Slovakia tourist visa (Schengen C visa)

The Slovak foreign police publish a table of nationalities that may enter without a visa, broken down by passport type: for some countries only diplomatic and service passport holders are exempt, while holders of ordinary passports must obtain a Schengen visa before travelling. The same visa is used for tourism, private visits, business trips and short medical stays; this page covers tourism.

A Schengen visa issued by Slovakia is valid for the whole Schengen area. Apply to Slovakia when it is the only destination or the country where you will spend the most nights; if several countries get the same number of nights, apply to the country you enter first.

The Ministry of Interior lists the core file: a valid travel document, one colour photograph of 3 x 3.5 cm showing your current appearance, proof of the purpose of the trip, proof of funds, proof that you can leave again (a return ticket or a reservation) and travel health insurance. Supporting papers such as a hotel booking or an invitation must not be older than 90 days, and the mission may ask for more documents or call you for an interview.

Under the common EU rules the passport must remain valid for at least three months after you leave the Schengen area, and the insurance must cover emergency treatment, hospital care and repatriation, including in case of death.

Slovakia sets the required means in Decree 499/2011 at EUR 56 per person for each day of the stay, made up of EUR 30 for accommodation, EUR 4 for breakfast, EUR 7.50 each for lunch and dinner and EUR 7 pocket money. For a ten-day trip that is EUR 560. If part of the stay is already paid, for example a prepaid hotel, border officers take this into account. An invitation verified by the Slovak foreign police can replace the proof of funds.

Applications are lodged at the Slovak embassy or consulate competent for the country where you legally reside; where Slovakia has no consulate, another Schengen state may represent it, and in some countries an external service provider collects applications for an extra service fee. Check the competent mission's page for the current appointment arrangements before booking. You can apply no earlier than six months and no later than 15 days before the trip. The mission decides within 15 calendar days; Slovak law states that there is no legal entitlement to a visa.

A visa at the border is possible only for urgent, unforeseeable humanitarian reasons, in the interest of Slovakia, or for family members of EEA citizens. It costs EUR 90 and allows a stay of at most 15 days.

The visa is only one of the entry conditions: at the border you may again be asked for the purpose of the trip, funds and accommodation. Since the EU Entry/Exit System started on 12 October 2025 (fully operational from 10 April 2026), your fingerprints and facial image are recorded at the external border; refusing biometrics leads to refusal of entry.

If you stay in a hotel or guest house, the accommodation provider reports your stay. If you stay privately, you must report your residence yourself at the foreign police department for the address within three working days of entering Slovakia.

In the limited cases allowed by the Schengen rules, the Ministry of Interior can extend a short-stay visa inside Slovakia; the fee for an extension is EUR 45.

A refusal can be appealed within 15 days of delivery to the authority that issued it, in Slovak, stating why the decision is wrong. The appeal fee is EUR 120 and is refunded if the appeal succeeds. The embassy can grant the appeal itself; otherwise it forwards it within five days to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which normally delivers its decision within 60 days. An appeal does not suspend the refusal, so a new application is often the faster route once the reason has been fixed.