kompas

Dictionary of Czech terms

Important words that foreigners in Czechia come across every day — with a translation and a short explanation. Click a term to open its page.

Found 16 terms
💶
Work
Minimální mzda
minimum wage
22,400 CZK per month and 134.40 CZK per hour in 2026. After the cancellation of the guaranteed wage, this is the only lower limit in the private sector.
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📊
Work
Zaručený plat
guaranteed salary in the public sector
What is left of the guaranteed wage. In the private sector, it was canceled — now only the public sector has it, and in four groups, not eight.
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📈
Work
Průměrná mzda
average salary
Three different numbers under one name: 50,282, 48,967, and 48,171 Kč. Mixing them up is a calculation error.
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📝
Work
Pracovní smlouva
employment contract
There are only three required details: the type of work, the place, and the start date. Salary is not among them.
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Work
Zkušební doba
probationary period
From 01.06.2025, a maximum of 4 months instead of 3, for managers 8 instead of 6.
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📆
Work
Výpovědní doba
notice period for dismissal
Minimum 2 months. Main point: it starts from the day of delivery, not from the first day of the next month.
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💰
Work
Odstupné
severance pay
1, 2, or 3 average salaries based on years of service. The right is also kept with an agreement — people lose money on this.
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🤝
Work
Dohoda o provedení práce (DPP)
work contract, side job
300 hours per year with one employer, contribution threshold of 12,000 CZK per month. The "oznámená dohoda" (notification agreement) regime never started working.
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🧾
Work
Dohoda o pracovní činnosti (DPČ)
agreement on work activity
20 hours per week on average, contribution threshold 4,500 CZK. Unlike a DPP (agreement to complete work) — always a provisional tax.
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🏖️
Work
Dovolená
annual leave
A minimum of 4 weeks, which is 160 hours. Since 2021, vacation is counted in hours, not days.
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🏤
Work
Úřad práce
Úrad práce (Office of Labour)
Labor office and aid center. Register online through the Jenda portal with Citizen Identity.
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🪙
Work
Podpora v nezaměstnanosti
unemployment benefit
Maximum 38,537 CZK — almost 1.5 times more than last year. You must submit within 3 working days.
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A dictionary of Czech terms for foreigners

Moving to Czechia means dozens of new words: in your documents, at appointments in government offices, in letters from the state and from your employer. The KOMPAS dictionary collects the key Czech terms and explains them in plain English — from temporary protection status and nostrifikácia (recognition of a foreign diploma) to taxes, renting a home and visits to the doctor.

Every term has its own page with an explanation, a translation, an example of how it is used and links to related sections of the portal — education, work, legal status, housing and money. This is reference information to help you find your way, not legal advice: on important questions, always check the official source.

Frequently asked questions about the dictionary

What is the KOMPAS dictionary of terms?+

It is a guide to the Czech words and terms you meet in documents, in government offices and in daily life: legal status, education, work, housing, healthcare and money. Each term is explained in plain English, with the original Czech spelling.

Why do I need it?+

Czech terms in official letters and on government websites are often hard to understand without context, and reading them wrong costs time and money. The dictionary gives a short, accurate explanation, so you know what is meant and what your next step is.

How do I use the dictionary?+

Search for a word or choose a category. Every term has its own page with an explanation, a translation, an example of how the word is used and links to related terms and sections of the portal.

Where do the terms come from, and are they accurate?+

The terms and explanations are based on official Czech sources (ministries and government offices) and on the experience of the KOMPAS editorial team. This is reference information, not legal advice — in unclear cases, check the original source or ask a specialist.

Can I hear how a word is pronounced?+

Yes. Many terms have audio of the Czech pronunciation — tap the sound icon on the term page to hear how the word should sound.