The ÚPSVaR retraining courses are the fastest legal way for job seekers to change careers without paying a single euro out of their own pocket for the course. The program is called RE-PAS and operates on a principle that most people registered with the agency are unaware of: the agency doesn’t choose the course—you choose it yourself, including the instructor, schedule, and format. The Office of Labor, Social Affairs, and Family then reimburses the course fees directly toprovider.

The problem is that RE-PAS has a precisely defined process chain, and missing even a single step means you won’t receive the subsidy, even if you completed the course with the best results in the group. In this guide, you’ll find the complete procedure, a list of excluded courses, all deadlines (60 days, 15 days), required documents, and the most common mistakes that prevent applicants from receiving reimbursement.

Note on current information: Specific financial limits, forms, and conditions for national projects are subject to change. Before submitting your application, always verify the current version directly at your local employment office or on the official ÚPSVaR portal.

What Is RE-PAS and How Does Retraining Through the Employment Office Work

RE-PAS is a certificate issued by the Office of Labor, Social Affairs, and Family, by which the office commits to paying the course fees for the retraining program you have chosen, but only provided that you meet all contractual conditions. It is not a voucher that you can spend at will; it is a binding commitment to a specific course, a specific provider, and the specific amount stated in the confirmation.

What RE-PAS Offers Job Seekers

The tool is based on three pillars that distinguish it from a traditional “government-sponsored course”:

Expanding or completely changing your professional focus. You don’t have to continue in the field you’ve worked in so far. A warehouse worker can retrain to become a welder, an administrative assistant can become an accountant, and a waiter into a truck driver.
Free choice of course and provider. You can and should contact multiple providers, compare prices, the number of hours, the teaching format, and the certificate of completion, and only then make a decision.
Full reimbursement of course fees. The office does not reimburse a portion of the price, but rather the tuition fee stated in the provider’s confirmation. You do not pay the instructor anything during the course.

RE-PAS vs. a commercial course: 4 key differences

Criterion	RE-PAS retraining course	Commercial course at your own expense
Who Pays the Course Fees	The Employment Office pays the provider directly	The participant pays in advance from their own funds
Who Selects the Course	Job Seeker	Participant
Administration	Requirement, agreement, Participant Card, billing	Application and invoice
Consequences of non-completion	Loss of entitlement to the subsidy (or pro-rata reimbursement)	Loss of money already paid

The difference in administrative procedures is the reason why some people do not take advantage of RE-PAS. Yet the entire process can be completed in just two visits to the office if you prepare your documents in the correct order.

Who Is Eligible for the Retraining Allowance

Eligibility does not automatically apply to everyone who is unemployed. The conditions are cumulative; you must meet all of them at once, not just most of them.

Basic requirement: registration as a job seeker

The allowance is intended for job seekers registered with the Office of Labor, Social Affairs, and Family. You must submit your application at the office where you are registered, not at any other office. You must remain registered throughout the duration of the course; if you are removed from the registry during retraining due to lack of cooperation, the allowance is forfeited.

The Five-Year Rule: When Entitlement Expires

The key restriction that is most often overlooked: you are only eligible for the grant if you have not received a grant from the employment office in the last 5 years for retraining ortraining in the same field.

Pay attention to the phrase “in the same field.” This does not refer to the same course title, but to the same professional field. If the office reimbursed you three years ago for the course “Fundamentals of Accounting,” the new course “Advanced Double-Entry Bookkeeping” will most likely be considered the same field of study and will not be supported. Conversely, a transition from accounting to welding constitutes a change in focus and is not an obstacle.

Excluded courses: what the ÚPSVaR will not support

The Labor Office will not support you in the following cases:

retraining focused on specific managerial competencies and project management,
retraining focused on developing communication and social skills (so-called “soft skills” training),
Class B driver’s license (standard passenger car),
retraining conducted remotely,
if you are also a part-time college student.

This list directly affects your choice of course. If you’re interested in an “online project management course,” you’ll immediately encounter two exclusion criteria at once. Therefore, check the provider’s offerings for the format of instruction. It must be a face-to-face or blended format that meets the agency’s requirements, not self-study via e-learning.

A Class B driver’s license is excluded, but that does not mean that driver’s education courses as a whole are excluded. Higher categories and professional certifications are assessed differently. Please verify this specific question directly with the Counseling and Education Department, as this is an area where practices may vary among individual agencies.

