Read on for the second part: expenses after arrival
When assessing my possibilities to go to a language course in Prague, I focused primarily on the cost of the course itself. For some reason, I thought that this would be the biggest expense – everything else seemed not that important to me. However, during visa processing and preparing other documents, some other expenses, which I did not know about or which I could not even think of, were coming up. If anyone had written down some approximate expenses for me in advance, it would have been much easier for me to mentally prepare for them- since I would have been ready for all the additional expenses.
Therefore, let this note serve as a kind of mental therapy for those who are just inquiring the price. First of all, I want to warn you – no matter how much we end up with, you should know that it will all pay off – emotionally, intellectually, and, of course, financially!
I am going to divide this article into two parts. In the first one I will tell you what expenses you are likely to face at home. And in the second part, we will focus on the expenses that await you after your arrival in the Czech Republic. So let’s get started.
Expenses before arrival
For the first amount, which you need to start counting with, I would still take the price of the course. At the moment, the full traditional course costs 5940 euros. The course incudes 35 academic weeks of 35 academic hours of Czech and major subjects, which are also taught in Czech. In some of the centers there is a second option – a course for those who are over 18 years of age. It costs 4430 euros – this is the cost of a Czech language course only. When you come to the course, you have to choose at least two major subjects on your own. Why so? It’s just that it’s assumed that adults are more responsible for their studies and will study independently. When I went to study at the course I was already 31 years old, but I chose the full course – I was afraid that I would not learn the language properly. If I were making my choice now, having the knowledge on how the learning process looks like, I would choose a cheaper course. The fact is that preparatory courses are primarily intended for school graduates applying for undergraduate studies, so there is a big emphasis on SCIO or other entrance exams. Since I was applying for a master’s degree in the humanities, I actually only needed good knowledge of Czech; no one could have helped me with the preparation for the entrance exams anyway – admission to a master’s degree program mainly requires self-study.
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The next point is the purchase of a one-year comprehensive health insurance, it costs 492 euros if you order it via Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies (ÚJOP UK). You can read about different types of insurances and their purpose in my article “Cheap insurance for a student visa”. Insurance needs to be issued before your arrival, as it is included in the list of documents required to obtain a visa.
Another document that is required for a visa is an accommodation contract for a year. Those who decide to live in ÚJOP UK hostels do not have to worry about its issuance. It is enough to pay a 300 euro deposit and the contract is yours.
It is important to keep in mind one more large amount – to apply for a visa, you have to provide a bank statement indicating that your account has an amount equivalent to 101 380 Czech crowns – this is about 4100 euros (as of 19.05.2022). This money does not have to be kept there – you can calmly use it during the school year, but remember that in a year, before you apply for a new visa, this amount needs to be in the account again.
Read the article How fast will the ÚJOP preparation course pay off?
The visa fee itself is about 100 euros. Let’s add this amount as well.
The next thing is money for document translations. All documents submitted for a visa must either be in Czech or translated by the so-called Czech court translators. If you order translations in the Czech Republic, they will cost you from 15 euros per page (1800 characters, excluding spaces). If you are applying for an ÚJOP UK course, translation services can be ordered from us as well.
If you are a minor, you will need a notarized consent to travel abroad from your parents. If you are an adult, I highly recommend making a general power of attorney for friends or relatives, so that they can represent your interests in banks, public institutions, community services, etc., while you are away. Of course, a power of attorney can be issued at the consulate of your country, but, for example, for Uzbekistan citizens, the nearest consulate is located in Berlin, which you need yet to get to.
Another large amount to bear in mind is a train or a plane ticket (depends on where you are coming from). It is better to buy a ticket in advance, as it is usually cheaper in this case. My ticket from Almaty costed about 200 dollars in 2017.
As a result, before your arrival in the Czech Republic, you are going to spend from 7000 to 8000 euros. This amount does not include 3600 euros, which need to be in your bank account.
Read on for the second part: expenses after arrival