Shrnutí: Have you lost your job, your trade has ended or your employer has not renewed your contract? Registering with the Employment Office of the Czech Republic can not only help you find a new job, but also provide you with state-funded health insurance and, if the conditions are met, unemployment benefits. As of January 2026, the rules for support have changed, and quite significantly – support is higher in the first few months, the age limits and the maximum amount have changed.
It’s a good idea to register with the Job Centre as soon as possible after leaving your job or business. You can apply today in person at a branch of the Labour Office or online via the Jenda Client Zone. As of 1 January 2025, the “old form” application is no longer filed separately without this procedure.
Unemployment support can be obtained by those who have been insured for at least 12 months in the last 2 years, apply for job placement and do not meet any of the exclusions. The necessary time is not only obtained by working, but also by certain substitute periods, for example, caring for a child under 4 years of age.
From 1 January 2026, the benefit is generally 80% of the previous net earnings in the first months, then 50% and finally 40%. For people over 52, a longer spread is preferable. The maximum benefit in 2026 is CZK 38 537 per month.
We will help you terminate the employment relationship with the employee so that the termination is valid, unquestionable and without the threat of fines or other risks for your company. We provide assistance quickly, at a predetermined price and throughout the country. You can pay after the service is provided.
Many people feel that if they have received severance pay or still have some money left over, they can postpone registration. This is often a mistake. It is important to register with the Job Centre not only for the benefit itself, but also because the state pays for the health insurance for the registered jobseeker. This is also useful if you are not yet on benefits, for example because of severance pay.
Typically, it looks like this: an employee gets fired for redundancy, receives a few months’ severance pay, and feels she doesn’t need the unemployment office yet. But registering will ensure that she does not have to deal with health insurance herself, while keeping the path to support open as soon as the period corresponding to the severance pay expires.
It’s not enough to be out of work. Only a jobseeker who is duly registered and meets the legal conditions is eligible. The basic condition is that you have earned at least 12 months of pension insurance in the last 2 years. This can be accumulated from employment, but also from some alternative periods, for example childcare for a child under 4.
On the other hand,you will not get supportif you are in a non-contributory job at the date of the award, are in receipt of an old-age pension or have had your employment terminated for a particularly serious breach of dutyin the 6 months before registration. The exemption also applies to certain recipients of a retirement allowance if it is higher than the allowance.
Practically, it is also important that a former self-employed person may also qualify. However, he or she must have ceased or interrupted his or her self-employment and fulfil the same insurance conditions as others. The amount of the allowance is then calculated from her assessment base.
We have detailed how to apply to the Job Centre and the conditions for receiving support in our article.
You apply to the Labour Office of the Czech Republic according to your place of residence. Today, everything can be done in person or online via the Jenda Client Zone using a citizen’s identity, such as a bank identity.
In practice, you will be dealing with two things at the same time: inclusion in the register of job seekers and the application for unemployment benefit. In particular, the office will ask you for documents proving that you have left your job or business, and documents relating to your last earnings. If you were self-employed, this will be based on the data relevant to your assessment base.
From January 2026, a new, more favourable set-up applies for most claimants. In general, the benefit is calculated on the previous average net monthly earnings or on the assessment base for self-employed workers. It is 80% in the first months of the support period, 50% in the next period and 40% for the rest of the support period. For claimants over 52, the first and second periods are longer.
The maximum amount of unemployment benefit for 2026 is set at CZK 38 537 per month. This corresponds to 0.8 times the average wage in the national economy over the reference period.
The support period is based on the age of the claimant. From 2026, the age limits have changed. Up to 52 years of age, the sub-retirement period is 5 months, from 52 to 57 years of age 8 months and over 57 years of age 11 months. At the same time, the period for which applicants over 52 receive a higher rate of support has been extended.
This is a practical change especially for middle-aged and older people. For example, a 50-year-old employee who loses their job after a number of years will not only have a longer support period, but will also run the more advantageous first band for longer.
Yes, but only on a limited basis and under strict conditions. A person can be included in the register of jobseekers if he or she is in so-called non-colluding employment. This can be an employment or service relationship or a work agreement, as long as the monthly earnings do not exceed half the minimum wage. In 2026, the minimum wage is CZK 22 400, so the threshold for non-colluding employment is CZK 11 200 per month.
However, an important detail is that, when receiving unemployment benefit itself, the person who is in such a non-colluding job on the date of the benefit award is not entitled to the benefit. In other words: you will keep your registration in certain circumstances, but you will not usually receive support while doing so.
We have detailed how to apply to the Job Centre and the conditions for receiving support in our article.
For a former self-employed person, it is important whether the activity has been terminated or interrupted and whether the required period of insurance has been completed. The mere fact that you were in business does not automatically exclude you from entitlement. However, support tends to be significantly lower for minimum wage employees than for regular wage employees.
The situation is different when you are working under a ‘shvarcsystem’. There, there is often a problem with the fact that it is not formally a job. In practice, it depends on how the relationship was set up and what insurance was or was not paid on your behalf. In such cases, it is worth checking first what your previous cooperation looked like from a legal point of view. Without this, it is not possible to say for sure what the Employment Agency will base its decision on.
Not every registered jobseeker will receive support. In addition to the exclusions already mentioned, there is also a problem if you do not cooperate with the Job Centre. Entitlement can end when the support period expires, when you are removed from the register or when you stop being registered. For example, if you fail to attend an appointment without good reason, fail to take up suitable employment through the Job Centre or breach your obligations as a jobseeker.
If you want to improve your chances in the labour market, it’s worth considering retraining. If approved by the Job Centre, you may be able to get retraining support alongside the course itself. In 2026, this too has an upper limit linked to average earnings, just like regular unemployment benefit.
For many people, this is a more practical route than just passively receiving support for a few months. Typically, this makes sense for people after, say, a parental leave, a health change or the end of a profession in which they are no longer finding it difficult to find work.
Unemployment benefits underwent a significant change in 2026. It is higher in the first few months than before, and the age limits and maximum amount have changed. But the basics remain the same: you need to be registered with the Labour Office on time, meet the required period of insurance and not violate the conditions of registration. It is worth registering even if you are not yet on benefits due to severance pay or other reasons, because the state pays your health insurance for you. Supplemental security income is only available on a limited basis, and support is not usually combined with non-collective employment.
There is no legal obligation to apply immediately, but it is usually not worthwhile to delay. Registering will help you pay for your health insurance and may affect your follow-up benefits. In practice, it is best to deal with registration without delay.
Yes, but if you have terminated your employment by yourself or by agreement without good reason, the benefit will be only 45% for the whole of the support period. The serious reason should be documented.
Yes, but only in a non-colluding employment mode. In 2026, earnings must not exceed CZK 11,200 per month and must be a permissible form of work. You must notify the employment office of such activity.
Yes, if you have ceased or interrupted your activity and meet the insurance condition. However, the amount of the benefit will depend on your taxable amount, so it tends to be low with minimal contributions.
It’s still worth going to the Job Centre. Although you usually don’t get benefits for the period corresponding to your severance pay, the state pays your health insurance while you are registered.
The maximum unemployment benefit in 2026 is CZK 38 537 per month.
You can continue to be registered as a jobseeker. The state will continue to pay for your health insurance and you may be able to claim other benefits, such as housing benefit or material hardship allowance, depending on your situation.
We will help you terminate the employment relationship with the employee so that the termination is valid, unquestionable and without the threat of fines or other risks for your company. We provide assistance quickly, at a predetermined price and throughout the country. You can pay after the service is provided.
Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 15 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 15 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
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