Below you can find information regarding the visa process, depending on the citizenship you are holding. For more information, please visit official website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, visit the website or contact the Embassy of Slovakia in your country, or visit the IOM website.
Please note that we provide necessary documents from our side, but we do not provide assistance in the visa process. Each student is responsible for obtaining the visa. Keep in mind that the process takes some time and many Embassies require appointments made well ahead, so plan the visa process accordingly.
EU/EHP Citizens
In general, the EU/EHP (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) citizens do not need a visa to study in Slovakia. You need a valid passport or another equivalent ID only. EU/EHP citizen staying in Slovakia for a period longer than three months is obliged to apply for registration of residence after expiry of three months since entering the territory of the Slovak Republic. The application for a free of charge registration is submitted in person on an official form at the competent Foreign Police Department, together with a valid identification card or a valid travel document and a document confirming the student status.
On the day of submitting a complete application, the Foreign Police Department will issue a confirmation about the residence registration of the EU/EHP citizen, which will state the name, surname and the address of the registered person as well as the date of registration. If the EU/EHP citizen fails to submit a document on accommodation, the municipality where he/she is staying will be stated as the address.
EU/EHP citizens may apply for issuance of a residence document valid for 5 years (residence card) in person at the competent Foreign Police Department, according to the place of residence in Slovakia. Contact details of the Foreign Police departments can be found on this web site. A valid travel document or a valid ID card, 2 photographs (3 x 3.5 cm) and a document on accommodation need to be attached to the application for the issuance of a residence document.
Non EU/EHP Citizens
Students from third countries who plan to stay and study in Slovakia for more than 90 days must apply for a temporary residence for the purpose of their studies. The application for granting of temporary residence must be submitted by the foreigner in person abroad at a Slovak diplomatic mission accredited to the country of the applicant´s citizenship or the country of the applicant´s residence. The Slovak diplomatic mission that accepted the application will interview the applicant for the purpose of preliminary assessment of the application. Please note that you need to request an appointment for visa application beforehand and we advise to do it in a timely manner.
The application for the temporary residence may be also submitted at the Foreign Police Department competent for the place of residence of the foreigner in the Slovak Republic if:
- the applicant is residing in Slovakia on the basis of a valid residence permit
- the applicant is residing in Slovakia on the basis of a valid national visa
- the applicant does not need a visa to enter Slovakia
- the applicant is the holder of the certificate of a Slovak living abroad
- the applicant is the holder of tolerated residence (acc. to Paragraph 58 section 1, points a-c or section 2)
The applicant must submit the following documents:
- completed application form
- two identical colour photos (3 x 3.5 cm)
- proof of payment of the administrative fee (as required for the relevant type of residence)
- valid travel document (passport)
- document proving the purpose of residence
- document proving a clear criminal record
- confirmation of accommodation
- proof of financial coverage
Before starting the process of application for a temporary residence, please confirm the list of all required documents also with the Embassy of Slovakia in your country in a timely manner. All documents submitted with the application must not be older than 90 days. Each document issued abroad must be authenticated (either by an apostille or a consular superlegalization) and must be translated to the Slovak language by an official translator certified by the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. Please note that only complete applications with all required documents will be accepted, if any document is missing at the time of submitting your application, your application will not be accepted.
The applicant must enter the territory of Slovakia within 180 days of obtaining a temporary residence. Within 3 working days of arrival to Slovakia, the person must report the beginning of their residence at the Foreign Police and within 3 working days of receiving the residence card, they have to sign up for health insurance. Within 30 days of obtaining the residence card, it is also necessary to submit a document on health insurance in Slovakia and a medical report not older than 30 days confirming that the person does not suffer from any disease which could endanger public health to the Foreign Police.
Temporary residence allows the third country national to stay legally in Slovakia and to travel abroad and back during the period for which the residence was granted. The first temporary residence may be granted for various time periods depending on the purpose of residence. Having temporary residence for the purpose of study also allows you to work 20 hours per week or the equivalent number of days or months per year.