RESIDENCE PERMIT IN SLOVAKIA
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
This publication has been developed in the framework of the Magyar-Szlovák Közös Inkubációs
Központ Pócsmegyer implemented through the Hungary-Slovakia Cross-border Co-operation
Programme 2007 – 2013 co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
www.husk-cbc.eu
The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect
the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EASME nor the European Commission are responsible for
any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
January 2015
CONTENT
Page 1
Content
Residence of citizens of the European Union .......................................................................................................................... 2
Declaration of residence .............................................................................................................................................................. 2
Registration of residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic ............................................................................. 2
Residence permit valid for five years ..................................................................................................................................... 3
The right of Union citizen to permanent residence ......................................................................................................... 3
Residence of third country nationals .......................................................................................................................................... 4
Temporary Residence ................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Application for temporary residence ............................................................................................................................... 4
After being granted temporary residence ..................................................................................................................... 5
Renewal ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Permanent residence permit in Slovakia ............................................................................................................................. 6
Permanent residence for five years ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Submission of application ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
Permanent residence for an unlimited time period ........................................................................................................ 7
Long-term residence ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Tolerated residence ....................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Contact information ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
RESIDENCE OF CITIZENS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
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Residence of citizens of the European Union
EU citizens with a valid identity card or passport are authorized without further any conditions or
formalities reside in the territory of the Slovak Republic three months after the date of entry into the
territory of the Slovak Republic.
A citizen of the Union is entitled to a residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic during a period
longer than three months, if he/she:
- is employed in Slovakia;
- is a self-employed person in the territory of the Slovak Republic;
- studies in primary or secondary school or at a university in Slovakia;
- has sufficient financial means for himself as well as for his family members, to prevent them
from burdening the social security system during their stay and has health insurance in
Slovakia;
- will potentially find employment;
- is a family member of a Union citizen and is accompanying or joining him and meets the above
mentioned condition.
DECLARATION OF RESIDENCE
An EU citizen is required to declare the start and place of residence to the Aliens Police Department
within 10 working days from the date of entry to the Slovak Republic if the accommodation provider
(hotel) does not do this for them. The police will require a confirmation of accommodation or the name
and birth number of the person with whom they are staying.
Form for notification of the stay available here:
http://www.minv.sk/swift_data/source/policia/hranicna_a_cudzinecka_policia/ocp/ziadosti/pobyt/Hl
asenie_pobytu_AJ.pdf
REGISTRATION OF RESIDENCE IN THE TERRITORY OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC
An EU citizen, who is staying in the Slovak Republic for more than three months, is required to apply
for registration of residence within 30 days after the expiry of three months since entering the country.
The application shall be submitted on an official form in person to the competent Alien Police
RESIDENCE OF CITIZENS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
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Department according to the place of residence in Slovakia. Contact details of Alien Police Departments
can be found on the web site: http://www.minv.sk/?ocp-1.
Required documents:
- Official form;
- Valid travel document or valid identification card;
- Document providing the purpose of residence (employment contract, trade license,
confirmation from school, etc).
On the day of submitting a complete application, the Alien Police Department will issue a certificate
containing the name, surname and address of the EU citizen and the date of registration.
RESIDENCE PERMIT VALID FOR FIVE YEARS
An EU citizen may apply for issue of a residence permit valid for five years (a plastic card) in person
at the competent Police Aliens Department.
Required documents:
- Residence permit application;
- Valid travel document or valid identification card;
- Two photographs in passport format (3 x 3.5 cm);
- Evidence of accommodation.
For registration of residence as well as for issuance of a residence document, Union citizens must use
the form available here:
http://www.minv.sk/swift_data/source/policia/hranicna_a_cudzinecka_policia/ocp/ziadosti/pobyt/ob
novenie_prechodneho_pobytu_2013.pdf.
THE RIGHT OF UNION CITIZEN TO PERMANENT RESIDENCE
EU citizens have the right of permanent residence once they have resided legally in the Slovak Republic
for a continuous period of five years. In certain cases, it is possible to apply for permanent residence
before the five-year period has expired.
The police department issues at the request of an EU citizen within 30 days residence document entitled
"Residence card of EU citizen" to be valid for ten years.
RESIDENCE OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS
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Residence of third country nationals
According to the valid legislation, anyone who is not a citizen of the Slovak Republic is considered a
foreign national. A third country national is anyone who is a citizen neither of the Slovak Republic nor
of the European Union, including a person with no citizenship.
