Foreigners
Welcome to the Czech Republic
The first step toward a successful start to life in a new country. That is the Welcome to the Czech Republic adaptation-integration course, which Slovo 21 has been developing since 2013. Today, our courses are mandatory by law for certain foreigners, and we continue to ensure they remain high-quality and provide up-to-date, verified information.
· 4 hours, 1 instructor, 1 interpreter, and topics covering residency, employment, education, healthcare, and housing—that is the core curriculum of the course.
· Information is presented in Czech and interpreted into one of nine designated languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English, Vietnamese, Arabic, Serbian, Mongolian, Spanish, and French.
· When necessary, we also provide interpretation into less common languages, such as Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, or Korean.
· Since 2021, when the courses became mandatory, approximately 38,000 foreigners have completed them.
How did the courses begin?
Starting a life in a new country is not easy. Many Slovo 21 employees, who are themselves foreigners, have experienced this firsthand. Thanks to their personal experience and close cooperation with the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior and other non-profit organizations, the idea was born to create a course that would provide foreigners with all the necessary information in one place. Between 2013 and 2020, as the course structure was gradually taking shape, 7,347 people completed our program. During this pilot phase, Slovo 21 was responsible for the entire organization of the courses.
Since 2021, adaptation-integration courses have been mandatory for a specific group of newly arrived foreigners from third countries, based on the amendment to the Act on the Residence of Foreign Nationals in the Czech Republic. In this phase, we collaborate on the nationwide implementation of the courses with other entities: Centers for the Support of Integration of Foreigners, which schedule the courses and decide where, when, and in what language they will take place, and the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior, which oversees the smooth operation of the mandatory courses on behalf of the state.
The role of Slovo 21
Our organization is now responsible for the expert and methodological aspects of the project. In practice, this means that, first and foremost, we oversee the content, which we update on an ongoing basis. For example, if there is a change in the commercial health insurance system for foreigners, our instructors must be informed immediately. At the same time, that information must be updated in all informational materials and subsequent translations. In addition to this, We are responsible for instructors and interpreters, whose high-quality performance is essential for the course to be truly beneficial for foreigners.
Working with instructors and interpreters
We manage an extensive database of instructors and interpreters for 9 languages, which enables integration centers to staff courses across the country. We are constantly expanding our database to ensure we can meet demand in all regions. We are therefore continuously organizing both instructor and interpreter training sessions, guiding participants through the training process all the way to passing the official examination before the Ministry of the Interior Commission. Only those who successfully pass this exam are qualified to interpret and instruct at adaptation-integration courses.
We continue to work with instructors and interpreters even after their "certification," primarily through regular supervision, which serves as a tool for providing detailed feedback. In addition, we hold regular methodological meetings for them. All of this is aimed at maintaining their high standards and creating a space for sharing experiences.
What is the feedback on the courses?
Since 2021, we have conducted an extensive annual evaluation focusing on participants, integration centers, and instructors and interpreters. The main part, however, is a quantitative survey among foreigners, who rate both the quality of the instructors and interpreters and the usefulness of individual topics. From their responses, we know that 90 percent of participants would want to take the course again, even if it were not mandatory (and paid for). We also know that it is most beneficial for foreigners to take the course as soon as possible after their arrival. As the length of stay in the Czech Republic increases, the usefulness of the information provided gradually decreases.
More information is available on the official project website: https://www.vitejtevcr.cz/cs/
The Welcome to the Czech Republic 2026 project is funded by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic.
"If adaptation and integration courses had existed in 1971, it would have been much easier for our family," says Majdulin Oostrom
She ensures that translation and interpreting for the "Welcome to the Czech Republic" courses run smoothly and to the highest possible standard. Majdulin Oostrom knows firsthand how difficult it is to start a new life in a foreign country. "If a course like this had existed in 1971, it would have been much easier for us," she emphasizes.
Success for adaptation-integration courses! Most participants praised their quality
The vast majority of graduates rate the "Welcome to the Czech Republic" adaptation and integration courses as beneficial, clear, and well-organized. This was shown by a survey involving 626 participants throughout last year. A record 97% of foreigners were satisfied with the quality of the instruction. More than a third would have signed up for the course even if it were not mandatory.
Next Stop is out now! Slovo 21 has released an instructional film for foreigners
Essential and valuable information for foreigners planning to move to the Czech Republic. Everything is presented clearly, concisely, and in an engaging way. This is what the new instructional film, Next Stop: Czech Republic, recently released by our organization, Slovo 21, offers. It guides foreigners through the realities of life in the Czech Republic and introduces them to what they can expect upon arrival in their new country.
Many newly arrived foreigners are still unaware of the requirement to complete an adaptation-integration course, and they face significant fines for failing to do so.
An increasing number of newly arrived foreigners are unaware of the legal requirement to complete an adaptation-integration course. This issue has been highlighted by the organization Slovo 21, which conceived the idea for these courses over a decade ago and continues to provide their methodological oversight. Failure to fulfill this obligation can result in a fine for the foreigners.