Brno is one of the easiest cities in Czechia to arrive in, and one of the harder to navigate medically in English. The tech sector recruits internationally, Masaryk University brings in students and researchers, and the city has two teaching hospitals. What it does not have is a healthcare system that runs in English by default. Here is how the routes to obesity treatment actually work in Brno.

Brno's international community and the healthcare gap

Nearly 65,000 foreign nationals are registered for residence in Brno, from close to 150 countries, according to Expats.cz, with Ukrainians the largest group after Slovaks at over 31,000.

The gap is administrative rather than clinical. Czech medicine treats obesity as a chronic disease, and Brno has real specialist capacity. But specialist care assumes a Czech GP who refers you, and many international residents never register with one: roughly 360,000 foreign nationals have no registered GP, out of 554,000 people without one, per Health Ministry figures. If you arrived with a job, a flat and an employer-arranged insurance card, a GP is rarely on the first-year checklist.

Route one: the obesity clinic at FN Brno

The specialist option is the obesity clinic at FN Brno in Bohunice, part of an accredited obesitology department offering pharmacological treatment, bariatric surgery pathways and nutrition therapy.

Three practical points from the clinic's own page (in Czech). A referral is mandatory: you need a poukaz (žádanka) for an obesitology examination from a GP or specialist. The clinic runs limited hours, Wednesdays by appointment only, in pavilion D2. And it states plainly that pharmacological obesity treatment is not covered by health insurance, and that it does not accept patients seeking only dietary advice, who are directed to the nutrition service.

Other Brno options, including FN u sv. Anny and private obesitology practices, are mapped in the Czech Obesity Society directory (in Czech). All of it runs in Czech, and starts with that referral.

Route two: private clinics and the English question

Brno has private clinics that will see you without a referral, though the international-clinic scene is thinner than Prague's. The catch is familiar across Czechia: paying extra for the appointment to happen in English. Expats have reported charges of roughly 200 to 600 CZK per visit simply to be seen in their own language, though the lower end of that range predates the 2026 fee reform.

Some of this tightened on 1 January 2026. Registration, joining and annual membership fees charged as the price of becoming or staying a patient are now illegal, with fines up to 1 million CZK, and providers must publish price lists, as Expats.cz reported. Foreign-language fees remain legal, and the same reporting puts English-language consultations at typically 300 to 600 CZK. Ask before booking whether a quote is the English-language price.

When your employer's health cover ends

This is the Brno-specific problem. Many of the city's international residents arrived through an employer that arranged the insurance, and sometimes the clinic access too. When the contract ends, so does the cover, often the next day.

If you hold an Employee Card or Blue Card, there is a route through it. Register at the Labour Office as an active job candidate, get the confirmation and give it to your insurer, which moves you into the state-paid category. The Brno Expat Centre explains the process: the state pays the premiums, you need not qualify for unemployment benefits, and the maximum is currently 90 days. The Public Defender of Rights has confirmed that legally resident foreigners actively looking for work are entitled to state-funded public health insurance.

Commercial policies carry caps and the insurer can decline to renew, as the Brno Expat Centre notes. For this treatment, though, the distinction matters less than expected: the policy only covers what public health insurance covers, and these medicines are not publicly reimbursed. That applies to Czech nationals identically, as we explain in Czech health insurance and weight-loss medication.

One practical warning: if you are in treatment and your cover lapses, do not simply stop. Discuss it with a doctor first.

Route three: online consultation in English

The third route sidesteps both the referral and the language surcharge:

Complete an online questionnaire covering your health history, medications and goals.
Attend a video consultation with a licensed Czech doctor, in English. No GP, no referral, no membership fee, no charge for the language.
If the doctor concludes treatment is appropriate, you receive a Czech eRecept, collected in person at any Czech pharmacy.

The consultation is a real assessment. The doctor can decline to prescribe, ask for blood tests, or refer you for an in-person examination if that is safer. Anyone presenting a prescription as a foregone conclusion is not practising medicine properly.

It also works from anywhere in South Moravia, which matters if you commute into Brno rather than live in it. You can check your eligibility with a doctor online.

What the treatment involves, and its risks

The medicines used in modern obesity treatment are largely GLP-1 receptor agonists, which mimic a gut hormone regulating satiety and blood sugar. They slow stomach emptying and reduce appetite, so fullness arrives earlier.

In the STEP 1 trial, participants taking semaglutide 2.4 mg alongside lifestyle changes lost on average about 14.9% of body weight over 68 weeks. In SURMOUNT-1, those on the highest tirzepatide dose, 15 mg, lost up to about 20.9% over 72 weeks. These are separate trials, not a head-to-head comparison, so the percentages are not directly comparable: the populations and durations differ. Averages also conceal wide variation and are not a promise about any one person. In SURMOUNT-4, participants regained much of the lost weight after stopping, which is why this is long-term treatment.

Side effects are mostly digestive: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, particularly early on and when a dose increases. They often settle, but sometimes lead to a lower dose or stopping. Contraindications include pregnancy and breastfeeding, certain pancreatic conditions and some thyroid cancer histories. Safety information is published by the European Medicines Agency, for example the EMA assessment report for Mounjaro.

Entry criteria are typically BMI 30 or above, or 27 and above with a related condition such as high blood pressure, prediabetes or sleep apnoea. Our BMI calculator gives an indicative number, but a doctor always makes the decision. More detail in weight-loss injections in Czechia. SÚKL also keeps a public list of websites offering medicines in breach of the Medicines Act (in Czech), which internet providers must block; the risks of buying online are covered in illegal online pharmacies.

Filling an eRecept at any Brno pharmacy

A Czech eRecept works at any pharmacy in the country, whether in the centre, Bohunice or a shopping centre. One limit applies everywhere: mail-order dispensing of prescription medicines is illegal in the Czech Republic, so collection is always in person.

Two things specifically for foreign residents:

The system identifies you by name and date of birth, so it works without a Czech insurance number.
The ID-card lookup at the counter does not work for non-residents. Bring the prescription code sent by SMS, or a printout, or the pharmacist may not find it.

Holding a prescription from another EU country? Czech participation in cross-border e-prescriptions is optional and limited to pharmacies that signed up (in Czech), which is why a Czech eRecept is more dependable. See also our eRecept guide, continuing treatment after moving to Czechia and obesity treatment in Prague.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a referral for the obesity clinic in Brno?

Yes. The FN Brno obesity clinic requires a referral for an obesitology examination from a GP or specialist. Private clinics and online consultations do not, so if you have no Czech GP, those are the practical starting points.

Where can I find an English-speaking doctor in Brno?

Private clinics are the usual answer, and some charge a foreign-language fee, reported at typically 300 to 600 CZK per visit. Since January 2026 prices must be published in advance, so ask whether a quote is the English-language price. An online consultation avoids the question: at GoOn the appointment is held in English at the same price as in Czech, with no separate language fee.

What happens to my treatment if I lose my job in Brno?

If you hold an Employee Card or Blue Card, registering at the Labour Office keeps you in public health insurance for up to 90 days, with premiums paid by the state. The medication is self-pay regardless, so the main risk is a gap in medical supervision.

Can I pick up my prescription at any pharmacy in Brno?

Yes, at any pharmacy in Czechia, regardless of where it was issued. Bring the code you received by SMS, especially if you are not a Czech resident, because the counter ID lookup will not find it.