• completed application form "Application for temporary residence"

• 2 recent full‑face photographs 3 × 3.5 cm

• valid passport

• document proving the purpose of your stay (in Slovak):

  – in the case of an application based on a confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position – a written promise of the employer to employ the third country national or an employment contract, and a decision on recognition of qualification or a document confirming the highest level of education achieved by the third country national, or

  – in the case of other applications – a work permit (issued by the competent Labor Office according to the place of work), or a confirmation of the employer that the third country national will perform an activity for which a work permit or the confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position is not required, or an international agreement binding on the Slovak republic and stipulating that the work permit or the confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position is not required,

• document proving sufficient financial resources in the amount of statutory life minimum for each month of the the stay -as of 01.07.2023 the statutory life minimum represents EUR 268,88/month. If the lenght of the residence exceeds 1 year, in the amount of 12-times the satutory minimum (e.g. EUR 3226,56). It can be documented via an employment contract, employer’s confirmation of the agreed wage amount, or a balance statement of a bank account in the name of the applicant),

• 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. 

• document proving your accommodation 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 confirmation from your accommodation provider, or

  – a rental agreement (with notarized signatures), or

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

IMPORTANT 

Each document issued in a language other than Slovak (except for documents issued in Czech) has to be translated to Slovak by an official translator. The list of official translators can be found HERE. In case the translation is done abroad, the competence of the translator must be attested by the Slovak embassy/consulate.

Copies of documents must be notarised.

None of the documents proving the financial resources, accommodation or no criminal record can be older than 90 days on the day of submitting the application for a temporary residence. The documents proving the purpose of stay can be older than 90 days (a written promise of the employer, an employment contract, a decision on recognition of qualification or a document confirming the highest level of education achieved by the third country national, a work permit or a confirmation of the employer that the third country national will perform an activity for which a work permit is not required and an international agreement). A proof of accommodation in case of a third country national representing or working for an important foreign investor can also be older than 90 days.

In the case of applying for a renewal of a temporary residence, it is not necessary to submit a document proving no criminal record.

You have to apply in person at the Slovak embassy/consulate competent for your country or at a respective Foreign Police office in Slovakia. Your application will be accepted at the foreign police office in Slovakia only if you are staying in Slovakia legally. You have to submit a complete application; otherwise, it will not be accepted.

If the embassy or the police department does NOT accept the application, they will notify you in writing of the documents you need to enclose so that it can be accepted.

Once your temporary residence is granted, the police department will send you a written notice, stating the effective and the expiry date of your residence. The time validity of a travel document is not regarded when deciding on the duration of a granted temporary residence but it is taken into account when the residence card is issued. As for its validity, 60 days are deducted from you travel document’s expiry date. 

In case the confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position is required, your potential employer has to report the vacancy for which they want to hire you at the Labour Office competent according to your future place of work at least 20 working days before you submit your application for a temporary residence. If the work permit procedure applies, the vacancy must be reported at least 10 working days before the submission of your application for a work permit. You CANNOT submit your application for a temporary residence before this period has elapsed.

Following the receipt of your application for a temporary residence based on a confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position, the police department shall complete a form “Application for issuing the confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position for the purpose of granting a single residence and work permit” and send it together with a part of your application, documents proving the purpose of your stay as well as the position of the embassy/consulate to the corresponding Labour Office. The Labour Office will consequently issue the “Confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position” and send it to the police department. You will receive a document “Additional data on employment” together with your residence card.

The police officer in charge will confirm a receipt of your application (last page of the application form). Within 90 days from the date of submitting a complete application, the Foreign Police shall issue either a negative decision or a notification of granting the temporary residence.

(In case you are representing or working for an important foreign investor, also for your spouse and a child under the age of 18, the decision shall be made within 30 days. The decision shall be made within 30 days of receiving the “Confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position” also in case you will be employed in a district with a labour shortage).

If applying for a temporary residence directly at a Foreign Police in Slovakia, the officers will ask you to provide a cell phone number (you can write the number on your application form). You will be notified by a text message in Slovak when your residence card is ready. You can collect the residence card at the Foreign Police in person or you can appoint somebody else with a power of attorney to do it for you. When applying for a temporary residence abroad at an embassy/consulate, it is advised to consult with them the way of notification on granting the residence.

If you apply for a temporary residence longer in advance and the Foreign Police decides on your application earlier than 30 days prior to starting your planned activity (the purpose of stay), the Foreign Police will set the starting date of your temporary residence exactly 30 days before the starting date of your planned activity (the purpose of stay). If the time between the decision of the Foreign Police on granting the temporary residence and the commencement of your planned activity is shorter than 30 days, the day of commencement of the granted temporary residence will be the same as the date of the decision.

The police department shall grant a temporary residence for the purpose of employment for the expected time of employment, for a maximum of two years, in case of US nationals for a maximum of five years. The temporary residence for the purpose of employment remains valid for up to 60 days after the termination of employment.

If you should be employed as a pedagogic employee, university teacher, researcher or artist at a higher education institution, or research or development staff for educational or research activities, the labour market situation is NOT taken into account. However, with effect from 1 January 2019 your employer must report a vacancy to a competent Labour Office via the online system ISTP. There is NO TIME LIMIT to do so and you can apply for a temporary residence immediately by completing the Temporary residence application form.

In this case the Labour Office will issue a confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position without taking into account the situation on the labour market.

Once you are granted a temporary residence, 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. The certificate cannot be older than 30 days. It can be obtained in specific medical centres only and you will be charged a fee.

The medical certificate can be sent to the competent foreign police also by postal system as a registered mail.

Fees: 4.50 € for the residence card

165.50 EUR for the application for a temporary residence for the purpose of employment (170 EUR in case of an application submitted at the embassy/consulate of the Slovak Republic)

99.50 EUR for the application for a renewal of the temporary residence

Note: Applicants who are pedagogical staff or university teachers are exempted from the obligation to pay the application and the renewal fee.

Temporary residence for the purpose of employment may be renewed for a maximum period 5 years.

The application for renewal of temporary residence must be submitted in person on the official form at the competent Foreign Police Department no later than the last day of validity period of the current temporary residence. The temporary residence is considered legal (only) in the territory of the Slovak Republic until the decision on its renewal is made. 

It is required that the employement still lasts, i.e. the purpose for which the temporary residence permit has been grated still lasts. It is also required that the employer reports the Vacancy Announcement the the competent Labour Office at least 10 working days (in case of work permit) or 20 working days (in case of a Confirmation on the Possibility to Fill a Vacancy) before submitting the application for renewal of temporary residence.

In case of researchers or academic staff there is NO TIME LIMIT for reporting the Vacancy Announcement. 

The applicant has to submit:

• Travel document
• 1 colour photo
• Contract of employment
• Document on accommodation
• Document on financial coverage of the residence
• Administrative fee EUR 99,50
• Administrative fee EUR 4,50 (for issuing residence card)

IMPORTANT

Applicants who are pedagogical staff or university teachers are exempted from the obligation to pay the application and the renewal fee.