EuropeSelect the passports you hold to see short-stay access and per-route eligibility for Slovakia.
Short stays: tourism, transit, business trips, medical, pilgrimage.
Tourist Visa
Electronic travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationals (e.g. US, UK, Canada, Japan). Valid 3 years for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. We apply on your behalf end-to-end. Fees illustrative.
Tourist Visa
Short-stay visa for tourism: up to 90 days within any 180-day period. We prepare your forms and documents; you attend the consulate/VFS appointment to submit biometrics. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Tourist Visa
Standard Schengen short-stay visa for tourism, visiting family or friends, and short private trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Slovakia is a full Schengen member, so the visa is valid across the whole area. Nationals of visa-exempt countries (e.g. the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan) do not need this visa for short stays and from late 2026 will instead require ETIAS travel authorisation; nationals of visa-required countries apply at a Slovak embassy/consulate or an authorised external service provider. The standard adult fee is EUR 90 (EUR 45 for children aged 6-11; free under 6). It does not permit work and does not lead to residence; for stays over 90 days a national (Type D) visa or a residence permit is required.
Transit Visa
Required by some nationalities to pass through the international transit area of a Schengen airport without entering. Whether you need one depends on your nationality. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Transit Visa
Airport transit visa required only for nationals of a defined list of third countries who pass through the international transit zone of a Slovak airport without entering the Schengen area. It does not authorise leaving the transit zone or entering Slovak territory. Most travellers do not need it; the requirement applies to specified nationalities established at EU level. The fee is EUR 90 (EUR 45 for children 6-11). Travellers actually entering Slovakia, even briefly, need a short-stay (Type C) visa or visa-free entry instead.
Business Visitor Visa
Short-stay visa for business trips (meetings, conferences, negotiations): up to 90 days within any 180-day period. We prepare forms and documents; you submit at the consulate/VFS. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
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Universities, language courses, internships and exchanges.
Student Visa
For stays over 90 days to study. Issued under national rules -- apply at the consulate of your destination country. We guide you; submission is in person. Fees and processing times vary by country.
Student Visa
For third-country nationals admitted to study at a Slovak school or university, including PhD studies. Residence is granted for the foreseen duration of study, up to a maximum of 6 years, and is renewable for up to 5 further years. The application itself is free of charge; only a EUR 4.50 administrative fee applies for issuing the residence card (EUR 39 for express issuance within 2 working days). Applicants must show admission, sufficient funds (assessed against the subsistence minimum, EUR 284.13/month from July 2025) and accommodation (university students are exempt from the accommodation document). University students may work up to 20 hours/week and non-university students up to 10 hours/week without a separate work permit.
Language Course Visa
A specific use of the national (Type D) visa for applicants over 15 accepted for language education at a Slovak language school for at least 25 lessons per week. It permits a stay of more than 90 days up to one year and is not reissued. It is intended for intensive language courses (often Slovak preparatory courses before university) and does not by itself convert into a residence permit, though holders frequently progress to a study temporary residence afterwards. The diplomatic mission decides within 30 days and requires prior consent of the Ministry of Interior.
Internship / Trainee Visa
A residence category for defined, time-limited activities that are not standard employment or business: internships and traineeships, lectureship/academic exchange, sporting or artistic activity, fulfilment of obligations under international treaties, volunteering programmes (e.g. EU youth schemes), and journalistic/media work accredited in Slovakia. It is granted for the time needed for the activity, up to a maximum of 2 years. Applicants need a document from the inviting/host organisation confirming the activity, plus proof of means and accommodation. It does not lead directly to long-term residence and is tied to the specific activity.
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Digital nomad, freelance, skilled employment and company transfers.
Freelancer Visa
Non-EU freelancers obtain a Slovak trade licence (živnosť) and a temporary residence permit for business, showing EUR 5,682.60 on the business account as a sole trader plus (since 1 July 2025) a business plan reviewed by the Ministry of Economy; decided within 90 days, permit up to 3 years.
Startup / Entrepreneur Visa
No dedicated startup visa; non-EU entrepreneurs can obtain temporary residence for the purpose of business (sole trader or company executive) with a business plan and financial means, granted for up to 3 years and renewable.
