A spring semester is longer than 90 days, so citizens of Azerbaijan need a Czech long-term visa for study, applied for in person at the embassy in Baku with apostilled, Czech-translated documents and two kinds of health insurance. On arrival you report your address to the Foreign Police within three working days unless your dorm does it for you. Cards work almost everywhere, the currency is the koruna, not the euro, and an ISIC card halves the price of trains and long-term transport passes.
Money
Czech koruna (CZK, Kč)
Language
Czech
Time
UTC+1; UTC+2 from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October
Plugs
Type C and E; 230 V
Tipping
Rounding up or about 10% in restaurants is usual, not required
Places, programmes and the minimum cGPA are from ADA’s list. Confirm them with the Office of Global Outreach and Partners before you apply: exchange@ada.edu.az
Payments & banking3
Contactless cards are taken almost everywhere, including on Prague trams; the koruna is not the euro, so avoid paying in euros and watch exchange offices.
VO
Visa or Mastercard from homeEssential
Contactless payments from shops to trams in week one
Before departure
Why you need it: Card acceptance is very high, Prague trams and buses take a tap, and a valid international card also counts as proof of funds for the visa.
Ask your Azerbaijani bank to enable the card for payments abroad
Check its foreign-currency fees and daily limits
Carry a second card in case one is blocked
Before you rely on itWhen a terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, choose koruna: the conversion it offers is usually worse. Prefer bank ATMs to independent cash machines, and check the fee on screen before accepting.
Source: ipc.gov.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
CS
Czech student bank account
A local account for rent, scholarships and transfers
Optional
Why you need it: A host university may pay a scholarship or grant only into a Czech account, and rent is easier to pay by local transfer.
Free, paid extrasVaries by residence statusVaries by university
Visit a branch of Česká spořitelna, ČSOB, Komerční banka or another major bank with your passport and visa
Ask for a student account and bring an ISIC card from a Czech institution if you have one
Before you rely on itVŠE asks for the account in InSIS for any scholarship and says it cannot pay into a Revolut card. Banks ask for a passport and often a second ID; requirements differ by bank.
Source: exchange.vse.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
CE
Currency exchange rules
Your three-hour right to cancel at an exchange office
On arrival
Why you need it: Exchange offices near Prague’s tourist sights are known for poor rates, and Czech law gives you three hours to undo a bad deal.
Ask for the exact amount of koruna you will receive before handing over money
Keep the receipt
To cancel, return to the same office within three hours of the exchange, during its opening hours
Before you rely on itThe right covers up to the equivalent of €1,000. Withdrawing koruna from a bank ATM is usually cheaper than exchanging cash.
Source: cnb.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
Essential apps4
Czech everyday apps are practical: one for Prague transport, one national journey planner, a local map app and a ride-hailing app cover most of week one.
PL
PID Lítačka
Prague transport tickets, student passes and departures
On arrival
Why you need it: App tickets are cheaper than paper ones, and the app is where you buy the student pass that brings Prague transport down to 130 Kč a month.
Before you rely on itServices differ by city; prices rise at busy times. Hailing a taxi in the street in Prague’s centre risks an inflated fare.
Source: bolt.eu · the provider or a government body · Checked
Transport4
Prague and Brno both have dense tram networks and cheap student passes for 18–26-year-olds with an ISIC card; trains and buses link the two in about 2.5 hours.
PI
Prague Integrated Transport (PID)Essential
Prague metro, trams, buses and the airport lines
On arrival
Why you need it: VŠE, CEVRO and VŠFS students cross Prague daily; with an ISIC card the student pass costs 130 Kč a month, far below single tickets.
Paid · 90-minute ticket 46 Kč in the app, 50 Kč paper; student (18–26) pass 130 Kč a month, 360 Kč for three months (2026)Varies by city
From the airport take bus 59 to Nádraží Veleslavín (metro A) or 100 to Zličín (metro B) on a 90-minute ticket
Buy tickets in the PID Lítačka app, at machines or by tapping a card on the terminal inside trams and buses
Stamp a paper ticket once, on first use
Buy the student pass in the app or e-shop with your ISIC card
Before you rely on itStudent discounts apply only to passes of a month or longer, not to single tickets, and only to full-time students aged 18–26. At PID sales points some ISIC cards issued outside Prague are not accepted; buying online with a Czech-issued ISIC avoids that. The Airport Express (AE) costs 200 Kč and is not covered by passes.