Which retraining courses offered through the employment office are the most worthwhile?

Since the choice is yours, the criterion shouldn’t be “what I enjoy,” but which position has the shortest time to fill a vacancy in the job market in your region. This grant is a one-time opportunity tied to a five-year cycle, so it pays to use it strategically.

Fields with Long-Term Excess Demand

Trades and Technology: welding courses and certifications, CNC machine operation, electrical engineering certification in accordance with regulations, forklift operation, courses for load riggers and crane operators.
Transportation and Logistics: qualification courses for truck drivers, warehouse logistics, customs issues.
Healthcare and Social Services: caregiver courses recognized for work in social service facilities, including abroad; nursing assistant courses; massage therapy courses.
Food Service and Services: cook, pastry chef, barista, hairdressing, cosmetology, manicure.
Administration and IT: accounting and payroll, human resources, software testing, network administration, data analytics (note the requirement regarding the form of instruction).

How to Check a Retraining Provider

You choose the provider, which means you are also responsible for its quality. Before signing anything, verify the following:

Valid accreditation or authorization to issue a certificate of completion. Without an acceptable certificate, you have no way to prove completion, and the agency has nothing to reimburse.
Number of hours and percentage of practical training. Two courses with the same name can range from 40 to 200 hours. The employer looks at the scope.
Recognitionof the certificate in the field. For regulated professions (welding, electrical work, lifting equipment), the standard or regulation under which the certificate is issued is decisive.
Willingness to complete Part B of the application. An experienced provider knows what RE-PAS is and will issue the confirmation within a few days. If they are “unfamiliar” with this, it is a red flag.
Realistic course start dates. The course must start in time for you to begin within the deadline (see below).

How to Apply for a Retraining Course Through ÚPSVaR: Step by Step

The following sequence of steps is mandatory. Skipping any step means the benefit will not be paid.

Step 1: Choose a course and compare providers

Contact several retraining providers and request information about the course, tuition, scope, and schedule. Only then should you choose one. This is the only stage where you have complete freedom, so make the most of it.

Step 2: Fill out the retraining application

The application is submitted on the prescribed form and consists of three parts:

Part A: to be filled out by you as the job seeker (personal information, selected course, justification).
Part B:Confirmation from the retraining provider, which will be completed and confirmed by the selected instructor at your request. Among other things, this section includes the course fee and the course dates. The amount listed in this section is the amount that the agency will subsequently reimburse.
Appendix “Declaration”: to be filled out by you.

The following basic information about the retraining (content, scope, format, certificate).

Step 3: Submit your request well in advance

You submit your application to the employment office where you are registered, taking into account the expected start date of the retraining program. Submitting your application well in advance is not just a formality: the office must review and approve your application, enter into an agreement with you, and issue a RE-PAS—all of this before the course begins. If you submit your request a week before the course starts, it is highly likely that you will not meet the deadline and will have to reschedule the course for a later date.

Practical recommendation: allow for a buffer of several weeks, not days, and verify the submission deadline directly with your agent.

Step 4: Project Participant Card and Grant Agreement

Funding for the grant is provided as part of a national project. Therefore, before concluding the agreement, you are required to complete and sign the Project Participant Form. The form will be provided to you by the employment office.

The office will then enter into a agreement with you regarding the provision of a retraining grant. This is the most important legal step in the entire process, as there is a clear rule:

Without signing an agreement on the provision of a retraining allowance, you will not receive the allowance.

In other words: no one will reimburse you for a course you started before signing the agreement.

Step 5: Pick up your RE-PAS and submit it to the provider

Once your application is approved, the office will issue a RE-PAS. This serves as confirmation that, once all conditions are met, you will receive a subsidy equal to the course fee specified in the provider’s confirmation.

You must submit the RE-PAS to the retraining provider before the course begins. This is the document on the basis of which the instructor will enroll you in the course without requiring payment from you.

Refresher Course Process: Responsibilities During the Course

Signing the agreement does not end your responsibilities—it is just the beginning.

Starting the Course and the 60-Calendar-Day Deadline

You will begin your retraining on the date you agreed upon with the provider. If you cannot start on the original date (the course does not open due to low enrollment, or the schedule changes), you have a safety net: youcan be made no later than 60 calendar days from the date the retraining provider issues the confirmation.