Skilled Work Visa
For stays over 90 days to work. Requires employer sponsorship / a work permit before you can apply, so eligibility is conditional. Issued under national rules -- apply at the consulate of your destination country. Fees and processing times vary by country.
Skilled Work Visa
For highly qualified third-country professionals with a Slovak job offer of at least 6 months and a higher-education qualification (or, in some IT roles, equivalent experience). The agreed gross salary must be at least 1.2x the average monthly wage in the Slovak economy published by the Statistical Office for the previous year (the 2023 reference average was EUR 1,430). The Blue Card is issued for up to 5 years (or contract length plus 90 days if shorter) and a labour-market test is not applied. The application fee is EUR 250 (renewal EUR 140) plus EUR 10 for the card. It offers family reunification, intra-EU mobility, and counts toward EU long-term residence, with prior Blue Card time in other member states partly creditable.
Skilled Work Visa
The single permit combines work authorisation and residence in one document for third-country nationals with a Slovak job offer. It is normally granted for up to 2 years and is renewable, or up to 5 years where a bilateral treaty applies (currently US citizens). The employer must first report the vacancy and the Labour Office assesses whether it can be filled (decision within about 20 working days) before the residence application can proceed; certain shortage occupations and categories are exempt from this test. The embassy fee is EUR 170 (EUR 165.50 at the Foreign Police), plus EUR 4.50 for the residence card; pedagogical/university staff are fee-exempt. The permit counts toward EU long-term residence after 5 years.
Seasonal Work Visa
Short-cycle work authorisation for season-dependent sectors such as agriculture, forestry and tourism. Residence for seasonal employment is granted for a maximum of 240 days within any 12 consecutive months. It is tied to a specific employer and seasonal contract and does not lead to a residence permit or long-term residence. For stays under 90 days a national (Type D) seasonal-work visa is used; for 90-240 days the temporary residence for seasonal employment applies. The employer must report the vacancy to the Labour Office.
Intra-Company Transfer Visa
Implements Directive 2014/66/EU for managers, specialists and trainee employees transferred from a group entity outside the EU to a Slovak entity of the same corporate group. Prior employment with the group is required: 6 months for managers and specialists, 3 months for trainees. The permit is granted for up to 3 years (managers/specialists) or 1 year (trainees) and is not extendable beyond those caps. The application fee is EUR 170 plus EUR 4.50 for the card (renewal EUR 99.50). Standard decisions take up to 90 days, reduced to 30 days for significant foreign investors, enterprise service centres and OECD nationals. Holders of an ICT permit issued by another member state may work at a Slovak group entity under EU mobility rules after the host notifies the Ministry of Interior.
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Golden visas, real estate, citizenship by investment, passive income.
Business Investor Visa
For third-country nationals who run a business in Slovakia as a sole trader (zivnost) or as the statutory representative (director) of a Slovak commercial company such as an s.r.o. Granted for up to 3 years and renewable in 3-year blocks. Applicants must prove business funds in a Slovak business account of at least 100x the subsistence minimum (EUR 28,413 from 1 July 2025) for a company statutory representative, or 20x (EUR 5,682.60) for a sole trader, plus personal subsistence funds (about EUR 3,409.56 for a 12-month stay). The embassy fee is EUR 240 (EUR 232 at the Foreign Police where still permitted). Since 1 July 2025 business applications must generally be lodged at a Slovak diplomatic mission abroad under quota, not at the in-country Foreign Police. Slovakia has no separate golden, startup or investor visa; this business permit is the investor route and counts toward long-term residence after 5 years.
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Retirement visas and working holiday schemes.
Working Holiday Visa
1-year Type D national visa for youth aged 18-30/35 from agreement partners Australia (since 2015), New Zealand (2012), Canada, Japan and Taiwan to holiday and work in Slovakia.
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Reunification, spouse routes and ancestry-based repatriation.
