How to Use Czech Financial Arbitrator for Insurance
Learn how to use the Czech Financial Arbitrator (finarbitr.cz) to resolve private insurance disputes — free, binding decisions, and no lawyer required.
The Czech Financial Arbitrator (Finanční arbitr) is one of the most powerful consumer dispute resolution tools in Central Europe. Unlike the advisory ombudsman models common in other countries, the Czech Arbitrator's decisions are legally binding on the insurer and can be enforced like court judgments. For anyone whose insurance claim has been denied and whose internal complaint has failed, the Financial Arbitrator is the single most important resource available before going to court — and it costs you nothing.
What Is the Czech Financial Arbitrator?
The Financial Arbitrator (Finanční arbitr, FA) is established under Czech Act No. 229/2002 Sb. (as amended). The institution operates independently of the insurance industry and the Czech National Bank. Its mandate is to resolve financial disputes between consumers and financial institutions, including insurance companies.
Key facts:
- Free for consumers: There is no filing fee. You pay nothing regardless of the outcome.
- Binding decisions: The Arbitrator's award is legally enforceable. If Kooperativa, Česká pojišťovna, Allianz, or any other insurer loses, it must comply — or face enforcement proceedings.
- No legal representation required: You can represent yourself.
- Quick: The target resolution time is 90 days, far faster than court proceedings.
- Scope: Private insurance disputes — including health, travel, accident, and life insurance. The FA does not handle disputes with public health funds (VZP, OZP, etc.) — those go through administrative law.
Contact: finarbitr.cz | Legerova 1581/69, 120 00 Praha 2 | Tel: +420 257 042 070
Who Can File
You can file with the Financial Arbitrator if you are:
- A consumer (physical person acting outside your business capacity) or, in some cases, a small business
- In a dispute with a licensed Czech insurer or an EU insurer operating in the Czech Republic
- Able to show you have already completed the insurer's internal complaint process (reklamace) and received an unsatisfactory response, or have not received any response within 30 days
Step-by-Step: How to File with the Financial Arbitrator
Step 1: Exhaust the Internal Complaint Process
You must have filed a reklamace with your insurer and either:
- Received a rejection or unsatisfactory response, or
- Received no response within 30 days of submission
Keep your reklamace submission proof (registered post tracking number or email timestamp) and the insurer's response.
Step 2: Gather Your Documents
Prepare the following:
- Your insurance policy (pojistná smlouva) and the general conditions (VPP)
- The denial letter from your insurer
- Your reklamace (internal complaint) and the insurer's response
- All relevant supporting documents: medical records, invoices, receipts, photographs, correspondence
- A summary of the dispute: what was denied, when, the amount at stake, and your position on why the denial was wrong
Step 3: Submit Your Complaint
Online (recommended):
- Visit finarbitr.cz and navigate to "Podat návrh" (Submit a proposal) or "Formulář"
- Complete the online form in Czech (the FA operates in Czech; if you need language assistance, consider engaging a Czech-speaking advisor)
- Upload all documents as PDF attachments
- Submit — you will receive a confirmation with a case number
By post: Send the completed paper form (downloadable from finarbitr.cz) and all attachments by registered post to: Finanční arbitr, Legerova 1581/69, 120 00 Praha 2
In person: The FA accepts submissions in person at its Prague 2 office during business hours.
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Your submission must include: your name, address, the insurer's name and address, a description of the dispute, your request (the specific amount or action you are seeking), and a statement that you exhausted the reklamace process.
Step 4: FA Initiates Proceedings
The FA will assess whether your submission is admissible (within scope, pre-conditions met). If admissible, the FA formally opens the proceeding and notifies the insurer.
The insurer must respond to the FA with its position and documentation. You will receive a copy of the insurer's response and may submit further observations.
Step 5: The Arbitrator's Nález (Award)
The Financial Arbitrator reviews the evidence from both sides and issues a nález (award). This is typically delivered within 90 days of the proceeding being opened. In complex cases, the FA may extend this timeframe and will notify you.
The nález is either:
- In your favour: The insurer is ordered to pay the disputed amount or perform the required action within a specified deadline (typically 15 days)
- Against you: The dispute is dismissed or the insurer's position is upheld
Step 6: Objections and Enforcement
If you disagree with the nález: Both parties have the right to file námitky (objections) to the nález within 15 days. The FA then reconsiders and issues a final decision (rozhodnutí o námitkách).
If the insurer refuses to comply: The final FA decision is enforceable like a court judgment. You can request enforcement through the district court (soudní výkon rozhodnutí) or a Czech enforcement officer (soudní exekutor).
Further court challenge: Either party can challenge the FA's final decision before a Czech civil court within 3 months. However, filing a court challenge does not suspend enforcement of the FA decision — the insurer must still comply in the meantime.
Common Insurance Disputes Successfully Resolved by the FA
- Travel insurance: denial of emergency medical costs abroad
- Health insurance: refusal to reimburse hospitalisation costs based on disputed pre-existing condition exclusion
- Accident insurance: disputes over the percentage of permanent disability assessed
- Life insurance: beneficiary payout disputes
Tips for a Successful FA Submission
- Write in Czech: The FA operates in Czech and submissions in other languages will require translation
- Be specific about the amount: State the exact amount claimed (in CZK) and attach invoices proving the sum
- Attach the insurer's VPP: The FA will interpret your policy's terms — having the full VPP on record ensures the correct version governs the dispute
- Cite the relevant clause: Reference the specific policy clause you believe was misapplied — this focuses the FA's analysis
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