Residence and Employment of Foreigners in Slovakia

New regime for temporary residence for the purpose of employment 

One of the most important changes is the new application process for temporary residence permits for the purpose of employment. Under the amendment, foreigners will be allowed to submit their application once they receive a confirmation from the relevant Labour Office. This will allow them to start working while their application is being processed. Previously, they had to wait for the permit to be approved before they could start their employment. Another widely welcomed change is the reduced decision-making time for the Foreign Police, now 60 days instead of the previous 90 days and the option to remain in the Slovak Republic until a decision on an application for temporary or permanent residence has been made.

Changing the purpose of residence – stricter rules

Before 15 July 2024, foreigners could apply to change the purpose of their residence at any time. From now on, changing the purpose of a temporary residence from employment to business will only be allowed after 12 months from when the initial permit is granted. Similarly, foreigners residing in Slovakia for study purposes may change their residence purpose upon successful graduation.

Simplified EU Blue Card requirements

The EU Blue Card is a temporary residence permit type for highly qualified workers from non-EU countries. A key objective of the amendment is to make the EU Blue Card more attractive. Under the new rules, a bachelor's degree is sufficient for qualification, and in specific sectors, such as information and communication technology, professional skills demonstrated by work experience and practice may replace the need for a university education.  Additionally, the salary threshold has been lowered from 1.5x to 1.2x the average salary in the relevant sector of the Slovak economy. The validity of EU Blue Cards has also been extended from 4 to 5 years.

National visa applications 

National visas are becoming increasingly popular among third-country nationals due to a simpler application process, fewer administrative requirements, and faster processing times. Recently, Slovakia introduced new types of national visas for highly qualified relocated employees and for foreigners in specific industrial jobs.

The amendment expands the granting of national visas, allowing applications for national visas for the submitting of any temporary residence permit application in the Slovak Republic, except for business-related ones. Lastly, applicants may now submit their applications via external visa service providers, such as visa centres.

Slovak language certificate for long-term residence

A new amendment to the law will require applicants for long-term residence to demonstrate A2-level proficiency in Slovak. This requirement will become effective from 15 July 2025. To apply for long-term residence, which is possible after holding temporary residence in Slovakia for 5 years, applicants must prove their Slovak language skills by successfully passing a language test.

Updated general rules on documentation and requirements

When applying for temporary residence for employment purposes, foreigners will no longer need to provide a separate document proving financial security, as this will be confirmed by the employer during the process at the Labour Office. Finally, affidavits may now be signed at the Foreign Police without official verification.