This period begins on the date indicated on the confirmation, not on the date the agreement is signed or the RE-PAS is issued. Keep track of it, because once it expires, the confirmation is invalid and the entire process must be repeated from the

Completion of the Entire Program

The eligibility requirement is successful completion of the entire retraining program. This does not simply mean “showing up for the exam,” but fulfilling the attendance requirements and completion conditions defined by the provider.

Early Termination and Assessment of Serious Reasons

You may terminate the course early only for serious reasons: health, family, or personal. The seriousness of the reasons is assessed by the employment office, not by you or the provider.

Practical implications: If you are hired during the course, address the situation with the employment office immediately and in writing, not retroactively. Starting a new job constitutes a fundamental change in your status, and how this ishandled depends on the specific circumstances and the office’s assessment.

Reimbursement: How to Get a Refund for Course Fees After the Course Ends

This is the stage where most people lose money, not because they failed the course, but because they missed the deadline.

15-Calendar-Day Deadline and Four Required Documents

Within 15 calendar days after successfully completing the retraining, you must submit the following documents to the employment office’s reception desk or to the counseling and education department:

proof of completion of the retraining program (certificate),
an invoice issued by the retraining provider,
application for reimbursement of the retraining subsidy,
power of attorney.

The power of attorney is the legal basis for why the money is not sent to you. Based on it, the office will pay the allowance directly to the retraining provider. This means you never handle cash, which is also the reason the provider does not ask you for payment during the course.

The deadline is calendar days, not business days. The fifteen days include weekends and holidays. Therefore, request the invoice from the provider on the very day the course ends, not a week later.

When the Employment Office Will Not Provide the Benefit

You will not receive the benefit if:

you were removed from the registry of job seekers for lack of cooperation during the retraining program,
you terminated the retraining program prematurely without serious cause,
you did not submit all required documents by the specified deadline.

Note the third condition: all it takes is a missing power of attorney or an invoice delivered on the 16th day, and your entitlement expires, even if you have the certificate in hand.

Pro-Rata Payment for Early Termination

If you terminate the course early for serious reasons recognized by the office, you will receive a subsidy proportional to the portion of the retraining you have completed. The remainder of the course fee will not be refunded; therefore, it is important that you notify the office of your reasons immediately and provide supporting documentation (such as a medical report).

What You Must Pay Yourself: Hidden Costs of Retraining

This is the most common misunderstanding about RE-PAS. The grant covers course fees, nothing more.

As part of this subsidy, the Employment Office will not reimburse you for:

travel expenses to the course location,
meal allowances during the course,
lodging if the course takes place outside your place of residence,
no other expenses incurred for retraining (textbooks, work materials, protective equipment, retake exam fees).

Sample Calculation of Actual Costs

Welder, 120-hour course, tuition €900, held in a regional city 35 km from home, 15 days of commuting:

Item	Who Pays	Amount
Course Tuition	ÚPSVaR via RE-PAS	900 €
Transportation (15 × 2 trips)	Participant	approx. 90 to 130 €
Meals during the course	Participant	approx. 75 to 120 €
Work supplies	Participant	depending on the course
Actual cost to the participant		approx. 165 to 250 €+

Practical conclusion: When choosing a provider, don’t just consider the course fee (which you don’t pay), but above all the distance and frequency of commuting. A course that’s 200 € more expensive but located near your home is more cost-effective for you.

7 Mistakes That Most Often Cost Applicants Their Grant

Starting the course before signing the agreement. Without an agreement, there is no grant—no exceptions.
Submitting a request at the last minute. The office needs time to review and issue the RE-PAS.
Selecting a course from the excluded list. Soft skills, project management, distance learning, and a Class B driver’s license are dead ends.
Ignoring the five-year rule. Check to see if you have previously been reimbursed for a course with the same focus.
Failure to submit the RE-PAS form to the provider before the start of the course.
Missing the 15-day deadline for submitting the final statement or submitting an incomplete set of documents.
Failure to cooperate with the authorities during the course. Removal from the registry during retraining results in the loss of the subsidy even upon successful completion.

