Slovakia

Slovakia visa and residence permit guide

  • 17 visa types
  • checked 24 October 2026

How visas for Slovakia work

Slovakia is part of the Schengen area, so trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period use the common Schengen visa for tourism, family visits, business and short medical stays. The foreign police publish a table of nationalities and passport types that may enter visa-free; everyone else needs this visa before travelling. The visa costs EUR 90 (EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12), the Slovak mission decides within 15 calendar days, and travellers must show EUR 56 a day for the stay unless they hold an invitation verified by the foreign police.

Longer stays are built on temporary residence (prechodný pobyt) for a specific purpose: business, employment, study, special activities such as internships, research and development, family reunification and a few others. The EU Blue Card is a special form of temporary residence. Applications are filed in person at a Slovak embassy accredited for your country, which interviews you and forwards the file, or at a foreign police department if you are already in Slovakia on a basis the law accepts, such as a national visa. The Border and Foreign Police of the Ministry of Interior decide. A national visa (type D) is issued only in defined cases, for example a language school course of at least 25 lessons a week or to collect a residence permit already granted (EUR 15).

Several rules changed recently. Since 1 July 2025 a first application for business residence can only be filed at an embassy abroad. The fee schedule in force from 1 September 2026 sets EUR 250 for employment residence, EUR 350 for business residence at a mission, EUR 200 for family reunification and EUR 250 for the Blue Card, while study and research applications are free. Many money requirements are multiples of the subsistence minimum, EUR 295.22 a month for one adult from 1 July 2026. Asylum follows the new Act No. 69/2026 on International Protection, in force since 12 June 2026.

After arrival, a foreigner in private accommodation reports the stay to the foreign police within three working days. Residence permit holders must take out health insurance within three working days of collecting the card, usually hand in a medical report from an infectious disease specialist within 30 days, and notify the police before staying abroad for more than 180 days in a row. Appointments at foreign police departments are booked online through the Ministry of Interior system.

Which visa do I need?

Holiday, sightseeing or a visit of up to 90 days: Schengen visa (tourist or family visit page); a host in Slovakia can obtain a verified invitation.

Meetings, fairs or negotiations without being employed in Slovakia: business Schengen visa.

A job with a Slovak employer: temporary residence for employment; if the job is highly qualified and well paid, compare the EU Blue Card; seasonal jobs in agriculture, construction or tourism use the seasonal route.

Transfer from a non-EU company to its Slovak branch: intra-corporate transfer (ICT), filed only at an embassy.

Running your own business or managing a Slovak company: temporary residence for business, filed only at an embassy.

University or secondary school: temporary residence for study; a private language school course of 25 lessons a week: national visa; research with a hosting agreement: research residence; an internship linked to your degree: special activity residence.

Joining a foreign resident: family reunification; married to a Slovak citizen: five-year permanent residence; family of another EU citizen: EU residence card.

Fleeing persecution or serious harm: international protection, claimed in person before the police in Slovakia.

Visa types for Slovakia

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Schengen visa (type C) for tourism

    Slovakia issues the common Schengen visa for holidays and sightseeing of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

    Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area.
  • Family and friends visit visa Schengen visa for visiting family or friends, with a verified invitation (pozvanie)

    Relatives and friends visiting someone in Slovakia apply for the ordinary Schengen visa (EUR 90).

    Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Business and self-employment

  • Business visa Schengen visa for business trips, with an optional business invitation

    Meetings, negotiations, trade fairs and contract talks in Slovakia use the Schengen visa (EUR 90, up to 90 days in 180).

    Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
  • Self-employed and freelancer visa Temporary residence for the purpose of business (podnikanie, § 22 Act 404/2011)

    Foreigners who will run a business in Slovakia as sole traders, or act for a company or cooperative without being employed, need temporary residence for business.

    Maximum stay: Three years per grant.

Study and training

  • Student visa Temporary residence for the purpose of study (§ 24 Act 404/2011)

    Students admitted to a Slovak university, to full-time secondary school (under 20) or to a university-run preparatory language course need temporary residence for study.

    Maximum stay: Expected length of study, at most six years per grant.
  • Language course visa National visa (type D) for a language school course

    Slovakia grants a national visa to people over 15 who are admitted to a language school course of at least 25 lessons a week.

    Maximum stay: Length of the course, until 31 July of the school year at the latest; never more than one year.
  • Researcher visa Temporary residence for research and development (§ 26 Act 404/2011)

    Researchers with a hosting agreement (dohoda o hosťovaní) from a Slovak research organisation can obtain temporary residence for research and development.

