Why work for UP

Best employer

We are one of the largest and best employers in the Olomouc Region (STEM/MARK, October 2018). We offer competitive wages, opportunities for personal development, and a stable working environment. Non-academic employees are entitled to 6 weeks of paid holiday leave, academic employees to 8 weeks.

Modern infrastructure 

Our employees work at state-of-the-art centres, in new or renovated buildings located primarily in the city centre. One of our great advantages is our excellent location, easily accessible by car or public transport.

Top-notch science 

We conduct world-class science at UP. Our flagships are our top-notch scientific and research centres. CATRIN (Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute) was created in 2021, with the aim of closely linking scientific capacities in the fields of biomedicine, nanotechnology, new materials, plant research, and biotechnology, by a merger of the Regional Centre Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, the Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, and the Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine. The UP Faculty of Science is home to some of the world’s most-cited scientists, such as professors Jaromír Fiurásek, Radim Bělohlávek, and Miroslav Strnad. Olomouc’s university is also proud to cooperate with Dr. Klára Marešová, the head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and University Hospital Olomouc, and the only woman who was ranked – for the second time – by Forbes magazine as one of the best doctors and physicians in the Czech Republic in 2025.

Further education for our employees

We support further education and international mobility of all our employees. Over the last five years alone, more than 1,000 academic and other staff have travelled abroad with Erasmus+ in order to upgrade their qualifications and gain international experience. We offer a wide range of further education courses for all employees.

Care for our employees 

Employee satisfaction is our priority, which is why we are constantly expanding our benefits offer. We provide discounts at university facilities and shops, free access to libraries, and convenient mobile and data tariffs for employees and their family members. Insurance contributions and social fund savings are a matter of course. We are a Fair University for which the principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all are fundamental.

We care about your family

The university is the provider of a kindergarten primarily for children with parents or grandparents employed or studying at UP. We organise the Children’s University in Fort Science, UP’s interactive science museum. Our university facilities Academic Sports Centre and BALUO Application Centre organise sporting and cultural events for the whole family. We are building a family friendly employer brand. We support parents returning from parental leave and are committed to the principle of reconciling family and work life for all employees.

Life in a university town

Our university is based in Olomouc, a town of baroque treasures and modern culture. The town offers a wide range of cultural and sporting events, emphasising a pro-family policy. The university is actively involved in the social life of the city. We organise science festivals (Long Night of the Sciences, Science and Research Fair), the AFO international festival of science documentary films, we enliven the public space (the Majáles May Student Festivities), we offer expert help in mapping urban problems, and are proposing solutions for better quality of life in the town.

Three types of employment agreements are used in the Czech Republic: an employment contract for a definite or indefinite period, a fixed contract for a specific task (DPC) or a fixed contract for work activity (DPP), entered into for even less than one year.

Your employer covers your social security and health insurance for the duration of employment. You do not need to take out any additional insurance related to standard health care in the Czech Republic. The amounts are determined based on the relevant social security legislation within the EU. If you are employed in multiple EU countries or run your own business outside the Czech Republic, you need to complete the A1 form (applicable to EU citizens) before coming to the Czech Republic. Citizens outside the EU are subject to Czech legislation in this respect (your employer will notify you about applicable exceptions). 

As a legal employee of a company based in the Czech Republic, you qualify for free public healthcare. After signing the employment agreement, you will receive a health insurance card from one of the health insurance companies. It will enable you to use the services of any medical centre contracted with your health plan. Health care is free of charge, except for dental treatments, where only basic care is covered by the public health care system. If you have unexpected health complications outside normal surgery hours of a general practitioner or specialist, you can refer to the emergency department. Call 112 or 155 for emergency medical services.

We recommend opening a bank account prior to arriving in the Czech Republic, if possible. Some banks enable opening an account online. Schedule an appointment with a bank of your choice immediately after your arrival. All you need is a passport (although you may also be required to submit your residence permit). Most employers wire (monthly) salaries only on condition the employee has a bank account.

Palacký University provides accommodation in its halls of residence and staff housing in the wider city centre. The list is available at Accommodation and Dining Facilities. Hotel-style accommodation is available at the Generál Svoboda Halls of Dormitory (Šmeralova 12) and the Vančurova Dormitory (Vančurova 2). The latter boasts a central location. The UP halls of residence and housing provide short-term accommodation for individuals; early booking is required. 

Olomouc is a university town and as such offers a broad selection of sublets. The supply is always highest before the beginning of the semester (July and August), when you can find tenancy within a day. Some of the housing is advertised on commercial websites such as sreality.cz/en and a number of Facebook groups. You can also arrange both short-term and long-term accommodation via airbnb.com.

The University is based in Olomouc, a city of Baroque gems and modern culture. The city holds a broad range of cultural and sport events and promotes a family-friendly policy. The current population of Olomouc is a little over 100,000, which makes it the sixth largest city in the Czech Republic. It is the regional seat of all major state and local administration, including the regional authority, the district and the regional court, the tax office, the Czech social security administration and the labour office. Most of the documents needed while living in Olomouc can be arranged at the Olomouc Municipality.

By air

The nearest international airports are in Brno (75 km) and Ostrava (80 km). The largest Czech airport, Václav Havel Airport Prague, is easily accessible by bus and train within 3 hours.

By train

Olomouc boasts excellent train service to Prague as well as other large cities (Warsaw, Cracow, Moscow etc.). See idos.cz.

By car

A motorway connects Olomouc to Brno (45 min), Bratislava (2 hrs), Vienna (2 hrs), and Prague (2.5 hrs).

• Immigration and non-Czech nationals in the Czech Republic
  
• Practical advice on living in the Czech Republic, not only for academics
• Information for Olomouc residents and tourists
• Information about Palacký University