Course and certificate
Food Hygiene Minimum for Food Workers (Czech Republic)
For everyone who works with food in the Czech Republic: in a kitchen, canteen, restaurant, café, shop or food production. Eight short lessons in plain language explain the Public Health Protection Act (zákon č. 258/2000 Sb.), foodborne infections, personal and operational hygiene, receiving goods and storage, cross-contamination, allergens and HACCP. It is preparation for the hygiene minimum (hygienické minimum) and a certificate of course completion. It does not replace the exam before a board of the regional public health authority. A test of 25 questions follows.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇨🇿 Czechia
- Languages
- Čeština, Български, English, Polski, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 8
- Time needed
- About 45 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 25 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- No set period
- Content updated
- 27 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- Kč 390.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Cooks, kitchen assistants and staff in school and workplace canteens
- Waiters, waitresses, baristas and serving staff in restaurants, cafés and bars
- Shop assistants and staff in shops, bakeries, butchers' shops and food markets
- Workers in food production and packing and in catering
- Foreigners and new employees who are starting to work with food in the Czech Republic and would rather read in plain English
- Employers and shift supervisors who want proof that an employee has gone through preparation
02Syllabus
- 01The hygiene minimum and the legal framework
- 02Microorganisms and foodborne illness
- 03Personal hygiene of the worker
- 04Operational hygiene, cleaning and pests
- 05Receiving goods, storage and temperatures
- 06Cross-contamination, preparation and serving
- 07Allergens and information for guests
- 08HACCP, training, inspections and responsibility
03Assessment
25 multiple-choice questions drawn from the whole course. The pass mark is 80%. The test is free and can be retaken as often as needed; wrong answers point to the lesson to read again.
04The certificate
- With your name, your score and the date you passed.
- A unique number, recorded in our register.
- Your employer or an inspector scans it to see that it is genuine.
- Download it, print it or show it on your phone.
05Sources
The course follows the published guidance below. We are not affiliated with the bodies that publish it.
- Vyhláška č. 490/2000 Sb., příloha 3
- Vyhláška č. 137/2004 Sb., § 50
- Vyhláška č. 137/2004 Sb., § 49
- Nařízení (ES) č. 852/2004, příloha II, kap. VIII
- Vyhláška č. 121/2023 Sb., § 3
- Nařízení (EU) č. 1169/2011, příloha II
06Questions
Is this the hygiene minimum the law requires?
The Public Health Protection Act (zákon č. 258/2000 Sb., § 19) requires people in direct contact with food in activities of epidemiological importance to have the knowledge needed to protect public health. This course is preparation for that and covers the material set by Decree No. 490/2000 Sb. The knowledge may be checked by the regional public health authority (krajská hygienická stanice, KHS). Anyone who does not have it may not carry out the activity until they pass an exam before a board set up by the public health authority.
Does the course certificate replace the exam at the public health authority?
No. The certificate from this course is a certificate of course completion. It is not the exam before a board of the regional public health authority under § 19(3) of Act No. 258/2000 Sb., it is not a health card and it is not an assessment of fitness for work. It is not an accredited or state-regulated qualification either. Whether the training is enough for you is decided by your employer, who must also instruct you on hygiene in their own workplace.
What must the employer do itself?
Under Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter XII, the employer must make sure that people who handle food are supervised and instructed or trained in line with their work. A general course does not replace this. The employer must instruct you on the procedures, equipment and risks of your workplace, make you familiar with its HACCP and cleaning schedule, and show them to you in practice.
Do I need a health card?
The duty to have a health card (zdravotní průkaz) was abolished by Act No. 167/2023 Sb. with effect from 1 July 2023. Fitness for work is handled differently: the employer provides occupational health services under Act No. 373/2011 Sb. and arranges examinations according to the category the work is placed in. This course does not assess fitness for work.
How long does the course take?
Most people get through the lessons and the 25-question test in about an hour. You can stop and come back later on the same device.
What if I fail the test?
You pay nothing. You will see which lessons to read again, and you can retake the test as many times as you need.
When do I pay, and how much?
Only after you pass the test: 390 CZK for the certificate of completion. The course and the test are free.
How does an employer check the certificate?
Every certificate has a number and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the number on our verification page, shows your name, the course and the date you passed the test.
How long is the certificate valid?
The law sets no renewal period for the knowledge needed to protect public health, so the certificate has no expiry date. Many employers repeat the training regularly. That is good practice, not a legal deadline.
The certificate confirms that you completed this course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification; your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.