Model Scenario: From Registration to Certification

Starting Point: Ms. Zuzana, age 41, after her administrative position was eliminated, registered with the employment office, without any prior retraining allowance.

Weeks 1–2: She contacts three providers of caregiver training courses. She compares the scope of the courses (which varies significantly), the course fees, and whether the certificate is recognized for work in social service facilities. She chooses a provider in her area of residence; even though it is slightly more expensive, she saves on transportation.
Week 2: She fills out Part A of the application and the Declaration; the provider fills out and confirms Part B, including the course fee and the date.
Week 3: submits the complete application to her employment office, more than a month before the course begins.
Week 5: the office approves the application. Zuzana fills out and signs the Project Participant Card, then signs the grant agreement. She receives the RE-PAS.
Before starting the course: she submits the RE-PAS to the provider. The provider does not require any payment from her.
During the course: completes the course in its entirety, meets attendance requirements, and continues to cooperate with the employment office while fulfilling their obligations as a job seeker.
Completion Date: receives the certificate and immediately requests an invoice.
Within 15 calendar days: submits the certificate, invoice, application for reimbursement of the subsidy, and power of attorney to the counseling and training department.
Result: the office pays the course fees directly to the provider. Zuzana paid only for transportation and meals out of her own pocket.

Frequently Asked Questions About Retraining Courses Through the Employment Office (FAQ)

Do I have to pay anything for a retraining course through ÚPSVaR?

You do not pay the course fee; once the conditions are met, the Employment Office will pay it directly to the retraining provider based on your authorization. However, you are responsible for covering your own travel expenses, meal expenses, any accommodation costs, and all other expenses related to the course.

Can I choose the course and the provider myself?

Yes, and that is the main advantage of RE-PAS. You can contact multiple providers, find out about the courses, and choose the one that suits you best in terms of scope, dates, and location. However, the course must meet the agency’s requirements—it cannot be in an excluded field or offered in a distance-learning format.

How often can I use the retraining allowance?

You are eligible only if you have not received a retraining or education grant through the employment office in the last 5 years in the same field. Courses with a different professional focus are not subject to this restriction.

Which courses will the employment office not reimburse?

The Employment Office does not support retraining focused on specialized managerial competencies and project management, the development of communication and social skills, a Class B driver’s license, or retraining conducted via distance learning. It also will not support you if you are simultaneously a part-time college student.

What happens if I don’t complete the course?

If you withdraw early without serious reasons, you will not receive the grant. If you withdraw for serious health, family, or personal reasons—the severity of which will be assessed by the employment office—you will receive a grant in proportionfor the portion of the retraining you have completed.

By when must I start the course?

You begin the course on the date agreed upon with the provider. If that is not possible, you may begin no later than 60 calendar days from the date the retraining provider issued the confirmation.

What documents do I need to submit after completing the course, and by when?

Within 15 calendar days of successfully completing the course, submit the following four documents to the office’s reception desk or to the Counseling and Education Department: proof of completion of the retraining, an invoice from the provider, an application for reimbursement of the subsidy, and a power of attorney.

Can I start the course before the office approves my application?

No. Without a signed agreement for the provision of a retraining grant, you will not receive the grant. In addition, you must submit the RE-PAS form to the provider before the course begins.

What is the Project Participant Card?

It is a document that you are required to fill out and sign before signing the agreement. This is because the grant is funded as part of a national project. The employment office will provide you with the form.

Will the employment office reimburse me for an online course?

Retraining conducted via distance learning is excluded from funding. Before submitting your application, therefore, explicitly verify the form of instruction with the provider and have it specified in the basic informationabout the retraining attached to the application.

Where should I submit my retraining application?

To the Office of Labor, Social Affairs, and Family where you are registered as a job seeker, well in advance of the expected start of the course.

Will the office deposit the money into my account?

No. Based on your authorization, the office will pay the subsidy directly to the retraining provider. You will not handle the funds yourself.

Next step: Contact your employment office

If you are a job seeker and are interested in retraining, contact the Office of Labor, Social Affairs, and Family, specifically the counseling and education department. Check the current conditions and the availability of funding under the ongoing national project, and request the prescribed retraining application form. At the same time, contact course providers so that find out what schedule and scope you can realistically manage.

ÚPSVaR Retraining Courses: RE-PAS and Course Reimbursement