Coronavirus
Last update: 31 January 2022
The new academic year will start on Monday 13 September. In response to the epidemic situation, the operation of Masaryk University follows a coronavirus “traffic-light” alert system. For more information about measures taken at MU please visit muni.cz/en/coronavirus. See also:
Centre for International Cooperation of MU has no restrictions on the arrival of foreign students and employees at Masaryk University, nor on the abroad placements of MU students. There may be already restrictions in place based on governmental decisions. Regarding the international business trips of MU employees, superior/head of MU economic unit decides on reasonable exceptions for international business trips.
See more details on incoming and outgoing mobilities below:
COVID-19 Disease: What to do?
Are you currently a MU international student in Brno and you need help with any COVID-19 related issue? This tool was created to guide you in case you do not know what to do in your situation. Please read carefully and follow the steps that applies to your case.
If you still have a specific question or anything is unclear to you, contact us.
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Incoming students – ac. year 2021/22
The process of admitting international students and staff is influenced by the measures of individual states and by the current visa process of the Czech Republic as well as by measures by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, related to the epidemiological situation in individual states. For more information on entering the Czech Republic see information for students and employees at the website of Masaryk University. For more details please contact your coordinator at Masaryk University.
For more information about measures taken at Masaryk University, please see the website of the university and information for students.
For incoming international students accommodated in MU dormitories, Masaryk University provides possible accommodation for the necessary quarantine upon arrival with regard to accommodation capacity. In case international students living in MU dormitories is infected by COVID-19, Masaryk University is able to provide quarantine accommodation until capacity is exhausted. For more information, contact emergency@muni.cz or helpline of Centre for International Cooperation of Masaryk University at +420 777 44 86 86.
Please find the information on Covid-19 testing location in Brno here.
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Recommendations for MU students abroad
- Follow official sources of important information as well as verified news. Useful links are here.
- Follow the advice and recommendations of the relevant representative offices, local authorities and host university.
- Consider the current individual situation and its risks (health, academic, travel).
- Carefully follow hygiene principles such as hand washing, limit contact with sick people, monitor your own health, avoid places with higher concentration of people, in case of respiratory problems also abide by the basic rules of hygiene while coughing and sneezing, use of disinfectants, etc. Particular measures are listed on the website of the Ministry of Health or WHO.
- CZS does not recommend MU students to travel continuously between the foreign country where they are studying / working and the Czech Republic / Slovakia due to the current epidemic situation in the world and possible problems with crossing borders. This transfer could cause that the student, due to closed borders, cannot get back to teaching at a foreign university / for an internship at a foreign institution, or a problem with housing abroad may arise. If a student stays in the Czech Republic / SK and does not stay abroad, he / she loses the entitlement for a scholarship.
- After returning back to the Czech Republic, monitor your medical condition carefully and stay at home in case you experience symptoms of emerging respiratory disease (fever above 38 °C, cough, breathing problems), stay at home, limit contact with others, contact a doctor via phone or email or other established helplines and follow their instructions.
- If you do not have a doctor in the Czech Republic, do see the list of English-speaking doctors here.
- If you show symptoms of a viral infectious disease after returning to the Czech Republic, you are not allowed to enter the MU building according to the Decision of the Rector No. 8/2020
- In case of uncertainty, questions or decision to return, inform your university / faculty coordinator or send an email to emergency@muni.cz. You can also use the CZS MU crisis line for MU students and employees abroad: +420 777 46 56 56.
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Outgoing mobilities – ac. year 2020/21
The Centre for International Cooperation (CZS) and Masaryk University allow study placements abroad as well as internships and staff placements abroad. However, the situation may change in the future due to the evolution of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is important to monitor official sources of information and verified media sources (see the Contacts section).
To orientate better in what travel restrictions apply within the EU, we recommend checking the interactive Re-open EU tool where countries are divided by colour according to entry restrictions (green – without restrictions, orange – with certain restrictions, red – entry not allowed). The tool also mentions national websites with information not only about travel, but also about services (hotels, restaurants) and health risks (mandatory face masks, public transport rules, etc.).
Information for students:
- It is not possible to postpone study placements in the spring semester of 2022 to the next semester due to the rules of the Erasmus + programme and other exchange study programmes. Nomination for the academic year 2021/22 needs to be cancelled and the application for a study placement must be re-submitted in the next academic year 2022/23.