    Maximum stay: Term of the hosting agreement, at most two years per grant.
  • Internship and trainee visa Temporary residence for special activity – internship (stáž, § 25(1)(d) Act 404/2011)

    University students studying outside Slovakia, and graduates within two years of finishing a degree abroad, can come for an internship under temporary residence for special activity.

    Maximum stay: Time needed for the internship, at most two years.

Work

  • Job seeker visa Nine-month renewal of study or research residence to look for work or start a business (§ 34(1)(b))

    Slovakia has no job seeker visa for people abroad.

    Maximum stay: Nine months.
  • Work visa Temporary residence for the purpose of employment (single permit, § 23 Act 404/2011)

    Most foreign employees in Slovakia hold temporary residence for employment, a single permit for living and working.

    Maximum stay: Expected length of employment, at most five years per grant under § 23(3) as in force from 1 October 2026.
  • Seasonal work visa Seasonal employment: Schengen visa with a work permit (up to 90 days) or temporary residence for seasonal employment (up to 240 days)

    Seasonal work in Slovakia is limited to agriculture, forestry and fishing, manufacturing, construction, accommodation and food services, and warehousing and courier services.

    Maximum stay: 240 days in any 12 consecutive months in total; up to 90 days on a work permit and Schengen visa.
  • EU Blue Card EU Blue Card (modrá karta, §§ 37–40 Act 404/2011)

    The EU Blue Card lets highly qualified workers live and work in Slovakia for up to five years.

    Maximum stay: Five years, or the term of the confirmation plus 90 days if shorter.
  • Intra-company transfer visa Temporary residence for employment – intra-corporate transfer (ICT, § 23(5) Act 404/2011)

    Employees of a company based outside the EU can be transferred to a Slovak branch or group company as a manager, specialist or trainee under the ICT permit.

    Maximum stay: Up to three years for managers and specialists, one year for trainees.

Family

  • Family reunification visa Temporary residence for the purpose of family reunification (zlúčenie rodiny, § 27 Act 404/2011)

    Family members of a foreigner with temporary or permanent residence in Slovakia can join them under temporary residence for family reunification.

    Maximum stay: Until the sponsor’s residence ends, at most five years.
  • Spouse and partner visa Permanent residence for five years for the spouse of a Slovak citizen (§ 43(1)(a)) and residence of family members of EU citizens

    A third-country national married to a Slovak citizen who has permanent residence in Slovakia can obtain permanent residence for five years straight away, free of charge, with a decision within 90 days.

    Maximum stay: Permanent residence for five years; then permanent residence for an unlimited period.

Residence

  • Permanent residence Long-term residence (dlhodobý pobyt) and permanent residence for an unlimited period

    After five years of continuous lawful residence, a foreigner can apply for EU long-term residence in Slovakia.

    Maximum stay: Unlimited; the residence card is renewed periodically.

Asylum and international protection

  • Asylum and international protection International protection: asylum and subsidiary protection (Act No. 69/2026 Coll.)

    Slovakia grants asylum to people persecuted for their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group, and subsidiary protection to people facing serious harm.

    Maximum stay: Asylum and subsidiary protection are granted for an indefinite period.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Slovakia?

It depends on your nationality and passport type: the Ministry of Interior's visa-free table lists who may enter without a visa for up to 90 days in 180 days. Others need a Schengen visa for short stays, and everyone who stays longer needs a residence permit or, in defined cases, a national visa.

Where do I apply for a Slovak residence permit from abroad?

In person at the Slovak embassy accredited for the country that issued your passport or where you live. The embassy interviews you and forwards the file to the foreign police, who decide. After approval a visa-required applicant receives a national visa to travel and collect the card.

How long does a residence permit take?

Up to 90 days as a rule, 60 days for standard employment, and 30 days for the Blue Card, research, special activities and some shortage-occupation jobs.

Can I change my visa to a residence permit inside Slovakia?

Only if you stay on a basis the Act accepts, such as a national visa, another residence permit or visa-free entry. A Schengen tourist visa is not enough, and business residence and ICT can never be applied for inside Slovakia.

What documents are needed for almost every residence permit?

A valid passport, a criminal record extract not older than 90 days with an apostille and an official Slovak translation, proof of accommodation for at least six months, and later a medical report and health insurance.

When can I get permanent residence?

After five years of continuous lawful residence you can apply for long-term residence, which requires an A2 Slovak exam. Spouses of Slovak citizens can obtain five-year permanent residence immediately.

Embassies and consulates

Last checked 24 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.