welcome guide for teachers and incoming guests
Currency
In the Czech Republic, there are Czech Crowns (CZK) are used as an official currency
1 CZK = 100 Halers. Notes come in 5000, 2000, 1000, 500, 200 and 100 CZK denominations and coins in 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 CZK.
The Czech crown is freely convertible on world currency markets; exchange rates could be found at XE Currency Converter.
How to change money?
- Banks charge 2-3% commission for cash exchange; they are generally open Mon-Fri. 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. At any other time or on weekends you can use some exchange offices in the centre of Prague.
- Chequepoint - several locations throughout the centre mostly in the best tourist locations. They charge up to 9% commission for cash or cheques!!! Open 24 hours a day!!!
- Exact change - generally the same service as Chequepoint.
- E-travel - Open 24 hours a day!!! (2-4% commission) Note: ask for net rate before you decide to change to avoid misunderstandings from the visibly 'best' rates on the shopping window boards.
- Traveller's' cheques - Thomas Cook and AMEX travellers' cheques can be converted to crowns free of charge at the American Express and Thomas Cook offices. Most banks charge 1-2% commission for travellers’ cheques, most hotels charge about 5%. ATM: You can find them close to any bank in the centre of Prague, in most tourist routes and on the airport as well. VISA, EC/MC and Maestro cards are welcome there.
Working Hours
Visiting hours in most of Czech monuments are from 9 or 10 a.m. till 5 or 6 p.m. A number of museums, galleries and castles are closed on Mondays, so check ahead. If you visit a castle, you have in mind, the beginning of the last tour is 1 hour or 1, 5 hours to the end of opening hours.
The National Museum is closed on the first Tuesday of the month. The Jewish Museum in Prague is closed on Saturdays and on Jewish holidays. The National Gallery is open daily except Mondays from 10 a.m. to 6 p. m.
Shops in Prague are generally open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or later and from 9 a.m. to the noon on Saturday. Banks open from 8 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. Food stores are opened from 8 a.m. and many of them stay open till the evening on Saturdays. There are also some hypermarkets (for example Tesco) that are open non-stop. Many tourist shops in the centre are open daily till 7 p.m.
Post offices in Czech Republic are generally open between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., on Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 12 a.m.
Cost of Stamps of standard letters and postcards:
- within Czech Republic 16 CZK
- to European countries 32 CZK
- to Non-European countries 37 CZK
Public Holidays
State holidays
| 1 January |
Independent Czech State |
| 8 May |
Liberation Day |
| 5 July |
Slavic Apostles St. Cyril and St. Methodius |
| 6 July |
Burning of Jan Hus |
| 28 September |
Czech Statehood Day |
| 28 October |
Independent Czechoslovakia Day |
| 17 November |
Fight for Freedom and Democracy |
Other holidays
| 1 January |
New Year’s Day |
| 30 March – 2 April |
Easter |
| 1 May |
May Day |
| 24 December |
Christmas Eve |
| 25 December |
Christmas Day |
| 26 December |
Boxing Day |
Important Days
Important days for the Czech Republic are the 12 March (the day of the entry of Czech Republic to NATO) and the 5 May (Czech National Uprising in the end of World War II).
Phone in the Czech Republic
There are three operators of mobile-phones in the Czech Republic:
If you intent to buy a SIM card your cell phone needs to be unblocked. A SIM card together with a starting prepaid credit costs between 200 – 2 000 CZK.
O2 Trick = pre-paid phone card enables you to make calls, send SMS messages, or even send email from public payphones to mobile and fixed-line networks in the Czech Republic as well as abroad. Shops offer chip O2 Trick cards in denominations of 180 CZK.
O2 Xcall – the cheapest means of phoning abroad
Xcall is a new service that enables you to phone abroad at the cheapest rates for selected countries. To use the Xcall services simply dial 970 00+ the country code without the zeros + the area code without the zeros + the phone number. For example, for calling to Germany: dial 970 00 + 49 (country code) + the phone number in Germany. For example: 970 00 + 49 + 978 654 321.
Important tlephone numbers and adresses
| 155 |
Emergency services
|
1230 |
Emergency breakdown services |
| 158 |
Police |
12 444 |
Prague information service - general information about Prague |
| 150 |
Fire |
1180 |
Telephone number information for Prague and the Czech Republic |
| 156 |
Metropolitan police |
1181 |
Information on telephone and fax numbers from abroad, services and rates for international dialling tel. |
| 112 |
Single European emergency phone number |
1212 |
Tourist in need |
Country Codes
| Austria |
+43 |
Norway |
+47 |
| France |
+33 |
RSA |
+27 |
| Finland |
+358 |
Slovakia |
+421 |
| Germany |
+49 |
Spain |
+34 |
| Great Britain |
+44 |
Sweden |
+46 |
| Greece |
+30 |
Switzerland |
+41 |
| Italy |
+39 |
USA |
+1 |
| Netherlands |
+31 |
to the Czech Republic |
+420 |
Insurance
Teachers from EU countries
Teachers from EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are entitled to the provision of necessary and urgent health care free-of-charge.