- In case of change of the form of teaching at a foreign university from full-time to online (or internship from full-time to online form) during the placement, the student is obliged to prove his presence abroad on request through a certificate issued by a foreign institution where the period of physical stay abroad is stated and any other conclusive document (accommodation contract, travel documents, etc.).
- Study placements can be started or carried out online, provided that the host institution allows it. However, these mobilities are not eligible for the financial support.
- If you travel abroad, study the terms and conditions of your health insurance carefully - if you fall ill, you may have to pay high treatment costs and the insurance company will not reimburse you for these costs. Contact your insurance company for more information.
- Due to the current situation, earlier termination/cancellation of the placement due to covid-19 pandemic (illness, borders closing, ban on travelling, …) and reimbursement of incurred costs (costs that could not be avoided or refunded) will be very exceptionally considered as force majeure in the academic year 2021/22 and there is no automatic entitlement to the reimbursement of your costs. The situation must always be assessed individually by the CZS and the national agency. Therefore, strongly consider the necessity of all your costs and prevention of their loss (e.g. insurance for ticket cancellation).
Information for employees:
- It is not possible to postpone placements in the spring semester of 2022 to the next semester due to the rules of the Erasmus + programme and other exchange programmes. Nominations for the academic year 2021/22 needs to be cancelled and the application for a placement must be re-submitted in the next academic year 2022/23.
- Staff training can also be started or carried out online, provided that the host institution and the nature of the mobility content allow it. However, these mobilities are not eligible for the financial support if the participant stays in the Czech Republic.
- Due to the current situation, earlier termination/cancellation of the placement due to covid-19 pandemic (illness, borders closing, ban on travelling, …) and reimbursement of incurred costs (costs that could not be avoided or refunded) will be very exceptionally considered as force majeure in the academic year 2021/22 and there is no automatic entitlement to the reimbursement of your costs. The situation must always be assessed individually by the CZS and the national agency. Therefore, strongly consider the necessity of all your costs and prevention of their loss (e.g. insurance for ticket cancellation).
- Statement (as of 5 August 2020) of the Allianz insurance company on the travel insurance of outgoing MU employees: “Travel insurance in general will always work for necessary and urgent care, and subsequently the insured person is always transported back to the Czech Republic where care is already covered by statutory insurance. This means if someone is diagnosed with COVID abroad, the first aid will be provided abroad, but as soon as possible they will have to return to the Czech Republic and continue treatment there (or stay abroad without the right to reimbursement of treatment from insurance). Transport to the Czech Republic would also be covered (there is no difference compared to other diseases). However, in the case of non-hospital care, such as quarantine (even if the employee has no symptoms), the employee will have to pay for such a stay by himself. It continues to apply that the insurance does not cover such cases where the insured person travels to places where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic has not recommended travelling or if they do not respect the government's calls to return to the Czech Republic and remains abroad."
- Addition (31 August 2021): "Based on a public promise with effect from 28 June 2021, Allianz will cover the costs associated with quarantine in connection with covid-19, with a limit of CZK 15,000 for accommodation and CZK 15,000 for alternative transport to the Czech Republic. It does not apply to countries with an extreme risk of infection (marked in black in the MFA Signpost)."
- MU travel insurance does not include cancellation insurance (for health reasons).
- Authorities in some countries may require confirmation, including the clause in English, that medical travel insurance covers treatment for Covid-19. This clause can be requested from Bc. Tomas Fendrich of Eurovalley Ltd., e-mail: tf@eurovalley.cz
- ONLINE mobility Erasmus + STA / STT from the academic year 2021/2022:
- The employee’s mobility, in which teaching/training would take place exclusively online, is possible if the participant travels to a foreign country and his / her participation at a host institution in the host country is justified and substantiated by supporting documents (eg. travel documents, proof of payment for accommodation, etc.). In this case, it is eligible physical mobility for which a grant entitlement arises. This is particularly justified if the effect of COVID-19 persists.
- Such mobility must be approved by the immediate superior and the approval has to be sent by e-mail to the relevant coordinator at CZS (person AFTER NOMINATION) at the time of submitting the Mobility Agreement document for mobility approval.
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Outgoing mobilities – ac. year 2022/23
Information for students and staff:
- CZS MU assumes that foreign trips will be possible in the next academic year as well, students and employees can submit applications for placements for the academic year 2021/22. You can find more information about individual programmes and application deadlines on the individual subpages of the CZS website.
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