Recognition of a medical diploma in Czechia goes through aprobation (aprobační zkouška) — a mandatory state exam for medical professionals who trained outside the European Union. Without a passed aprobation, you cannot work as a doctor, dentist, pharmacist, or nurse in Czechia, no matter how many years of experience you have back home.
The procedure is administered by the Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education, IPVZ (for doctors, dentists, and pharmacists), and the NCO NZO center in Brno (for non-physician healthcare professions), while final recognition of the qualification is issued by the Ministerstvo zdravotnictví ČR (Ministry of Health). Below is an up-to-date, step-by-step guide for 2026: the stages involved, exam structure, Czech language requirements, timelines, and costs.
Aprobation applies to everyone who obtained a medical qualification outside the EU (for example, in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, or Kazakhstan) and wants to work in their profession in Czechia. If your diploma was issued in an EU country, automatic qualification recognition applies and no exam is required.
Aprobation is mandatory for doctors, dentists, and pharmacists, as well as for non-physician healthcare staff: nurses, midwives, paramedics, lab technicians, and others.
First, you need to have the equivalence of your foreign education officially recognized — this is called nostrification. For medical professionals, it's carried out by a Czech university that runs an accredited equivalent program, i.e., a medical faculty. The application must include a copy of your diploma with transcript and a sworn (certified) translation of your documents into Czech. The processing fee is 3,000 Kč, set by the Higher Education Act and identical across all universities.
Once you have the nostrification decision, you submit an application to the Ministerstvo zdravotnictví ČR for recognition of your fitness to practice a medical profession (uznání způsobilosti) and pay an administrative fee of 2,000 Kč. Applications are accepted twice a year: in 2026, by February 1 for the spring session and by August 1 for the autumn session. Submission deadlines shift from year to year — check the current schedule on the Ministry of Health and IPVZ websites.
The first part of aprobation consists of two computer-based tests in Czech, both taken on the same day. The first tests professional knowledge in your specialty: 120 questions in 120 minutes. The second covers knowledge of the Czech healthcare system and basic law: 15 questions in 20 minutes. You're only admitted to the second test after passing the first. Results are announced immediately after each test.
After the written tests comes a 6-month practical placement under the direct supervision of a qualified Czech doctor at an accredited medical facility. During this time you must prepare five case histories (kazuistiky); the commission will select one of them for you to defend at the oral exam. The placement is usually arranged as an employment contract, meaning it's paid — the exact terms depend on the hospital.
The final part is an oral exam before a commission, conducted entirely in Czech. For general medicine, it's split into two blocks: internal medicine with pediatrics, and surgery with gynecology. You separately defend one of your prepared case histories, while the commission simultaneously assesses your command of medical Czech. Once you pass, the Ministry of Health issues a decision recognizing your qualification.
| Part | What's tested | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Test 1 (professional) | Specialty knowledge | 120 questions, 120 minutes, computer-based |
| Test 2 (system and law) | Czech healthcare system and law | 15 questions, 20 minutes, computer-based |
| Practical placement | Clinical work | 6 months + 5 case histories |
| Oral exam | Specialty + language | Before a commission, oral |
The minimum passing threshold for each written test is 60%, according to current IPVZ data; some older pages still list 70%. Updated exam regulations took effect on January 1, 2026, so before submitting your application, double-check the passing threshold and question lists on the IPVZ website.
The law doesn't require a formal language certificate — your Czech is assessed directly during aprobation: the tests, case histories, and oral exam are all conducted in Czech. In practice, working as a doctor requires around B2 level, and many clinics and university hospitals expect C1 — especially where communicating with patients in difficult situations matters. For comparison, the Czech exam for permanent residency is only A2 level, which is nowhere near enough for medical practice.
It's worth specifically brushing up on medical terminology: medical history, diagnoses, prescriptions, and documentation. Tutors specializing in medical Czech and aprobation prep can help you get ready for both the tests and the oral part.
The whole path from nostrification to the oral exam typically takes 1.5 to 3 years, factoring in language learning, waiting for exam sessions, and the 6-month practical placement. An important limit: the entire exam must be completed within 30 months of submitting your application. You're allowed no more than five applications in total.
| Stage | Approximate duration |
|---|---|
| Diploma nostrification | 1–4 months (sometimes longer) |
| Waiting for the written exam | up to 6 months (2 sessions a year) |
| Practical placement | 6 months |
| Oral exam | roughly one month after the placement |
| Maximum for the entire aprobation | 30 months from application |
Cost of the exams themselves (IPVZ fees):
| Fee | 1st attempt | 2nd attempt | 3rd and beyond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written part | 3,000 Kč | 4,000 Kč | 6,000 Kč |
| Oral part | 4,000 Kč | 6,000 Kč | 9,000 Kč |
Additionally: a Ministry of Health administrative fee of 2,000 Kč and a nostrification fee of 3,000 Kč. These amounts are revised periodically — check the current IPVZ and Ministry of Health price lists before paying.
For non-physician staff, the procedure is run by NCO NZO in Brno, not IPVZ. The process is similar but with some important differences. The written part consists of two tests: 30 specialty questions (passing threshold — 80% correct answers) and 20 questions on the healthcare system and law (threshold — 75%). The written tests can be taken not only in Czech but also in English, French, German, or Russian; the oral part, however, is Czech only.
The practical placement is significantly shorter than for doctors: 40 days for a general nurse or midwife, 30 days for a practical nurse, 14 days for orderlies and ambulance drivers, and 60 days for physiotherapists, clinical psychologists, and several lab-based professions. Check with NCO NZO for the exact requirements for your profession.
While your diploma recognition is in progress, it's important to stay legally in the country and not lose your residence status: holders of temporary protection should renew it on time via the temporary protection extension process, and migration lawyers can help with more complex visa issues. If you're still just planning your move, start with our moving to Czechia: first-steps checklist.
Not independently. Before your qualification is recognized, you may only work under the direct supervision of a Czech doctor and with the Ministry of Health's permission — including during the mandatory 6-month practical placement.
Each part can be retaken, but the fee increases each time: the second attempt at the written part costs 4,000 Kč, the third costs 6,000 Kč. The total number of applications is capped at five, and the whole aprobation process must be completed within 30 months.
Parts not passed don't carry over — you'll need to submit a new application, pay the fees again, and go through the whole process from scratch. Keep in mind the overall limit of no more than five applications.
A separate language certificate isn't legally required — your Czech is tested directly during the exam. In practice, you'll need B2–C1 level, so it's best to start preparing with a tutor a year to a year and a half before applying.
For doctors, dentists, and pharmacists — no: all parts of aprobation are conducted in Czech. For non-physician professions, written tests can be taken in English, French, German, or Russian, but the oral part is still Czech only.
Not automatically — aprobation only recognizes your qualification within Czechia. Under Directive 2005/36/EC, other EU countries will take Czech recognition into account if you've subsequently worked in your profession in Czechia for at least three years — at that point your qualification is treated on par with a European one. Before that, each country decides on a case-by-case basis.
Public hospitals follow salary tables: in 2026, a newly graduated doctor starts at around 43,600 Kč gross per month; after passing the base ("kmenová") exam, the rate rises to at least 51,500 Kč; and with night shifts, allowances, and board certification, income typically exceeds 70,000–100,000 Kč. In the private sector, salaries are negotiable and depend on specialty, region, and employer.
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