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Temporary residence for the purpose of employment requiring higher qualification - Blue Card of the EU

 

The EU Blue Card is a specific form of temporary residence that you can be granted in Slovakia in case you have a higher professional qualification in the form of university degree or advanced professional skills (only applicable to ICT managers/specialists). It enables you to enter the Slovak labour market more easily and work in highly qualified jobs. If you are interested in obtaining the EU Blue Card, you must  conclude an employment contract with a future employer in Slovakia, or to obtain a written promise of future employment from him.

Such an employment contract shall be concluded for a period of at least six motnhs from the date of the EU Blue Card issuance, while the agreed salary must be at least 1.2 times the average monthly salary in the Slovak economy of the Slovak Republic (or the average salary if the applicant obtained a university degree in the last three years). 

Statistical data on the amount of the average monthly salary is listed at the website of the Statistical Office of the SR.

The Blue Card is issued for five years or, if the possibility to fill a vacancy is valid for less than five years, for the validity of the confirmatipn extended by 90 days. 

The employer willing to employ you in a highly qualified job is obliged to obtain  a confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy from the Labour Office. The employer must report a vacancy to the Labour Office no later than on the day of applying for the confirmation. Reporting of the vacancy is NOT required if the applicant is: 

  • a holder of a national visa in the interest of the Slovak Republic, who will be employed in the same position, or
  • a holder of the temporary residence for employment, who will be employed in the same job position.

The Blue Card cannot be obtained by certain groups of applicants (e.g. asylum seekers, but also persons applying for the pupose of research and development).

Application

The application must be submitted within 90 days of issuance of the confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy. It must be submitted in person on the official form.

The application can be submitted at:

  • Slovak embassy/consulate competent for your country
  • Slovak embassy/consulate accredited to the country of your residence
  • Foreign Police Office in Slovakia if you reside in Slovakia legally. 
  • Foreign Police Office in Slovakia if you are a holder of an EU Blue Card issued by another EU Member State. In such case you shall submit your application within 30 days after the entry into the territory of the Slovak Republic. 

Administrative fee is 250 EUR

Administrative fee for issuaing of the residence card and its delivery within Slovakia 10 EUR (within 30 days); or 39 EUR (within 2 working days).

A decision on the application for a Blue Card is issued within 30 days from the date of submitting a complete application.

Documents required for the application

  • completed application form “Application for the temporary residence” (it has to be filled in Slovak; in the field no. 22 “Employment after arrival to the Slovak Republic, position, address of the company, organisation, school” it is necessary to state the place of work and the organisation's identification number)

  • 2 recent full-face photographs 3x3.5 cm

  • valid passport (a police officer will make a copy of it)

  • documents proving the purpose of your stay:

    a) the employment contract for a position requiring higher qualification 

    b) desision on recognition of higher professional qualification to work in highly qualified job stipulated in the employment contract or in the employer’s promise, translated into Slovak and officially authenticated. A decision on the document’s recognition will be issued by the Centre for Recognition of Diplomas of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic; in case of  unregulated professions, a decision shall be made and issued by a Slovak university which offers a programme in the same or related study field

  • criminal record extract (apostilled or superlegalised) from your country of origin and from every country where you have stayed for more than 90 days during 6 consecutive months within the last 3 years (if any). 

  • document proving your accommodation (in Slovak) for at least 6 months of the temporary residence; in the case of a shorter stay it is necessary to provide a proof of accommodation for the whole stay; e. g.

    a) a confirmation from your accommodation facility or

    b) a rental agreement (with notarized signatures) , or

    c) an affidavit on the provision of accommodation (with notarized signature).

Each document issued in a language other than Slovak (except for documents issued by Czech) has to be translated to Slovak by an official sworn translator. The list of official sworn translators registered in the List of Experts , Interpreters and Translators at the Ministry of  Justice of the Slovak Republic can be found here. In case the translation is done abroad, the competence of the translator must be attested by the Slovak embassy/consulate. 

Photocopies of the documents must be notarized.

Signatures on affidavits, power of attorney and tenancy agreements must be notarized.

It is not recommended to submit the originals of important documents but rather secure certified photocopies.

None of the documents proving accommodation and no criminal record can be older than 90 days on the day of submitting the application for the a temporary residence. 

Medical certificate

If you are granted a Blue Card, you are obliged to submit a medical certificate confirming that you do not suffer from any disease threatening public health within 30 days from the collection of your residence card. If you, however, applied for a Blue Card at the police department, you must submit the medical certificate within 30 days from the submission of your application. The certificate cannot be older than 30 days. It can be obtained in specific medical centres only and you will be charged a fee.

Renewal of the Blue Card

The Blue Card can be renewed, even repeatedly, for up to five years. If the eemployment is agreeed foe less than five years, then it can be done for the foreseen emplozment duration, extended by  90 days.

The application for the renewal must be submitted in person at the respective Foreign Police Office no later than the last day of the Blue Card validity. It requires that the purpose for which the Blue Card  was granted still exists.

The Blue Card is considered valid ONLY in Slovakia until the decision on its renewal. 

Required documents:

  • Valid passport
  • A colorful photograph (3x3,5 cm)
  • Employment contact if applying for the renewal of the Blue Card more than 12 months after its issuance)
  • Proof of accommodation in Slovakia

Administrative fee is 140 EUR