Source: pid.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
BT
Brno transport (DPMB and IDS JMK)Essential
Brno trams, buses and trolleybuses, with a student šalinkarta
On arrival
Why you need it: Masaryk University’s faculties and dorms are spread across Brno; the student šalinkarta (pass) halves the cost for 15–26-year-olds.
Paid · Student pass for zones 100+101: 275 Kč a month, 685 Kč a quarter (2026)Varies by city
Pay single fares by tapping a bank card on board (Pípni a jeď) or in the IDS JMK POSEIDON app
Register on the IDS JMK e-shop with your passport and a photo
Verify your ISIC card online and set the student discount category
Buy the šalinkarta, loaded onto your bank card or an IDS JMK card
Before you rely on itFor the student discount on passes that include Brno, IDS JMK requires a valid ISIC card; a confirmation of study alone is not accepted.
Source: idsjmk.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
ČD
České dráhy (ČD)
National railway, with 50% off for students aged 18–26
Optional
Why you need it: Prague–Brno and weekend trips to Olomouc, Český Krumlov or Vienna are cheap by train once your ISIC card proves the student discount.
Install the ČD app (Můj vlak) and create an account
Choose the pupil and student 18–26 discount when buying
Carry your ISIC card to show the inspector
Before you rely on itThe 50% student fare is for 2nd class and ends the day before your 26th birthday. The government has discussed changing these state discounts from 2027; check the ČD page before relying on the rate.
Source: cd.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
RJ
RegioJet
Private trains and buses, including Prague–Brno
Optional
Why you need it: It competes with ČD on Prague–Brno and international routes, and also gives students 18–26 half price within Czechia with an ISIC card.
Before you rely on itSeats are reserved, so popular Friday and Sunday departures sell out; book a few days ahead.
Source: regiojet.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
SIM, eSIM & internet2
Prepaid SIMs from T-Mobile, O2 and Vodafone are sold in shops and newsagents without a contract, and EU roaming is included.
TM
T-Mobile TwistEssential
Prepaid SIM with data, no contract
On arrival
Why you need it: You need a Czech number for the bank, the dorm and delivery apps, and a prepaid card suits a five-month stay with no contract to cancel.
Paid · Data editions from 150 Kč (2 GB) to 279 Kč (100 GB, discounted) (2026)
Buy a Twist SIM in a T-Mobile shop or online, or an eSIM
Activate it online, by SMS or in the Můj T-Mobile app
Top up and pick a data package
Before you rely on itA top-up under 500 Kč stays valid for six months, 500 Kč or more for twelve; unused credit then lapses. O2 and Vodafone sell similar prepaid cards and eSIMs; compare their 30-day data packages before you buy.
Source: eshop.t-mobile.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
Ed
eduroam
Campus wi-fi at Czech universities
Before departure
Why you need it: Czech universities run eduroam, so libraries and lecture halls are online without using mobile data.
Ask ADA IT whether your account works on eduroam abroad
Otherwise log in with the host university credentials once they are issued
Before you rely on itWhether an ADA login works abroad was not confirmed; the host university account always does once issued.
Source: eduroam.cz · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Visa, registration & legal6
Long-term visa in Baku before you go, then a Foreign Police address report within three working days of arrival unless your dorm files it.
LT
Long-term visa for studyEssential
National visa for a study stay of more than 90 days
Before departure
Why you need it: A February–June semester is longer than the 90 days a short-stay visa allows, so you need a long-term (D) visa for study before you fly.
Paid · Fee 2,500 Kč, paid in local currency or by card (2026)Varies by nationality
Ask your host university for the original confirmation of studies
Email baku.visa@mzv.gov.cz in English, Russian or Czech for an appointment, with the details and passport scan the embassy asks for
Bring the form, passport, photo, confirmation of studies, proof of funds, proof of accommodation and the criminal record certificate
Apply in person on the Monday or Tuesday you are given; the decision can take up to 60 days
Before the visa is issued, show travel medical insurance for the first 90 days and comprehensive insurance for the rest of the stay
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: apply at the Czech Embassy in Baku (Caspian Plaza, Jafar Jabbarli 44). Appointment requests are answered strictly in order of arrival, so email as soon as you have the confirmation of studies; other questions go to baku.consulate@mzv.gov.cz. Documents not in Czech or Slovak need a certified Czech translation, foreign official documents need an apostille, and most may not be older than 180 days. Funds are 15 times the subsistence minimum plus twice it for each further whole month: on the 3,130 Kč figure the ministry gives, about 66,000–72,000 Kč for a four- to five-month stay (2026); a host university’s written commitment to cover costs can reduce it. A valid international payment card is one accepted proof.