According to the residence type you hold in Slovakia and according to the type of activity you perform,
different rights and obligations apply. A foreign national in Slovakia may apply for one of the following
types of residence:
o temporary residence;
o permanent residence;
o tolerated residence.
TEMPORARY RESIDENCE
It enables the foreigner to stay and to travel abroad and back to Slovakia. Temporary residence permit is
linked to a special purpose (business, employment, study) and may be granted by Alien Police
Department. There is no legal entitlement for being granted temporary residence.
Application for temporary residence
The application for temporary residence is usually submitted in person at the diplomatic mission of
the Slovak Republic accredited to the country of your citizenship or the country of your residence. When
applying at the diplomatic mission, you will be interviewed for the purpose of preliminary assessment
of your application. If you reside in Slovakia legally, you may submit the application at the competent
Alien Police Department according to the place of your residence.
Required documents:
- the application (official form);
- valid passport;
- two photos (3 x 3.5 cm);
- document providing the purpose of residence (authenticated copy of a Trade Licence/ Work
Permit/ Marriage Certificate/ document from a school on enrolment for study);
- document proving clear criminal record;
- document proving financial coverage;
RESIDENCE OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS
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- document about accommodation.
The authorities will issue a decision within 90 days from the date of submitting your complete
application. Please bear in mind that submitting an application for temporary residence does not
entitle you to reside in Slovakia. Until you obtain the temporary residence, you are entitled to stay in
Slovakia only on basis of a valid visa, another residence permit, or within the visa-free regime.
After being granted temporary residence
The third country national must enter the territory of Slovakia within 180 days after having been
granted the temporary residence. Within 3 working days from arrival to Slovakia, he must report the
beginning of his/her residence at the Alien Police. Within 3 working days from obtaining the residence
document he has to conclude a health insurance policy. Within 30 days from collecting the residence
document it is necessary to submit at the competent Alien Police department a document on health
insurance in Slovakia and a medical report not older than 30 days confirming that the third country
national does not suffer from any disease endangering public health. In case of temporary residence for
the purpose of business, he must submit a Commercial Register Extract (if applicable) at the Alien
Police, within 60 days from collecting the residence document.
Renewal
Temporary residence may be extended repeatedly. The police department can renew a temporary
residence permit:
- up to 180 days if the temporary residence permit for the purpose of seasonal employment
granted to less than 18 days and completion of the work requires a stay;
- up to three years if the foreigner’s stay will be expected to last at least three years;
- up to five years if the foreigner will have a long-term stay in Slovakia.
The renewal’s application has to be submitted in person on the official form to the competent police
department no later than the last day of its validity. It is required that the purpose for which the
residence was granted, still lasts. Your residence is considered legal in the territory of Slovakia until the
decision on its renewal.
When renewing your temporary residence for the purpose of business, you will have to prove
settlement of all your financial commitments and your net income for the previous taxation period
amounting to 20 times the monthly life minimum in case of a sole trader and amounting to 100 times
the monthly life minimum in case of an executive of a commercial company.
RESIDENCE OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS
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The Application for the temporary residence as well as the Application for renewal of the
temporary residence are available on: http://www.minv.sk/?pobyt-cudzinca.
PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMIT IN SLOVAKIA
There are three categories of the permanent residence permit:
- Permanent residence for five years
- Permanent residence for an unlimited time period
- Long-term residence
Permanent residence for five years
For the first time, permanent residence is granted for 5 years and subsequently it is possible to apply
for permanent residence for an unlimited time.
A foreign citizen can obtain the permanent residence for five years from the Police Authority if he/she:
- is a spouse of a Slovak citizen with permanent residence in Slovakia or who is a direct
dependent relative of a Slovak citizen with permanent residence in the Slovak Republic;
- is a single child younger than 18 years under the custody of a foreign national who is a spouse
of a Slovak citizen with the Slovak permanent residence;
- is a single child younger than 18 years of a foreigner with permanent residence for five years or
a child younger than 18 years under the custody of a foreign national with permanent residence
for five years;
- is a dependent child older than 18 years, not able to take care of himself because of the long-
term bad health condition, of a foreign national with permanent residence;
- in exceptional cases, if it is of the interest to the Slovak Republic.
Submission of application
The application for permanent residence for five years should be submitted in person at a Slovak
diplomatic mission abroad or the Alien Police Department in Slovakia. The Police Authority
shall decide within 90 days.
