Hospitals in Prague: A Guide to Every Major Hospital

Prague had 23 acute-care hospitals with about 8,500 beds in 2024, but as a newcomer you only need to know around ten of them. This guide explains how the city’s hospitals are organised, which one to use for what, and what changes if you are a foreigner. Each hospital has its own detailed page with addresses, phone numbers, emergency services and tips for English speakers.

If you are looking for a place to give birth, we have a separate guide to the maternity hospitals in Prague, which also covers Podolí Maternity Hospital.

First things first: emergencies

• Call 155 for an ambulance or 112 for any emergency. Both are free and answer around the clock.
• You do not choose the hospital. The ambulance crew takes you to the nearest hospital that can provide the care you need, wherever you live.
• If you can get there yourself, go to a hospital emergency department (urgentní příjem).
• For problems that cannot wait until morning but are not dangerous, use the out-of-hours doctor service (lékařská pohotovostní služba, LPS, or simply pohotovost). It is like an evening and weekend GP, usually inside a hospital. You can use any of them, whichever part of Prague you live in.
• The fee for the out-of-hours service is 90 CZK. You do not pay it if the doctor admits you to hospital.

How Prague’s hospitals are organised

Almost all large hospitals in Prague are public. They differ mainly in who runs them and how specialised they are.

• University hospitals (fakultní nemocnice) are the big general hospitals run by the Ministry of Health and linked to the medical faculties of Charles University. They have emergency care and nearly every specialty: Motol, the General University Hospital (VFN), Královské Vinohrady (FNKV), Bulovka and Thomayer.
• The Military University Hospital (ÚVN) is run by the Ministry of Defence but treats civilians like any other hospital.
• Specialised hospitals concentrate on a few fields: IKEM (transplants, heart, diabetes), Na Homolce (heart and brain; since 2026 part of Motol) and Podolí (maternity and women’s health).
• Smaller hospitals in the centre: Na Františku belongs to the Prague 1 district, and the Hospital of St. Charles Borromeo is run by a religious congregation.
• Private clinics offer outpatient care and planned procedures with English-speaking staff. See our guide to private hospitals and clinics for international patients.

Two changes in 2026 that older guides miss: Motol and Na Homolce merged on 1 January 2026 into one institution with two campuses, and Královské Vinohrady and Bulovka have shared one director since February 2026. Addresses and departments stayed where they were.

Prague hospitals at a glance

The hospitals one by one

Університетська лікарня Мотола

The largest hospital in the country, with more than 2,200 beds and the last stop of metro line A at its door. It combines a full adult hospital with the Czech Republic’s biggest children’s hospital, and it has a department for foreign patients. Best for: children, complex cases, foreigners without Czech insurance. Read the full Motol profile.

General University Hospital in Prague (VFN)

The central hospital by Karlovo náměstí, treating patients since 1790. Its clinics are spread over several streets, so the address matters: emergencies go to different buildings depending on the problem. It has out-of-hours services for eyes, ENT, urology, neurology and children. Best for: people living or working in the centre, specialised out-of-hours care. Read the full VFN profile.

University Hospital Královské Vinohrady (FNKV)

The university hospital on the east side of the city, about ten minutes on foot from Želivského metro. Known nationally for its burns clinic, and practical for foreigners because the foreigners’ reception is right at the main entrance. Best for: Vinohrady, Žižkov, Strašnice and Vršovice residents; burns. Read the full FNKV profile.

Bulovka University Hospital

The university hospital in the north of Prague and the national centre for HIV/AIDS and other serious infections. It has a trauma centre and a large maternity unit with the country’s first midwifery centre. Best for: Prague 7, 8 and 9 residents; infectious diseases. Read the full Bulovka profile.

Thomayer University Hospital

The university hospital in the south of the city, known locally as Krč. It has a Foreigners Department with clear payment rules, out-of-hours services for adults and children, and a dental emergency service. Best for: Prague 4, 11 and 12 residents; toothache in the evening. Read the full Thomayer profile.

Military University Hospital Prague (ÚVN)

Open to civilians since 1994, with a 24-hour emergency department in Prague 6. It treats adults only: there is no children’s department and no maternity ward. Best for: adults in Dejvice, Břevnov and Střešovice. Read the full ÚVN profile.