Source: ipc.gov.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
CR
Criminal record certificateEssential
Apostilled police certificate the visa application requires
Before departure
Why you need it: The visa file is incomplete without it, and getting the certificate, the apostille and a certified Czech translation takes days to weeks in Baku.
Request a criminal record certificate from the Azerbaijani authorities
Have it apostilled
Have the certificate and apostille translated into Czech by a certified translator
Submit it within 180 days of issue
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: the certificate comes from Azerbaijan, as your country of citizenship, plus one from any other country where you lived for six months or more in the last three years. Ask the Czech Embassy in Baku by email which Czech translators it accepts before paying for a translation.
Source: ipc.gov.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
TA
Travel and comprehensive health insuranceEssential
The two insurance policies a long-term visa needs
Before departure
Why you need it: Without them the visa is not issued: travel medical insurance for the first 90 days, plus comprehensive insurance from a Czech-authorised insurer for the rest of the stay.
Buy travel medical insurance covering urgent care for the first 90 days
Buy comprehensive insurance for foreigners from an insurer authorised in the Czech Republic, such as PVZP
Check the limit is at least €400,000 per insured event with no co-payment
Bring both certificates to the embassy before the visa is issued
Before you rely on itComprehensive cover must come from a company authorised to provide it in the Czech Republic, so a policy from an Azerbaijani insurer will not count for it. Students whose care is covered under an international agreement, for example Erasmus, are exempt; ask your host university whether that applies to an ADA bilateral exchange.
Source: ipc.gov.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
FP
Foreign Police registration of residenceEssential
Report your address within 3 working days of arrival
On arrival
Why you need it: Long-term visa holders must report where they live to the Foreign Police within three working days, unless the dorm or hotel does it for them.
Ask your dorm on check-in whether it reports your stay to the Foreign Police
If not, go in person to the Foreign Police department for your area within three working days
Bring your passport and proof of travel medical insurance; the form is handed out there
Keep the confirmation with your passport
Before you rely on itThere is no fee. Check your local office’s opening hours on the police website before you go, and expect a queue. A long-term visa for study does not come with a biometric card; that is only for a long-term residence permit.
Source: ipc.gov.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
PO
Proof of accommodation
Dorm confirmation or lease for the visa file
Before departure
Why you need it: The embassy wants to see where you will live, so housing has to be settled before the visa appointment, not after landing.
Book a dorm place and ask the host university for a written confirmation
For a private flat, get a lease or a confirmation of accommodation from the owner
Check that the owner’s signature on a confirmation is officially certified
Before you rely on itA confirmation from a private owner needs an officially certified signature; a lease signed by both parties does not. A university dorm confirmation is the simpler route.
Source: ipc.gov.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
LT
Long-term residence permit for study
The alternative to a visa, with a biometric card
Optional
Why you need it: You may apply for a residence permit instead of a visa, but it adds an OAMP visit and fingerprints; for one semester the long-term visa is the simpler choice.
Paid · Application fee 2,500 Kč (2026)Varies by residence status
Before you rely on itWith a residence permit you register at a Ministry of the Interior (OAMP) office within 30 calendar days of arrival, give biometric data and collect the card later. Holders of a long-term visa for study skip all of this.
Source: ipc.gov.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
Housing & daily life3
University dorms are the usual and cheapest choice for exchange students; the visa needs proof of accommodation, so sort housing before the embassy appointment.
VD
VŠE dormitories
Dorm rooms for VŠE exchange students in Prague
Before departure
Why you need it: Prague rents are high, and VŠE keeps premium rooms for exchange students, booked through ISKAM with a deposit.
Paid · About 273–421 Kč a night, deposit 8,000 Kč (autumn 2026)Varies by cityVaries by university
Watch for the spring 2027 application details, which VŠE will publish at the end of October 2026
Apply in ISKAM and pay the 8,000 Kč deposit, which is refunded when you move out
Ask for an accommodation confirmation for the visa
Before you rely on itCEVRO University and the University of Finance and Administration may not have dorm places of their own; ask their international offices early and be ready to rent privately.
Pre-booked dorm rooms for exchange students in Brno
Before departure
Why you need it: Masaryk exchange students usually get a pre-booked room at Vinařská, Komárov-Sladkého or Kounicova, which settles housing before the visa.
