Unemployment benefit

Main information

The unemployment benefit serves to bridge the period during which you, as a job seeker, are seeking employment in cooperation with the Labour Office of the Czech Republic.

The job seeker applies for unemployment benefit through the Labour Office of the Czech Republic. Jenda – Client zone of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.The application cannot be submitted separately, but only in combination with the application for employment mediation, which can also be handled through Jenda – Client zone of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs – see for more details the service Registration of job seekers - employment mediation by the Labour Office .

A job seeker is entitled to unemployment benefit if he/she applies to a workplace of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic where he/she is registered as a job seeker for unemployment benefit and meets the conditions laid down by the Employment Act. The basic condition for entitlement to unemployment benefit is the acquisition of a pension insurance period of at least 12 months in the relevant period (the last 2 years before inclusion in the register of job seekers) by employment or other gainful activity.

The condition of previous employment may also be fulfilled by offsetting the compensatory period of employment, which is considered to be the period of:

• preparing persons with disabilities for work;
• the receipt of an invalidity pension for third-degree invalidity,
• personal care for a child under 4 years of age,
• personal care for a natural person who, under special legislation, is considered to be dependent on the assistance of another natural person in grade II (moderate dependence), grade III (severe dependence) or grade IV (complete dependence) if he or she lives permanently with the jobseeker and jointly covers the costs of his or her needs; these conditions are not required in the case of a person who is considered to be close for the purposes of pension insurance,
• the performance of long-term voluntary service on the basis of a volunteer contract with a sending organisation that has been granted accreditation by the Ministry of the Interior or the performance of a public service on the basis of a public service contract, if the scope of the service performed exceeds, on average, at least 20 hours per calendar week;
• personal care for a natural person under 10 years of age who, under the Social Services Act, is considered to be dependent on the assistance of another natural person in grade I (light dependency);
•  the duration of temporary incapacity for work or ordered quarantine of a person after the end of a gainful activity which gave rise to his participation in sickness insurance under the Sickness Insurance Act, unless that person intentionally caused temporary incapacity for work and provided that such temporary incapacity for work or ordered quarantine arose at the time of that gainful activity or within the protection period under the Sickness Insurance Act.

This applies to you if

You are a natural person who has lost a job and is looking for a new suitable employment.

When to use this service

You can use the service at any time if you lose your job and are registered as a jobseeker with the Czech Labour Office.

Vyřízení služby - elektronicky

What you need if you are using this service

You need to fill in an application for unemployment benefit in the Jenda – Client Zone of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs . However, it is not possible to submit an application without first registering in the Register of Job Seekers by applying for employment mediation in the Jenda – Client Zone of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs .

To apply for unemployment benefit, please provide evidence of the facts relevant to the granting and granting of unemployment benefit, such as:

• pension insurance register,
• certificate of employment (credit sheet),
• proof of other gainful activity,
• in the case of a self-employed person, confirmation of the duration of participation in pension insurance and of the basis of assessment for social security contributions and state policy contributions;
• confirmation by the employer of the amount of average earnings.

The facts relevant for the granting and granting of unemployment benefit may also be substantiated by the following attestations to be completed by the employer:

• confirmation by the employer for the purposes of assessing entitlement to unemployment benefit (employment relationship),
• Employer’s certificate for the purposes of assessing entitlement to unemployment benefit (service relationship);
• confirmation by the employer of the payment of compensation for the purpose of providing unemployment benefit.

Where and how to solve this service

You can submit your application via the JENDA Client Zone on the portal of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs

When submitting electronically via the KZ Jenda application, a data box, bank identity or identity of a citizen is required

The Jenda app is a single solution for managing all your requests in one place.

Filling out the form usually takes about 15 minutes, depending on the readiness of the necessary documents.

Vyřízení služby - osobně

What you need if you are using this service

When submitting the application in person, the clerk will fill in the application with you during the so-called assisted submission via the Jenda application. However, it is not possible to submit an application without first logging into the Register of Job Seekers in the Jenda – Client Zone of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs application or after an assisted submission.

To apply for unemployment benefit, please provide evidence of the facts relevant to the granting and granting of unemployment benefit, such as:

• pension insurance register,
• certificate of employment (credit sheet),
• proof of other gainful activity,
• in the case of a self-employed person, confirmation of the duration of participation in pension insurance and of the basis of assessment for social security contributions and state policy contributions;
• confirmation by the employer of the amount of average earnings.

The facts relevant for the granting and granting of unemployment benefit may also be substantiated by the following attestations to be completed by the employer:

• confirmation by the employer for the purposes of assessing entitlement to unemployment benefit (employment relationship),
• Employer’s certificate for the purposes of assessing entitlement to unemployment benefit (service relationship);
• confirmation by the employer of the payment of compensation for the purpose of providing unemployment benefit.
  Filling out the form usually takes about 15 minutes, depending on the readiness of the necessary documents.

Where and how to solve this service

You can submit the application at the contact office of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic according to the place of permanent residence (place of residence) of the natural person.

You can find the contact details of the individual contact points on the website of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic in the section Regional branches.

Additional information

What is the benefit of this service

This service enables you to bridge the difficult financial situation of losing a steady income from employment in the period after losing your job during which you are looking for employment as a jobseeker in cooperation with the Czech Labour Office.

Appeal options

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the unemployment benefit procedure, you can appeal against the “Decision” within 15 days of its receipt. Submit your appeal with the regional branch of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic that made the decision on the benefit. The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs will then decide on your appeal.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it usually take the Office to process my application and what is the legal deadline for processing it?

The maximum time limit for processing the application is governed by the Administrative Procedure Code, where the Labour Office is obliged to issue a decision after the completion of all necessary documents without undue delay, but no later than within 30 days from the initiation of the proceedings, in more complex cases within 60 days, in particularly complex cases within 90 days.