Na Homolce Hospital

A specialised hospital for heart and brain conditions, home of the Leksell Gamma Knife, and since 2026 part of Motol. It has a reception for paying patients and publishes its prices in English, but it is not one of the city’s emergency points. Best for: planned cardiac and neurological care. Read the full Na Homolce profile.

IKEM

The country’s largest transplant centre and a specialised institute for heart disease and diabetes. In 2025 it carried out 592 of the country’s 975 organ transplants. Patients come on referral, and there is no emergency room. Best for: transplant, cardiac and diabetes patients referred by a specialist. Read the full IKEM profile.

Na Františku Hospital

The small hospital in the Old Town, about ten minutes on foot from Old Town Square. It has a 24-hour emergency department for adults and an evening dental emergency service. Best for: visitors staying in the historic centre. Read the full Na Františku profile.

Hospital of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Charles Borromeo

A church-run hospital below Petřín hill in Malá Strana, with surgery, internal medicine and rehabilitation. It treats everyone, but its website is in Czech only. Best for: Malá Strana residents who speak some Czech. Read the full profile.

Which hospital for what?

• A sick child out of hours: Motol has a dedicated children’s emergency department. Out-of-hours services for children also run at Thomayer, Bulovka, Královské Vinohrady and at the General University Hospital (Ke Karlovu 2).
• Toothache in the evening or at the weekend: Thomayer, Na Františku, or the dental emergency at Městská poliklinika Praha, Spálená 12. For children, Městská poliklinika or Motol.
• Pregnancy and birth: Podolí, Apolinář, Motol, Bulovka, Thomayer or Královské Vinohrady. See the maternity guide.
• Serious burns: Královské Vinohrady.
• Serious infections, HIV care: Bulovka.
• You are staying in the centre and need a doctor now: Na Františku in the Old Town, or the General University Hospital by Karlovo náměstí.
• You have no Czech insurance: the hospitals with a staffed desk for foreigners are the easiest: Motol, Královské Vinohrady and Thomayer. For planned care, Na Homolce has a reception for paying patients.

Out-of-hours services were reorganised in January 2026, when health insurers took over responsibility for them. Opening hours can change, so check the hospital’s page or phone before you set out.

Insurance and payment

• Czech public health insurance (employees, permanent residents and some other groups): hospital care is covered. You pay only small fees such as the 90 CZK for out-of-hours care.
• European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or UK GHIC: gives you medically necessary care on the same terms as a Czech-insured patient. Bring the card and an ID. It does not replace travel insurance.
• Commercial insurance for foreigners: non-EU residents who are not in the public system, for example many students, freelancers and family members, need comprehensive health insurance for their residence permit. Since September 2023 it can be bought from any insurer licensed to sell it, not from one company only. Thomayer, for example, asks for a guarantee letter from the insurer before treatment.
• No insurance: you are a self-payer. Expect a deposit before treatment and a final bill afterwards. Thomayer may ask uninsured patients for an advance of 5,000 CZK and full prepayment for planned procedures.

For planned visits to hospital specialists you normally need a referral (žádanka) from a GP or another specialist. Emergency departments do not require one. More in our guides to seeing a doctor without insurance and the Czech healthcare system for foreigners.

Will they speak English?

Often, but not reliably, and it varies from one department to another. Do not count on a free interpreter. IKEM tells foreign patients plainly to bring their own, and Královské Vinohrady can arrange one at the patient’s expense. The desks for foreigners help with registration and payment, not with interpreting during the examination. If your Czech is limited, bring a Czech-speaking friend, or have your insurer’s assistance line on the phone.

Frequently asked questions

Can I choose which hospital the ambulance takes me to?

No. The crew decides, and it takes you to the nearest hospital able to treat your condition.

Is hospital treatment in Prague free?

With Czech public insurance or an EHIC, necessary hospital care is covered apart from small fees. Without either, you pay.

Which Prague hospital is best for foreigners?

For emergencies, the nearest one. For anything planned, Motol, Královské Vinohrady and Thomayer have dedicated desks for foreign patients, and Na Homolce has a reception for paying patients and publishes its prices in English.

Do I need a referral to go to a hospital?

Not for an emergency. For a planned appointment with a hospital specialist, usually yes.

Where is the nearest hospital to the Old Town?

Na Františku Hospital, by the river in Prague 1.

This guide was last checked in November 2026 against official sources. Details change, so confirm phone numbers and opening hours with the hospital before you go. Browse all listings in our hospitals directory.