Read on for the first part: expenses before arrival
This is the second part of our account of the expenses that await those attending language courses in the Czech Republic. The first part concerns the finances you need before your arrival – for visa processing, etc. If you haven’t read it yet, you can find it here.
So, first of all, let’s examine the educational process. You do not need to buy textbooks or workbooks; they are included in the course price. If you are not preparing for admission to an art-related program, such as architecture, 20 euros for a semester or even a year will be enough for stationary items (pens, pencils, notebooks). You will need specialised materials if you want to study design or architecture.
Applications for entrance exams, or “přihlášky”. You can apply to as many programs as you like – by submitting several applications to different universities for different specialities. One application (přihláška) costs about 25 euros. This means that if you submit 2 applications – you spend 50 euros, and everything is simple.
Application for SCIO exams. I didn’t take this type of entrance exam, but I know that one attempt costs 21 euros, and you are allowed to have 6 attempts per year.
Nostrification in the Czech Republic
If you are applying for an undergraduate degree, then you will need to pass exams in several (mainly three) high school subjects so that a special commission can recognize your school certificate as equivalent to the Czech one. Here, you must consider the mandatory fee of 1000 crowns (40 euros) for the regional administration. If you are not confident in your Czech language proficiency (the exams are taken in Czech), you have the right to use the services of an interpreter. On average, services for translating your exam answers cost 40 euros per exam. In case of admission to a master’s or doctoral studies, you need to nostrify a diploma of higher education – this confirmation costs 120 euros (recognition of higher education does not require taking any exams). Read more about the nostrification process.
In addition to educational expenses, we must not forget about everyday issues. Let’s discuss them.
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Accommodation
In the first part, I mentioned that to get the accommodation agreement, you must pay 300 euros – this is the room reservation payment. Accommodation price depends on the number of students per room, city, and dormitory type. You can find the prices here. On average, one month of living in a dormitory costs 300 euros, meaning that the money you have already paid is enough for a month of paying your rent. Another nuance – before moving in, you will be asked to pay a refundable deposit (in case you break something). It usually equals the cost of a monthly payment. When you leave the dormitory, this money will be returned to you.
Read the article How fast will the UJOP preparatory course pay off?
Transport in the Czech Republic
Depending on the city where you are going to study, an annual public transport pass will cost about 50 euros (Prague, student fare). In Poděbrady, you will hardly need public transport. Everything you need is within a 5-minute walk from the dorms and the study centre’s building.
Other
Stuff for the household (pots, ladles, forks, and spoons): 60 euros will be enough to get by. Food: about 2000-2500 crowns per month. Of course, everyone has different ideas about proper and tasty nutrition, so these are approximate costs.
Mobile communication. The Czech Republic has the most expensive mobile Internet among all European countries.
You won’t have to spend money on the Internet. You will be connected to the Eduroam international student Wi-Fi network.
To summarize – after your arrival, you will spend approximately 5,000 euros during the first year.
And if you add up this with the expenses before arrival, it turns out that during your first year in the Czech Republic, you will need about 12,000-13,000 euros. This is not a small amount, but a three times smaller amount will be enough as soon as you start studying at a university. In addition, you can start earning this money by that time.
Ultimately, the most important thing that I would like to emphasize once again is that all of these are not expenses – they are investments. Expenses are the money that you waste buying some kind of rubbish. In the case of one-year ÚJOP UK courses, this is a contribution to your education, to a future European diploma, salary and high standard of living, with which everything you have spent by that time will be paid off.
Read on for the first part: expenses before arrival