Login to the Job Centre

Quick overview

• Apply to the Job Centre ideally within 3 working days of leaving work. This is the only way to ensure that your unemployment benefits continue without interruption.
• You are eligible if you have had at least 12 months of pension insurance in the last 2 years.
• You can register in person, online or by post.
• If you sign up later, you risk delaying your benefits and having to pay your health insurance.

If you’re not sure if you’re eligible or you’re dealing with a termination issue, use a consultation with an attorney to help you sort everything out.

When do I apply to the unemployment office?

Many people live under the belief that registering with the unemployment office is a requirement. However, this is not the case. At the same time, in practice, we often see people lose their jobs and put off registering because they “want to take a break”. But this is often a mistake, because it means they unnecessarily break their insurance and lose part of their benefits.

Whether you want to register with the Jobcentre is entirely up to you. But if you want to receive unemployment benefits, then you will actually have to register with the unemployment office. So in what cases is it possible to register with the Job Centre?

After the end of employment

If you are due to be made redundant on a certain date and are interested in receiving unemployment benefits, it is best to register within three working days of leaving your job. In this case, your unemployment benefit will start the day after you leave your job.

However, whether you get unemployment benefits depends on whether you have paid pension contributions for at least 12 months in the past two years.

The amount is then based on your average net earnings in your last job. For the first two months you will receive a benefit equivalent to 80% of this earnings, 50% for the next two months and 40% for the rest of the time.

If you are not sure whether your notice was valid or whether you are entitled to more severance pay, we recommend you consult a lawyer – you can often get much better terms.

After termination or interruption of the trade

You can register with the Job Centre as soon as you notify the Trade Licensing Office that you have stopped or ceased your trade. If you have been paying pension insurance under the same conditions as above, you are entitled to unemployment benefit. The amount of the benefit is determined on the basis of the last assessment base calculated on a calendar month.

After graduation

If you do not have an appointment to work after graduation, this does not mean that you have to register with the Job Centre. You should only register if you want the Job Centre to help you find a job or if you are unable to pay the insurance yourself.

You will also only get support if you have paid pension contributions for at least 12 months in the last two years. It doesn’t matter whether you get it from your main job, from a contract job or from your business.

Again, it’s best to apply within 3 days of graduation (or after you lose your student status) to ensure a smooth transition and avoid having to pay contributions.

If you successfully complete your secondary education, your student status ends on the last day of the summer holidays – 31 August. However, if you are unsuccessful, you lose your student status on the day you leave school.

After sick leave

If you lose your job while you are on sick leave, this does not mean that you will lose your sickness benefits. Nor does it mean that you have to pay social security and health insurance during the rest of your sick leave.

However, you can only register with the Jobcentre once your sick leave ends. Again, the conditions for unemployment benefit are the same as those mentioned above.

Job centre after parental leave or ending care for a loved one

If you don’t have a job to return to when you finish parental leave or care for a loved one, you should register with the Job Centre. Again, the 3 working day rule applies.

You are eligible if you have spent 12 months caring for a minor child or a close relative in the last two years, or if you have worked and paid pension contributions for 12 months during that time (the two periods can be added together). Again, the amount of support is calculated on your net pay in your last job.

You can register with the Job Centre without claiming benefits. However, in this case you will not be registered as a jobseeker but as a jobseeker.

Jobseekers in this case are people who have a job but want to change it or feel threatened by losing it. As a jobseeker, the Job Centre will then find you suitable employment. You are also entitled to other services provided by the Job Centre, such as paid retraining courses.

How do I apply to the Job Centre?

You can register with the Job Centre in person at your place of residence. However, from 2024, you can also register remotely online at the Job Centre using a data box or email with an electronic signature. Alternatively, you can send your application by post or hand it in in person at any Job Centre.

By when do I need to register with the Job Centre? If you register within 3 working days of leaving your job, you will be paid unemployment benefits without delay. However, you can also apply later, but you must take into account the possible delay in the payment of benefits and the obligation to pay for your health insurance separately.

The Labour Office decides whether to grant the benefit in an administrative procedure. If you are registered with the Job Centre and need to arrange other social assistance benefits, for example, the Job Centre will issue you with a certificate of registration with the Job Centre for jobseekers.

This form serves as an attachment for all applications for state social support benefits, foster care benefits, material need assistance benefits, care allowances and benefits for persons with disabilities, if the child is between 15 and 18 years of age and is registered as a jobseeker with the Labour Office.

A common problem we deal with is a wrongly submitted application or missing documents. The Labour Office then prolongs the procedure or refuses support.

What do I need for the Labour Office?

If you are interested in being registered as a jobseeker or jobseeker, you will need to bring the following documents to the Labour Office:

• ID card or other proof of identity (e.g. driving licence or passport).
• Confirmation of termination of employment (e.g. termination contract) or confirmation of compensatory time (this includes, for example, the aforementioned care of a loved one or parental leave).
• Proof of highest level of education completed (e.g. school leaving certificate or diploma).

If you are also applying for unemployment benefits, you will need to provide additional documents:

• Pension registration certificate (this should be issued by your employer, but you can also apply for it at the Czech Social Security Administration)
• Confirmation of employment, i.e. a credit certificate given to you by your employer, or evidence of other gainful employment.
• Confirmation of income, i.e. your average earnings.
• If you are self-employed, you must provide evidence of your pension contributions and assessment base.

A jobseeker who is temporarily unable to perform the duties of a jobseeker due to illness or injury or due to examination or treatment in a medical facility is obliged to notify the regional branch of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic of the following reasons

• no later than 3 calendar days after the issuance of the certificate on the temporary inability of the jobseeker to perform the duties of a jobseeker due to illness or injury; or
• no later than 3 calendar days after the issue of a certificate of treatment or examination.

How long can I stay at the Job Centre?

There is no time limit on how long you can be registered with the Job Centre. What does have a time limit is the length of time you will be paid unemployment benefits. This is determined based on your age as follows:

• you are entitled to 5 months of unemployment benefit up to the age of 52
• over 52 and up to 57 you are entitled to 8 months of benefit
• over 57 you are entitled to 11 months of benefit

Summary

Registering with the unemployment office can be useful not only for unemployment benefits but also for the state’s health insurance coverage. To qualify for the benefit, you must have worked at least 12 months in the last two years, and self-employed workers must meet the compulsory participation requirement for pension insurance. Registration with the employment office is possible in person, electronically or by post, and registration within 3 days of leaving employment will ensure the smooth continuity of social and health insurance. Although registration with the employment office is not compulsory, it can be advantageous for future employment and for the use of retraining programmes.