Family Reunification Visa
For family members of a third-country national who already holds temporary, permanent or long-term residence in Slovakia. Eligible members are the spouse (both spouses at least 18), unmarried children under 18 of the sponsor or spouse, dependent unmarried children over 18 who cannot care for themselves due to long-term ill health, and dependent parents lacking family support in their country of origin. Residence is granted for the validity of the sponsor's residence, up to 5 years, and is renewable. The embassy fee is EUR 135 (EUR 132.50 at the Foreign Police; children under 18 are exempt) plus EUR 4.50 for the card. The Foreign Police decides within 90 days. Family members may obtain a work permit and, after 12 months of residence, work without one.
Ancestry / Repatriation
For holders of a Certificate of a Slovak Living Abroad (Osvedcenie Slovaka zijuceho v zahranici), issued by the Office for Slovaks Living Abroad to people of Slovak ethnic origin or with a documented connection to the Slovak nation. With this certificate, a person can obtain a temporary residence permit on the grounds of Slovak-living-abroad status, granted for up to 5 years and renewable, without needing a separate work or business purpose. After about 3 years of continuous residence in Slovakia with this status, the holder may apply for Slovak citizenship under a facilitated naturalisation route. The certificate requires proof of Slovak ethnicity (e.g. ancestor records) and a recommendation from a Slovak compatriot organisation or two witnesses.
Ancestry / Repatriation
Since 1 April 2022, a person may acquire Slovak citizenship by descent if a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of present-day Slovakia. Applicants must document the ancestor's Czechoslovak citizenship (e.g. a Czechoslovak passport, citizenship certificate, military booklet, or 1930/1940 census record) and the chain of birth/marriage records linking them to the ancestor. Applicants for citizenship by descent are exempt from the standard Slovak-language and residence requirements that apply to ordinary naturalisation. Applications are filed at a Slovak embassy/consulate or in Slovakia; processing typically takes around two years. Slovakia permits dual citizenship in this route.
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Talent, religious, humanitarian, media, official and permanent residence.
Talent / Highly Skilled Visa
For third-country researchers who have signed a hosting agreement with an accredited Slovak research organisation or university (implementing Directive (EU) 2016/801). Residence is granted for the duration of the hosting agreement, up to a maximum of 2 years, renewable to a total of 3 years, with an additional period to seek work or set up a business after the research ends. The application is free of charge; only the EUR 4.50 card fee applies (EUR 24.50 for express issuance). Researchers holding a valid EU researcher permit from another member state may carry out research in Slovakia for up to a set number of days under EU mobility once the host notifies the Ministry of Interior. Family members can join and access the labour market.
Long-Term Residence Permit
EU long-term resident status is granted to a third-country national who has resided legally and continuously in Slovakia for the 5 years immediately preceding the application, or who has held EU Blue Card status for 5 years across member states and resided in Slovakia for at least the 2 years immediately before applying. Applicants must show stable resources, accommodation and health insurance. The status is granted for an unlimited period (the residence card is reissued periodically), gives near-equal treatment with nationals and facilitates moving to other EU member states. It is not family-dependent: a foreigner does not need to be a relative of a Slovak citizen to apply.
Long-Term Residence Permit
The national (Type D) visa authorises a stay of more than 90 days, for a maximum of one year, and is not reissued. It is granted under the Act No. 404/2011 on Residence of Foreigners. Main uses are: applicants over 15 admitted to a language school for at least 25 lessons per week; entry of 120 days to lodge an in-country residence-permit application (employment, study, special activity, research, family reunion, Slovak living abroad, or 5-year permanent residence); a 90-day bridging visa for residence-permit holders; and cases in the interest of the Slovak Republic or under international treaties. The diplomatic mission decides within 30 days and may issue it only with prior consent of the Ministry of Interior.
Permanent Residence
A family-based permanent residence first granted for 5 years. It is available mainly to the spouse of a Slovak citizen or of a foreigner with permanent residence, a dependent direct relative of a Slovak citizen, a single child under 18 of a permanent-residence holder, and certain dependent children with long-term ill health. The Foreign Police decides within 90 days. After the first 5-year permit, the holder may apply for permanent residence for an unlimited period. Permanent-residence holders enjoy broadly the same rights as Slovak citizens in employment, healthcare and social matters, with free access to the labour market.
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