though, which probably doesn’t help. So, my question to you is: do you have experience of learning a second language and how old are you now? For me, this is the biggest issue about living in rural Czech. Don’t underestimate it. If you go to a remote area, it might be difficult to find a teacher too – you won’t get anywhere with the teach-yourself, Lingaphon-type, approach.
2. Health care. I’ve had a few contacts with the Czech health system and generally this has been positive. The hospitals look tired and the waiting areas are pretty tatty but the areas where care is given are usually clean, fine and modern. I’ve only once come across a health professional that used English with me. My employer is Czech, so I was automatically enrolled in the state scheme. I believe it’s not so easy for self-employed foreign people – definitely an area you need to research.
3. Property. Will look very cheap to you. I would counsel you to live in the area you are interested in for a full 12 months in rented accommodation before committing to buy something. See it in all seasons. Czech winter can be pretty harsh. How accessible in winter are the places you’re interested in? See it for yourself. How often are the roads cleared?
4. Builders. A nightmare! We have had some really good trades people but also some appalling ones. Consumer protection is much more limited here and so forcing some one to do a job properly, or complete it at all, can be difficult. Never give a big job to a new builder, try a series of small jobs to build up trust. Never trust anyone that offers to do work without invoice and no VAT – any proper professional will have his tax affairs in order too.
5. Your guesthouse business? The cost of staying in this kind of accommodation is very cheap in the Czech Republic and so don’t expect to make a lot of money. You might find a bit of German useful too, if you want to market it to tourists outside the CR. You may need to get registered as a business to do this.
6. Even though you are an EU national, you’ll need to get a temporary residence permit if you intend to stay beyond 90 days. This will probably be your first introduction to Czech bureaucracy. You’ll need the help of a Czech speaker to accomplish this. For an EU national, the application is a formality but the documents you provide will have to be 100% correct or you’ll have to come back another day.
7. You won’t find many British expats outside Prague. It doesn’t bother me but might be an issue for someone else.
8. Take tax advice before leaving the UK.
9. Be patient! Things happen more slowly here!