Slovakia seasonal work visa

Seasonal employment is work tied to a recurring season with a much higher workload, lasting no more than 240 days in 12 consecutive months. Decree 190/2017 limits it for third-country nationals to agriculture, forestry and fishing (section A), manufacturing (C), construction (F), accommodation and food service activities (I), and warehousing, support activities for transport, postal and courier services (H, divisions 52 and 53).

For more than 90 and up to 240 days, the employer reports the vacancy at least 20 working days ahead (15 working days for a renewal) and requests a confirmation of the possibility to fill the vacancy; the labour office decides within 15 working days. You then apply for temporary residence for seasonal employment at the Slovak mission with your passport, criminal record extracts and proof of accommodation, paying EUR 50.

Residence is granted for at most 240 days in 12 months, and any seasonal work already done on a work permit in that period counts towards the limit. If your passport is valid for less than 240 days, the permit ends with the passport; a passport valid for less than 90 days, or a reasoned suspicion that you will not leave at the end, leads to refusal.

The employer reports the vacancy to the labour office at least 10 working days before the work permit is requested. The permit (povolenie na zamestnanie) is applied for by the employer electronically or by the worker on paper, with the employment contract or job promise, proof of qualification for regulated jobs, and proof of accommodation meeting minimum standards for the whole period; if the employer arranges the housing, the rental contract with the monthly charge is attached. The permit can be extended only once and the total cannot exceed 90 days.

With the permit you apply for a Schengen visa at the Slovak mission, adding the employer’s written promise or contract and the work permit to the standard visa file. The employer must not have been fined for illegal employment in the previous five years.

A renewal of seasonal residence must be filed at the foreign police at least 30 days before the permit expires; it costs EUR 25 and the total still cannot exceed 240 days in 12 months. Workers who did seasonal work in Slovakia during the previous five years get a decision within 30 days. The police inform each seasonal worker in writing about the rights and obligations connected with seasonal employment. You cannot change from seasonal residence to another purpose at the police, and seasonal stays do not count towards long-term residence.