It is necessary to have a European Health Insurance Card.
It is highly recommended to have a supplementary travel health insurance. It should be arranged by the teacher before the teacher leaves the country of origin.
Teachers from non - EU countries
Teachers from non-EU countries, staying in the Czech Republic longer than 3 months, have to contract an insurance with an insurance company, which is licensed to operate the insurance in the territory of the Czech Republic according to a special legal regulation, i.e.:
- National insurance companies and insurance companies from non-EU countries that were provided by the Czech National Bank with a license to carry on insurance business;
- Insurance companies from other EU countries, whose operations in the Czech Republic are based on the right to set up branch offices or are based on the freedom to provide services temporarily
It is recommended to consult the Czech Embassy or consulate and verify whether the insurance meets the requirements for an application for a visa or residence permit for stays longer than 90 days.
Travel medical insurance must cover the cost of emergency medical care, including medical evacuation or, in the event of death, repatriation of remains to the country that has issued the applicant´s travel document or to the applicant´s country of residence. The insurance policy must not exclude coverage for injuries and damage caused by the applicant´s intentional acts, injuries and damage caused by fault or contributory fault on the part of the applicant, and injuries and damage caused by the consumption of alcohol, narcotic and psychotropic substances by the applicant. The minimum coverage is 60 000 EUR per one insured event without any coinsurance or co-payment.
Teachers from Turkey, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro do not need to have that type of travel health insurance, but only need the form E111 from their home insurance company.
Further information about the insurance could be found here.
Medical Aid
With your health insurance you are entitled to visit any general practitioner or dentist. If you have eye problems or any other problem you should first visit a general practitioner, who will examine you and then, if necessary, arrange for you to see a specialist. Unless it's urgent, we recommend to make an appointment in advance on the phone. Don't forget to take the insurance card, number or any document proving your insurance.
Emergency cases
If you are faced with an urgent need for medical attention at a time when doctors’ offices are not open, you should go to the one of the followings emergency service:
- primary treatment of minor conditions
First Aid Medical Service (Nemocnice České Budějovice, a.s. - Hospital of České Budějovice) - Building G access from the street Gen. Svobody
MON-FRI 6.00 am – 10.00 pm and SAT, SUN, public holidays: 9.00 am – 9.00 pm
Phone.: +420 386 355 555, emergency for adults: +420 387 878 001
- Emergency conditions, such as injuries, heart attacks, loss of consciousness, bleeding, etc., are primarily treated in the hospital. Hospital emergency service from 3.30 pm – 7.00 am in all departments that provide acute and inpatient care
First Aid Medical Service (Nemocnice České Budějovice, a.s.) - Building G access from the street Gen. Svobody
MON-FRI: 4.30 pm – 9.30 pm SAT, SUN, public holidays: 8.00 am – 6.00 pm.
Phone.: +420 387 878 570
In case you need assistance, contact the international office.
Public transport in České Budějovice
Public Transport within České Budějovice – you can chose and the choices are:
- To get a ticket every time you use a public transport for 13 CZK/20 minutes;
16 CZK/60 minutes.
Use of computers / Internet
All International students and teachers have an access to the computer within the University of South Bohemia. University of South Bohemia is using Eduroam further information could be found here.
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Sturcture of Higher Education in Czech Republic
Higher education is provided by university type and non-university type institutions. The non-university higher education institutions mainly offer Bachelor study programmes. Higher education is the highest level of the education system. Since 2001 the three cycle structure has strictly been implemented in higher education (i.e. Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral study programmes). Higher education institutions offer courses in the Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Medicine and Pharmacy, Theology, as well as in Economics, Veterinary Medicine, and Agriculture, Teacher Training and Arts.
The majority of higher education institutions are public institutions. There are also private higher education institutions. Public institutions are financed by the state budget by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. The private higher education institutions could be partially financed by the State. In addition, the Czech higher education system includes 4 state higher education institutions.
There are three military higher education institutions and a Police Academy. These institutions are financed by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of the Interior. All higher education institutions provide accredited study programmes which are assessed by the Accreditation Commission. Important partners of the Ministry of education in all decisions concerning higher education are the Czech Rectors' Conference and the Council of Higher Education Institutions. The main tuition language is Czech, however the range of programmes delivered in foreign languages (mainly in English) is expanding in order to cater for international students.