Paid · About 110–320 Kč a night per person with VAT, by dorm and room (from February 2026); booking deposit about 2,000 Kč plus a security deposit of 30 nights’ rentVaries by cityVaries by university
Wait for the email in early January on booking your pre-booked room
Book it in ISKaM and pay the booking and security deposits by the deadline
Pay the first month’s rent within ten days of arrival
Before you rely on itMiss the payment deadline and the room is released. The deposits are counted as your last month’s rent.
Source: czs.muni.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
SA
Sreality and Bezrealitky
The main Czech portals for flats and rooms
Optional
Why you need it: If there is no dorm place, most private rooms in Prague and Brno are listed here; Bezrealitky lists only owners, without an agency fee.
Search for a room (pokoj) or flat share near your faculty
View it in person or by live video before paying anything
Ask for a written lease and an accommodation confirmation the visa accepts
Before you rely on itNever send a deposit for a flat you have not seen. Many landlords want a 12-month lease; say up front that you need February to June.
Source: bezrealitky.cz · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Student life3
The ISIC card is the key to student prices here: transport passes, trains and many museums ask for it rather than a university ID.
IC
ISIC card
Student ID that unlocks transport and train discounts
On arrival
Why you need it: Prague and Brno student passes and the ČD and RegioJet student fares all ask for ISIC, so it saves money from the first week.
Paid · 400 Kč in Czechia (2026)Varies by university
Ask your host university whether it issues ISIC to exchange students
Otherwise order one through the Czech ISIC shop
Add the digital card to the ISIC app as a backup
Before you rely on itA Czech-issued ISIC is the safest choice: Prague transport sales points reject some ISIC cards issued elsewhere. In Prague it is accepted for transport from September to the end of October of the following year.
Source: isic.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
Why you need it: Local sections and buddy programmes at Czech universities pair you with a local student and run orientation weeks, which helps with the first errands.
Free, paid extrasVaries by cityVaries by university
Find your university’s section or buddy programme (VŠE: buddy.vse.cz)
Sign up for a buddy before you fly
Join the orientation week events
Before you rely on itSections and their prices differ by university; not every partner has an ESN section.
Source: esncz.org · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
SI
Study in Czechia
National portal for international students
Optional
Why you need it: Run by the Czech national agency for international education, it collects visa, insurance, housing and arrival guides in one place in English.
Why you need it: It pairs Czech with both English and Russian, handy for Russian speakers since many Czech words are close to Russian but not always the same.
112 covers every emergency; save the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Prague before you fly.
EO
Embassy of Azerbaijan in the Czech RepublicEssential
Consular help for citizens of Azerbaijan, in Prague
Before departure
Why you need it: If your passport is lost or stolen, the embassy in Prague is where you get a document to travel home; it also covers students in Brno.
Install the app and fill in your name and health details
Allow location access
Before you rely on itIt also lists pharmacies, urgent care and defibrillators. Dialling 112 always works without it.
Source: zachrankaapp.cz · the provider or a government body · Checked
Culture & practical tips
Greetings, shoes and quiet on public transport matter more than newcomers expect; the tips below cover week one.
01Greet when you walk in
Czechs say Dobrý den on entering a small shop, a doctor’s waiting room or even a lift, and Na shledanou when leaving. Silence reads as rude.
02Shoes off at home
Street shoes come off at the door in Czech homes and many flat shares; hosts often offer slippers. Bring a pair for the dorm too.
03Inspectors wear plain clothes
Ticket inspectors on Prague and Brno transport show a badge only when they check you, and fine on the spot. Buy or activate the ticket before you board.
04Pay in koruna, not euros
Some tourist shops accept euros at a poor rate. Pay by card in koruna, and refuse the offer to be charged in your home currency at terminals and ATMs.
05Tipping is rounding up
In restaurants, say the total you want to pay including a tip when the waiter brings the card machine, usually rounding up or adding about 10%. Pay at the table, not at the counter.
06Bring your passport to offices
The Foreign Police, banks and SIM shops identify foreigners by passport, and the police may ask to see it; carry it, with your visa, when you go out.
07Quiet on trams and trains
Phone calls and loud conversation on public transport draw looks. Give your seat to older passengers; on escalators, stand on the right.
08Public holidays close shops
Shops larger than 200 m² must close on several state holidays, including Easter Monday (29 March 2027) and 8 May, which fall in the spring semester. Stock up the day before; small shops may stay open.
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