Required documents:
- official application form;
- valid passport;
- two photographs in passport format (3 x 3.5 cm);
RESIDENCE OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS
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- document providing the purpose of residence;
- document proving clear criminal record;
- document proving financial coverage;
- document about accommodation.
The documents must not be older than 90 days at the time of submitting the application. All documents
must be officially authenticated (apostille or superlegalization) and officially translated to Slovak
language.
The authorities will issue a decision within 90 days from the date of delivering your complete
application. Within 3 working days from collecting the residence documents, the foreign national must
conclude a health insurance policy. Within 30 days from collecting the residence document he must
submit also a medical report not older than 30 days confirming that the third country national does not
suffer from any disease endangering public health.
Permanent residence for an unlimited time period
Foreign nationals with permanent residence enjoy the same rights and duties as all citizens of the
Slovak republic in most areas of life (e.g. employment, health care, social affairs). A foreign citizen can
obtain the permanent residence for an unlimited time period from the Police Authority if he/she:
- Has held the permanent residence for five years at least for a period of 4 years;
- Is a child younger than 18 years of age of a foreigner with permanent residence for an unlimited
time period.
The application for permanent residence for an unlimited time period is submitted in person at the
Alien Police Department in the territory of Slovakia.
The application on official form must be submitted together with following documents (not older than
90 days):
- valid passport;
- two colour photographs (3 x 3.5 cm);
- document on financial coverage in the amount of 12 times the statutory life minimum;
- document proving health insurance;
- criminal registry extract from the country of the origin.
Application available on the link:
RESIDENCE OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS
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http://www.minv.sk/swift_data/source/policia/hranicna_a_cudzinecka_policia/ocp/ziadosti/pobyt/ob
novenie_prechodneho_pobytu_2013.pdf
The Alien Police may ask to submit a document on accommodation and an affidavit confirming that the
reasons for permanent residence still last. The authorities will issue a decision within 90 days from the
date of delivering your complete application. In general, the permanent residence is considered legal in
the territory of Slovakia until the decision on the application for permanent residence for an unlimited
time period.
Long-term residence
The Police Department provides a long-term residence to a foreign citizen:
- who has legally resided in Slovakia for an uninterrupted period of at least 5 years directly prior
to the submission of the application;
- whose long-term residence was previously cancelled or expired because of legally stipulated
reasons;
- who has had a 5-year legal uninterrupted residence in the territory of an EU Member State as a
Blue Card holder and has resided in Slovakia as a Blue Card holder for at least 2 years prior to
the submission of the application.
A foreign national cannot request a long-term residence if he:
- is an asylum seeker;
- was granted tolerated residence;
- applied for temporary shelter;
- was provided with temporary shelter;
- holds temporary residence for the purpose of study;
- holds temporary residence for the purpose of special activity in accordance with Art. 25 Par. 1
Letter d) to f);
- holds temporary residence for the purpose of seasonal employment;
- resides in Slovakia in accordance with Art. 23 Par. 4 Letter b), c) or d);
- enjoys diplomatic immunities according to international law.
The foreigner has to submit the application in person on the official form at the Alien Police Department
in Slovakia.
RESIDENCE OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS
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Documents required:
- application form;
- valid passport;
- two color-photographs (3 x 3.5 cm);
- document proving fixed and regular income for the applicant and his/her family members;
- document proving health insurance in Slovakia;
- document proving accommodation.
Application official form:
http://www.minv.sk/swift_data/source/policia/hranicna_a_cudzinecka_policia/ocp/ziadosti/pobyt/ob
novenie_prechodneho_pobytu_2013.pdf
The authorities will issue a decision within 90 days from the date of delivering your complete
application. The residence of the applicant is considered legal in the territory of Slovakia until the
decision on his application for the long-term residence is delivered.
TOLERATED RESIDENCE
You may apply for tolerated residence, if you find yourself in the situation when you cannot leave
Slovakia and at the same time, you do not meet the conditions for granting another type of residence. It
is granted for a maximum of 180 days and it is possible to apply for a repeated extension. Tolerated
residence entitles you to reside in the territory of Slovakia during the period for which it was granted
and in some cases, you may also work.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Page 10
Contact information
The content of this publication was created by the Italian-Slovak Chamber of Commerce. For more
information contact:
Italian – Slovak Chamber of Commerce
Michalska 7, 81101 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
www.camit.sk
Tel: +421 (2) 541 31 290