University level studies:
University level first stage: Bachelor studies (Bc. = "Bakalar"):
Bachelor study programmes are 3 to 4 years in duration (180–240 ECTS credits), covering all main disciplines, except in Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Architecture and Law. It is conceived either as an independent course whose graduates are fully qualified for particular professions or as the first stage of longer studies whose graduates can continue towards the Magistr degree. This cycle leads to the academic degree of "Bakalar" (Bc.) or "Bakalar umeni" (BcA.) in the field of Arts which was introduced in January 1999. Students must sit for a final state examination, part of which is also the defence of the Bachelor thesis. Successful graduates may enter the labour market or continue their studies in follow-up Master’s programmes in related fields.
University level second stage: Master studies (Mgr. = "Magistr"):
Master study programmes may either follow on from bachelor programmes as follow-up Master’s programmes (2 to 3 years; 60–180 ECTS credits), or they may be full programmes (4 to 6 years; 240–360 ECTS credits). Programmes focus on the acquisition and application of theoretical knowledge, and on the development of creativity and talent. Graduates in Master’s programmes have to take a final state examination and publicly present and defend a thesis.
Studies in Master’s programmes result in the following degrees:
- magistr (Mgr.): Master of Humanities, Sciences, Law, Education, Pharmacy and Theology
- magistr umění (MgA.): Master of Arts
- inženýr (Ing.): Engineer in the field of Economics, Technical Sciences and Engineering, Agriculture, Forestry and Military branches of study
- inženýr architekt (Ing. arch.) – Engineer in the field of Architecture;
- doktor medicíny (MUDr.): Doctor of Medicine (MD)
- zubní lékař (MDDr.): Doctor of Dental Medicine
- doktor veterinární medicíny (MVDr.): Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Holders of a “magistr” Master’s degree can sit a demanding state examination in the same field, and present and defend a rigorous thesis. Upon successful completion the following academic degrees are awarded:
- doktor práv (JUDr.): Doctor in the field of Law
- doktor filozofie (PhDr.): Doctor in the field of Humanities, Teacher Training and Social Sciences
- doktor přírodních věd (RNDr.): Doctor in the field of Natural Sciences
- doktor farmacie (PharmDr.): Doctor in the field of Pharmacy
- licenciát teologie (ThLic.): in the field of Catholic Theology
- doktor teologie (ThDr.): Doctor in the field of Theology, excluding Catholic Theology
University level third stage: Doctoral studies: (Dr. = "Doktor"):
The third and highest level of higher education consists in studies for the Doctorate which takes place under the guidance of a tutor. The programme is aimed at scientific research and independent study. Holders of the Master's Degree may apply. Studies last for three years (four to five years part-time) and lead to the academic degree of Doktor (PhD) or "Doktor Teologie" (Th.D.) in the field of Theology. Studies end with the State Doctorate examination and the defence of a dissertation.
Doctoral programmes (which normally last 3 years) are intended for graduates from Master’s programmes and focus on independent creative work in research, development or the arts. Doctoral studies are completed by way of a state doctoral examination and the public presentation and defence of a doctoral thesis (dissertation) based on original work, which must be published.
Graduates of Doctoral study programmes are awarded the academic degree of:
- doktor (Ph.D.)
- doktor teologie (Th.D.) in the field of Theology
At some higher education institutions and institutes of the Academy of Sciences, studies leading to the award of the "Kandidat ved" (Candidate of Science, abbreviated as "CSc") still exist. Participants in these programmes may complete their education and finish the defence of their dissertation by 31 December 2001. The degree "Doktor ved" (Doctor of Science as “DrSc”) is the highest scientific degree. It is awarded on the basis of original research work and the public defence of the Doctorate thesis.
Non-traditional studies:
Distance higher education
Four distance education centres in Prague, Liberec, Brno and Olomouc have been established. Some non-governmental educational institutions, such as J.A. Comenius and the Open University Fund also offer distance education. The National Centre for Distance Education was established in 1995 as a department of the Centre for Higher Education Studies.
Lifelong higher education
Several institutions, centres or institutes of lifelong learning have been established which offer a whole range of educational activities to upgrade qualifications, for requalification and special interest activities. In the sphere of adult education, a number of higher education institutions cooperate with foreign universities in various fields, and more especially in Management and Languages. There are also Universities of the Third Age which have been created in sixteen faculties.
Useful and Interesting Web-Pages
General Information
The Czech Republic
Discover Czech Itinerary Planner
Town České Budějovice
“Šumava” National Park
Information about the University
University of South Bohemia
Faculty of Health and Social Sciences
University Dormitory and Canteen
Transport
“Ruzyně” Airport
Prague Tube
Public transport in Prague
National timetable IS
