English-Taught Degrees in Czechia: Where to Study, What It Costs and How to Apply for 2027

You can study in English at both public and private Czech universities, but not for free: the law requires public universities to charge tuition for degrees taught in a foreign language. For bachelor's and master's programmes this is usually $2,271 (€2,000) to $6,813 (€6,000) a year, and $14,194 (€12,500) to $27,536 (€24,250) for medicine. You do not need Czech to be admitted, but your school certificate or degree still has to be recognised, and English-taught programmes follow their own deadlines, some running from autumn to spring, others into summer. The main advantage is starting without a language year. Study visa applications by Russian citizens at Czech embassies are inadmissible under Government Regulation No. 55/2024; citizens of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and most other countries follow the standard procedure.

Why English-taught study is fee-paying

The Czech Higher Education Act separates programmes by language. A public university charges nothing for Czech-taught study within the standard length plus one year, but it must set a fee for bachelor's and master's programmes taught in a foreign language. Waivers are possible only under international agreements, EU programmes, cooperation with foreign universities and government scholarships.

In practice, a "free English-taught degree" at a public university is almost always a joint or scholarship programme with its own selection. If you see such an offer, look on the university website for the legal basis of the fee waiver.

Universities must publish next year's fees by the last day of their application period; if they publish later, students admitted in that cycle cannot be charged more than the previous rate. Some go further and freeze the entry-year fee for the whole programme, as UCT Prague does.

Fees by university

All amounts were checked on university websites on 1 October 2026.

Charles University lists fees in its programme catalogue, from $45 (€40) to $34,769 (€30,620) a year. University profiles: ČZU, CTU, Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, Palacký University, ŠKODA AUTO University.

English or Czech route

The decision rests on three things: how much time you have, how much money, and how ready you are to learn Czech.

Simple arithmetic for a three-year bachelor's: the English route means three years of tuition; the Czech route means a preparatory year with living costs plus three tuition-free years. Where the fee is low, as at ČZU, the money difference between the routes is small and English saves a year. At $6,000–7,000 a year, the Czech route is usually cheaper. To run your own numbers, see tuition-free university education in Czechia and Czech language preparatory courses.

Finding an English-taught programme

1. The Study in Czechia catalogue. The national portal has a programme search with filters for language, level and city.
2. The university's own catalogue. This is where exact fees, deadlines and exams appear; for Charles University it is studycharles.cz.
3. Accreditation check. Match a private institution's programme against the MŠMT register, which shows what each institution is authorised to teach.
4. Joint programmes. Joint degrees and Erasmus Mundus programmes often have separate admission and fees, sometimes covered by a scholarship.

All universities by city are covered in universities in Czechia, the Prague institutions in detail in universities in Prague, and the country overview on our Czech Republic page.

Admission requirements

Previous education. For a bachelor's you need a school-leaving certificate that gives access to university in your country, recognised in Czechia either through nostrification by a regional authority ($139, CZK 3,000) or through assessment by the faculty during admission. For a master's, your bachelor's is recognised through nostrification at a public university or faculty assessment. The teaching language does not remove this requirement. See nostrification in Czechia.

English. Each programme sets its own requirement: an international certificate in some cases, an in-house test in others. ČZU, for example, admits to its Economics and Management bachelor's through an online test in mathematics and English, and each applicant gets one attempt.

Entrance procedure. Charles University runs entrance exams for English-taught programmes in English, and in most cases you need to come to Czechia for them. Other programmes select by documents, interview or online test. Medical faculties test biology, chemistry and physics or mathematics.

Fees. You pay an application fee for each programme. The law does not cap it for English-taught programmes: at BUT in 2026/27 it is $33 (CZK 700) plus $35 (CZK 750) for assessing foreign education, at VŠE $114 (€100), and $91 (€80) for medicine at Palacký University.

Deadlines: a separate calendar

For students who need a visa, a late deadline is a trap. The Ministry of the Interior takes 60 days to decide on a study visa, plus the wait for an embassy appointment; in Astana this currently runs at 21–30 days. Choose programmes with spring deadlines so that you hold an admission letter by summer.

First-year budget: two examples

Housing, food and transport guides come from Study in Czechia; Prague and Brno sit near the top of the ranges, smaller university towns near the bottom; overall the portal suggests $568–908 (€500–800) a month for basic living costs in a dormitory. For the visa you separately show $5,381 (CZK 115,810) for a year; that money stays yours and covers living costs. A full estimate with deposits and relocation is in the cost of studying in Czechia.

Medicine in English

Medicine is the most expensive and most competitive English-taught track. If fees stay unchanged, six years at Palacký University come to about $85,160 and at the First Faculty of Medicine in Prague about $165,215; the latter has published its fee only for first-year students in 2026/27. Faculties, entrance tests and recognition of the medical degree are covered in studying medicine in Czechia.

Work during and after studies

A student on a full-time programme accredited in Czechia can work without a separate permit; the employer only notifies the authorities. Study remains the main purpose of stay, and the Ministry of the Interior checks this when you renew your residence permit. After graduation you can apply for a residence permit of up to 9 months to look for work or start a business, or for an Employee Card if you have a job offer.

Who can come to study

Documents and amounts are in student visa and residence in Czechia. Kazakh citizens will find the Astana appointment procedure in our guide for Kazakh students.

Common mistakes

• Looking for a free English-taught degree at a public university: by law these are paid, except for scholarship and inter-university arrangements.
• Comparing universities by the lowest fee without opening the specific programme page.
• Applying in June to a programme with a summer deadline and missing the semester start because of the visa.
• Forgetting recognition of previous education: the teaching language does not waive it.
• Not checking a private institution's programme accreditation.
• Expecting to manage without Czech: you need it for daily life, doctors and public offices.

FAQ

Sources

• Higher Education Act No. 111/1998, s. 58: fees for foreign-language programmes, publication deadlines — checked 01.10.2026
• Fees and deadlines: ČZU, UCT Prague, Masaryk University, its 2026/27 fee notice and deadlines, BUT FEEC, CTU FEE and CTU Statute, Annex 5 (PDF), VŠE, Palacký University, medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, ŠKODA AUTO University — checked 01.10.2026
• Charles University: fees, deadlines, entrance exams — checked 01.10.2026
• Study in Czechia: how to apply, living costs, work during studies, post-study residence — checked 01.10.2026
• MŠMT: register of institutions and programmes — checked 01.10.2026
• Czech Ministry of the Interior: residence for study and health insurance requirement, Czech Embassy in Astana: student registration, Czech Foreign Ministry: restrictions for Russian and Belarusian citizens, Government Regulation No. 55/2024 — checked 01.10.2026
• ECB reference rate of 30.09.2026: €1 = $1.1355 and €1 = CZK 24.440, so $1 ≈ CZK 21.52

If you want an English-taught shortlist that fits your budget and timeline, send a request: document preparation and submission are provided under an agreement with StudyU, and the university makes the admission decision.

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.