Czech legislation has various features that every foreigner should be aware of.
Positive aspects of life in the Czech Republic
High Global Competitiveness Index
According to the latest data from the World Economic Forum, whose report was published in October 2020, the Czech Republic became the first among the most developed countries in Central Europe.
The Czech Republic has significantly improved its position in the competitiveness rating and took 29th place out of 140 represented. When compiling comparative tables, all states were assessed according to 12 criteria, including:
- the degree of infrastructure development;
- the quality of education, healthcare, labor market;
- the efficiency of government work.
The lack of qualified specialists and the relatively slow development of IT technologies in Czechia prevent it from getting one step higher than other countries.
High level of safety
To live in the Czech Republic is safe. According to the 2020 Global Peace Index, the Czech Republic has once again managed to get into the list of the safest countries in the world. With a score of 1.381, the Czech Republic is ranked 7th in the overall ranking. Countries such as Iceland, New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, Denmark, and Canada were ahead.
Ecology
Despite a large number of vehicles (they say that it is easier for the Czechs to use a car than an umbrella in cloudy weather) and a fairly large-scale industrial production in the east of the country, the Czech Republic is recognized as one of the most environmentally friendly countries in Europe.
Moreover, according to the Green Cities Index, Prague is the greenest city on the planet. The area of green space in the Czech capital is 57%. The Czechs are in awe of environmental issues. They try to sort the garbage and monitor the degree of environmental pollution.
High level of medicine
High standards of healthcare, modern research centers, internationally recognized level of classical medical education, first-class training of doctors, and competitive prices – all this makes Czech medicine one of the most demanded in the world.
People from Great Britain, America, Germany, Switzerland, and the CIS countries fly to see Czech doctors. Such fields of medicine as cardiology, oncology, eye surgery in the Czech Republic are much more developed than in neighboring states.
Free higher education
Living in the Czech Republic means the opportunity to get higher education for free. By no means all European countries can boast of free higher education, which is available not only to citizens of the country but also to visiting students. Their already small number is decreasing every year. For example, France, known for the availability of education for foreigners, in 2018 decided to abandon the idea of free education.
The Czech Republic still gives every student, regardless of his nationality, the opportunity to get bachelor’s and master’s degrees completely free of charge. However, for this, you need to know the Czech language at the B2 level and study at one of the state universities in the country.
In addition to quality education, a foreigner who graduated from a higher educational institution in the Czech Republic gets free access to the labor market. And given the shortage of qualified personnel, which was written about at the very beginning of the article, finding a job in the Czech Republic will not be difficult.
Low costs
Living in the Czech Republic is relatively inexpensive. Even as a member of the European Union, the Czech Republic has not yet switched to the Euro and has retained its own currency, the Czech crown. Due to this circumstance, prices in the Czech Republic are much lower than in neighboring countries, for example, in Germany or Austria.
If you compare, for example, the cost of living in Moscow and Prague, you can see a completely insignificant difference in numbers, but at the same time feel a completely different standard of living.
Negative aspects of life in the Czech Republic
Bureaucracy
The Czech Republic is trying in every possible way to get away from the bureaucracy associated with clerical procedures, but so far it has not been very successful. The excessive complication of obtaining any papers, delaying decision-making is a completely normal practice in the Czech Republic. It is important to always remember this and not to delay the submission of documents for nostrification or visa extension.
Climate
Predicting the weather in the Czech Republic is quite problematic. Even based on the temperature of past years, you can never say exactly what winter, for example, is expected this year. Because of this, it is also difficult to decide on a wardrobe for the upcoming season.
Mobile tariffs
Compared to the cost of cellular services in post-Soviet countries, Czech mobile operators seem to slightly inflate prices for calls, SMS, and the Internet.
Shops 24 hours
There are shops that work around the clock, but there are very few of them, and they are only found in large cities such as Prague or Brno. Many supermarkets close at 22.00, even more, shops are closed after 20.00. Most pharmacies are closed on weekends.
We could not find more cons. We are sure that even those that have already been listed by us are easily covered by the large number of advantages of living in the Czech Republic.
To live or not to live in Czechia is everyone’s personal choice. For this reason, we have analyzed both the pros and cons of the Czech Republic. If, after weighing all the advantages and disadvantages of this country, you still want to move here, then pack your bags without hesitation.
In any case, this is the most developed country of the former social camp. Only in 2004 it joined the European Union, but already in terms of living standards it has become closer to the advanced countries of Europe.