EU Blue Card in Slovakia

Highly qualified employment requires a higher professional qualification and a gross monthly salary of at least 1.2 times the average monthly wage in the Slovak economy published by the Statistical Office for the calendar year before the application. For applicants who obtained their university degree no more than three years before applying, the threshold is the average monthly wage itself; this lower threshold no longer applies when renewing after three years from graduation or after 24 months from the first Blue Card. Part-time salaries are compared proportionally. If the annual figure is not yet published, the average for the first three quarters is used.

The qualification is shown by a decision recognising your university diploma. For the information and communication technology occupations listed in Annex 3 of the Act (ISCO groups 133 and 25), at least three years of relevant professional experience gained within the seven years before the application can replace the degree. The employment contract must last at least six months.

The Blue Card application is filed in person at a Slovak mission; if you are already lawfully in Slovakia you can file at the foreign police. Holders of a Blue Card from another EU state may apply at the police within 30 days of entering Slovakia. Besides the passport you submit, not older than 90 days, criminal record extracts and proof of accommodation. The application can be rejected at filing only if the passport is missing or the confirmation is absent or older than 180 days. The police decide within 30 days of a complete application.

Once a complete application is accepted, the employer may employ you from the date on the confirmation until the procedure ends. A medical report from an infectious disease specialist is due within 30 days of collecting the card, or within 30 days of filing if you applied at the police.

The employer reports the vacancy as highly qualified at the latest on the day it requests a confirmation that the vacancy corresponding to highly qualified employment can be filled. The electronic request includes the contract or job promise, proof of the higher qualification (or, for ICT jobs, the employer’s statement on how it verified your skills), recognition for regulated professions and a passport copy. The office decides within 15 working days and sends the confirmation to the police or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the employer. You must apply for the Blue Card within 90 days of its issue.

During the first 12 months a change of employer, type of work or a salary cut is treated as a change of employment and needs a new confirmation. After 12 months of highly qualified work the new employer only notifies the labour office on the information card form. The police renew the Blue Card for five years, or for the contract term plus 90 days; the renewal fee is EUR 140.

Family members apply for temporary residence for family reunification (EUR 200; children under 18 free) and may work without a work permit from the start. Family members who already lived with you in another EU state that issued your earlier Blue Card apply at the police within 30 days of entry and get a decision within 30 days. After five years of lawful residence in the EU as a Blue Card holder, with at least two years in Slovakia immediately before the application, you can apply for EU long-term residence, which requires an A2 Slovak language exam. The Migration Office’s Centres of Services for Foreigners assist highly qualified workers and their families.