The deadline for applications is March 31, 2021.
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...as a student is fun. And the cheap beer is only a small part of the attraction.
Prague – the fifth most visited city in Europe, a historical fairytale town, a cosmopolitan bridge between the East and the West, the capital of the Czech Republic and most of all, our home – is one of the greatest places to live in worldwide. Situated in the geographical heart of Europe, Prague has one of the largest and most dynamic expat population in Europe thanks to the city's affordability and accessibility. It is also one of Europe's safest and greenest metropoles and has a great, cheap and dense public transport network, ranked 5th in the world.
Situated on the hills along the meanders of Vltava River, Prague is anything but grey and boring. The city boasts history that spans over 1000 years and an extensive variety of architectural styles which provide the perfect background for the study thereof. Apart from medieval streets and ornate palaces of the historical centre, Prague also features a number of beautiful and lush residential quarters from the beginning of the 20th century as well as up-and-coming industrial neighborhoods appealing to the younger population.
Prague is lively, yet not rushed, welcoming, yet not too loud. Prague's nightlife is legendary – Czechs are proud to be the biggest beer drinkers in the world – and so is its food and coffee scene. What is more, there are dozens of museums, galleries, theatres and concert venues offering a world-class cultural programme from smaller music gigs to ballet performances to various art exhibitions.
Thanks to the welcoming locals (that Praguers really are) and a good standard and affordability of housing and education, you will feel at home before you even learn to say dobrý den.
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Below, you will find very basic practical information about travel and living essentials in Prague (in an alphabetical order). If you have more questions, you may try scrolling down (there are sections about Accommodation, Insurance, Health care, Transportation and more), see our FAQs or contact [email protected] for more information. Expat groups and Facebook groups may also be a great help.
ARCHIP does not have its own dormitories. Our students are thus left with a number of options which are listed below. The prices of housing in Prague are generally not as high as in Western Europe, nonetheless they are steadily rising and we would recommend our new students to start searching for accommodation as soon as possible since the good or budget-friendly offers are gone early.
If you are a non-EU citizen, you may need a proof of accommodation for your visa. You can find the form attached below so that if the facility does not provide the confirmation automatically (some dorms as well as student housing facilities send it directly to the embassy using an official data storage), you can ask them to fill it out for you. This may be tricky and take longer with a private rented accommodation.
As a condition of enrolment, all students are obliged to furnish a proof of medical insurance (also a condition in the Agreement on Study), which covers all costs in the event of sickness, treatment and hospitalisation. In case you have troubles with the isurance search, feel free to contact us or our partner Foreigners.cz that provides several services in order to facilitate your moving to the Czech Republic.
We also cooperate with VZP insurance company (pvzp.cz) which provides our students with comprehensive insurance for foreigners with coverage as high as if they were Czech citizens. This insurance also covers rare cases like unexpected pregnancy, stomatology and also partly covers other non-basic medical examinations. Our students have a 10% discount – either note that you're an ARCHIP student in your application or ask us for a special link at [email protected].
Prague and the Czech Republic in general have a very high standards of healthcare and majority of the common examinations and treatments are covered by your medical insurance. The doctors at most of the state medical facilities speak English but nurses may sometimes only speak Czech. If you're in need of an ambulatory care in a regular state hospital, the easiest way is to take a Czech friend with you.
RMA Centrum (Dukelských hrdinů 17, Prague 7) is the most common basic healthcare provider for ARCHIP students. They offer services of a general practitioner as well as specialized doctors and physicians. In case of a serious medical condition, we recommend English-speaking medical facilities, e.g. the Canadian Medical Centre (with different facilities at Prague 4, 5 and 6) or Na Homolce state hospital (Roentgenova 2, Prague 5).
It's not hard to come across a pharmacy in Prague and most of the medical facilities have their own pharmacy in the same building. However, not all of them are open 24/7 so if there's a night emergency, make sure to check the closest one to you via Google Maps. Czech pharmacies sell all sorts of common prescription and non-prescription drugs – note that their names may vary from what you're used to at home. In this case, Google helps as well.
Prague and the Czech Republic boast one of the best and most affordable public transport systems in the world. The buses and trains usually arrive on time, they get you basically anywhere and sometimes it's even quicker (and definitely cheaper) than with a car. Prague's also a great starting point if you'd like to explore our country or even Europe thanks to its central geographical location. Read more about perks of Prague's public transport and options for travellers below: