When hesitating what you should do in order to organise your entry and legal stay in Slovakia, you can use our interactive navigation that will guide you to proper procedures fitting your circumstances.

Guide to administrative duties - Entry and stay in Slovakia

Slovak HEIs and research organisations serving as hosts of researchers, can also consult the Slovak version of the same navigation here:

Sprievodca pobytom cudzincov na Slovensku

Centres of Services for Foreigners (Centrá služieb cudzincom, CSC) are offices operated by the Migration Office of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic in 3 Slovak cities: Bratislava, Zilina, and Kosice.

They operate as “one-stop shop” service points, where clients can access professional assistance in one place – efficiently and clearly.

CSC services are intended for:

• international students at Slovak Universities;
• highly qualified workers and their family members;
• returnees (citizens of the Slovak Republic) returning from abroad back to the Slovak Republic and their family members.

CSCs offer individual counselling and assistance in the following key areas:

• Residence-related matters
  Support with applications for residence permits, extensions or changes in the purpose of residence.
• Employment
  Information on legal employment opportunities, working conditions and orientation in the labour market.
• Social Integration
  Counselling on housing, education, healthcare and other aspects of daily life.
• Navigation in the Public Services System
  Assistance in communication with public authorities, institutions and relevant organizations.

BOK activation NOW available without queuing at Foreign Police

Foreigners living in Slovakia are no longer required to visit Foreign Police Departments to activate the personal security code (BOK) on their residence permits. Due to increased demand and long queues, the national police are reminding residents that BOK activation can also be completed at document departmentsof district police directorates and at client centres of district offices across the country.

National authorities are encouraging holders of residence permits with an active BOK to make use of Slovakia’s e-government services. Some services require a qualified electronic signature (KEP), which can be obtained via the eID app. 

Slovakia launches two-level appointment system for Foreign Police Departments visits

Slovakia has introduced a revamped online reservation system for Foreign Police appointments, with a new two-level model aiming to reduce misuse and streamline the booking process.

The updated system now separates appointments into “authorised” and “unauthorised” categories. 

Authorised services are accessible to foreigners who hold a valid electronic residence permit and are registered in the national foreigners’ database. To access these services, users must activate their personal security code (BOK) — a six-digit code set during the residence permit application or at a later Foreigners’ Police visit or client centres of disctrict offices or document departments of district police directorate. The users need to logg in with an electronic ID and thus book appointments up to 60 days in advance.

Unauthorised users - foreigners without a residence permit — and therefore not included in the national database. These users must manually enter their personal details, such as name, date of birth, phone number, and email address. Appointment slots for unauthorised users can be booked up to 40 days in advance. Cross-border users of Slovakia’s eGovernment services are also classified under this group.