20 helpful resources for Ukrainian refugees in Czechia

Accommodation: The website Stojíme za Ukrajinou list resources for those offering or looking for housing. Prague and Central Bohemia hosts can fill out an online form from Prague City Hall. Uprchlíci vítejte (Refugees Welcome) matches housing offers with recipients. Stands for the Organization for Aid to Refugees are at the main refugee arrival points, and the Refugee Facilities Administration of the Ministry of the Interior operates three residential centers outside of Prague. The Facebook group CZ Ukrainian refugees: Places to stay and jobs, Czech Republic also has some housing offers.

Basic information: The Czech Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has a page with links to downloadable leaflets in Czech and Ukrainian with information on benefits, permits, assistance for children, and other important information. It can be found here. The We Help Ukraine platform has numerous links for education, accommodation, work, and healthcare support.

Education:  A website called Shkola has been launched as a private initiative to help Ukrainian refugees find places in kindergartens and schools for their children. It can be found here. The charitable fund Nadační fond Děti Ukrajiny is also offering assistance with education for Ukrainian children. Registration information can be found here.

Prague City University (PCU), which has three physical campuses in Prague, is offering 25 full student scholarships and is also offering several teaching and research fellowships for Ukrainian academics for up to one year, with the possibility of that leading to long-term academic employment. Read more about the initiative here.

Employment: The Czech govt. has granted Ukrainian refugees free access to the labor market without needing to obtain a work permit. For employee-related inquiries, visit the employment office website. Private non-profit initiatives are already springing up to find solutions to the problem of refugee employment. One is the Jobs4Ukraine initiative, which functions as a jobs portal for Ukrainian -refugee applicants. Another new platform helps creatives find work. The Facebook page CZ Ukrainian refugees: Places to stay and jobs posts job offers as well.

Financial assistance for hosts: Last week, the Czech govt. announced that those who accommodate refugees at home or in their vacant flats will be eligible for a monthly state contribution of CZK 3,000 per person to cover costs. An app for claiming the benefit is available to use in Czech, Ukrainian, English, and Russian, and can be accessed here.

Financial support: Those who register are entitled to financial assistance from the state in the amount of CZK 5,000 per month. Ukrainian refugees may ask for assistance no more than six times. Support may also be requested online at davkyuk.mpsv.cz.

Fitness: The City of Prague has launched a page on its athletic clubs portal dedicated to offering Ukrainian children sports activities. Users can search by district and sport to find a relevant club.

Free Czech lessons: Courses for refugees from Ukraine have been opening up either for free or with a discount, and calls are growing for state subsidies to be provided for such initiatives. The Academic Grammar School and the Language School of the Capital of Prague launched two intensive Czech language courses for Ukrainians aged 15 to 19 earlier this month and another two groups will start on April 4. Courses and textbooks are free of charge for Ukrainian students.

Health insurance: The Czech Ministry of Health has set up a hotline to answer questions about healthcare. Assistance is provided in Czech, Ukrainian, and Russian. Information on the helpline and on how to register for health insurance and be found here.

Healthcare: University hospitals throughout the Czech Republic are currently setting up so-called 'UA' points, the easiest way for refugees from Ukraine to access primary health care. At UA points, physicians primarily provide emergency care for adults, children, and adolescents. Interpreting service is guaranteed on-site. 

Integration: The Integration Centre Prague (ICP) offers adaptation and integration courses, Czech language courses, and other help for newcomers to the Czech Republic. They are also ready to help with legal and social consulting, interpretation, information-center services. More can be found here. ICP currently recommends Ukrainian refugees start with the Ministry of Interior website and the Assistance Center for Prague and Central Bohemia located in the Congress Center Prague at Vyšehrad.

Charles University's Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies is offering five-week Czech language courses for refugees and parallel courses for school-age children. The courses have 10 lessons and are intended to help people integrate. They take place at Voršilská center. People can help to support this program financially by donating to the Charles University Foundation at account number 0556677359/0800 in the note please mention #UjopUkraine. Or people can donate by scanning the QR code here.  

The Labor and Social Affairs Ministry has launched a Smart Migration mobile app developed by Mendel University in Brno. New arrivals from Ukraine can find practical advice regarding employment, healthcare, and education. It works in Ukrainian, English, and Russian and uses interactive tutorial videos. A virtual assistant guides users through the problem-solving process. A version for Android can be downloaded here, and an iOs version should be ready soon.

Map: Cesko.Digital and start-up Mapotic start-up recently launched Umapa, a desktop and mobile map app for Ukrainian refugees with more than 2,000 crucial information and assistance points providing information critical to navigating arrivals and stays in Czechia. Umapa works in Czech, English, and Ukrainian, and is continuously updated and extended to show areas in neighboring states faced with waves of people fleeing Russian aggression in Ukraine. Users can add details to the open-source map.

Mental health: The Interior Ministry website has a section on accessing mental health and hotline support in Ukrainian. The National Institute of Mental Health's website provides additional help. Prague Integration is offering donation-based mental-health support with a Ukrainian-speaking counselor on weekends throughout April. Contact@pragueintegration.cz to book your appointment.

Pet care: Dogs, cats, and other pets brought by the refugees must undergo a veterinary inspection within 72 hours of arrival. Animals must be vaccinated according to standard rules. Some vets are offering free help. A regularly updated list is available on the website of the Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons of the Czech Republic.

Regional assistance centers: A list of regional centers, including one for Prague, to assist people from Ukraine can be found here.

Transport: Earlier this month, Prague's Public Transit Authority laid out the conditions for the recognition of free transport for Ukrainian citizens. A passport with a special visa issued by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic or the Police of the Czech Republic is required to ride free of charge on all means of transport on the Prague Integrated Transport lines in the territory of Prague and the Central Bohemian Region with the exception of trains. Read the rules here.

Visas: The European Commission has compiled a page of information with links to official sources of help from Czech ministries concerning visas, work, social benefits, and health insurance. It can be found here.

Ukrainian translator app: Charles University's Faculty of Mathematics and Physics has developed a Czech to Ukrainian translator; the university says it'll develop the app for use with Ukrainian to other languages in the future. Google Translate app can translate written text, spoken words, and signs between Ukrainian and virtually any other language. The app is for Android and iOs.

Ukrainian Radio: Long-time Ukrainians living in Prague have launched an internet radio station that provides information, advice, entertainment, and music to the Ukrainian community throughout the Czech Republic. The website also has a list of regional help centers. The station can be found here.

Ukrainian TV: Several channels can be streamed online in Ukrainian and sometimes with live English translation. They can be found here.