Simple Immigration Solution

Located in Central Europe, with beautiful natural treasures and historical monuments, Slovakia is home to more than 100,000 expats from around the world. Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a developed country with a high-income economy, a safe living environment, and high standards of living. The country performs well in many other fields, such as civil liberties, press freedom, peacefulness, etc.
Slovakia also offers great opportunities for career development accompanied by affordable social life. All these factors have served as a magnet for foreigners moving to Europe to choose Slovakia as their new permanent home, especially students and individuals who want to work there.
1. Do I Need a Visa to Move to Slovakia?
Whether you need a visa to move to Slovakia or not depends on the country you are traveling from:
– EU/EEA and Switzerland citizens can move to Slovakia with only their valid identity card or EU passport. They do not need a visa to enter the country.
– Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens will need a visa (long stay) if they want to stay in Slovakia for more than three months. The type of visa you need depends on the purpose of your travel.
2. How Can I Move to Slovakia as an EU Citizen?
EU/EEA and Switzerland citizens can move to Slovakia for longer than three months (90 days) without obtaining a visa beforehand. Furthermore, since Slovakia is part of the European Union, you will also be entitled to the same rights as other EU citizens.
After arriving in the country, you must register your residence within 30 days of your arrival to Slovakia at the competent Foreign Police Department, together with the documents that they will require you to submit. You will be allowed to live, work and study in Slovakia.
3. How Can I Move to Slovakia as a Non-EU Citizen?
Third-country nationals wishing to move to Slovakia for a period longer than three months (90 days) need to obtain a D visa (long-stay visa), also known as a national visa. The type of long-stay visa you apply for depends on the purpose of your travel to Slovakia. For example, you can get a long-stay visa for work, studies, family reunification, etc.
Once you are granted any type of long-stay visa, you will also be granted a residence permit (temporary, permanent, tolerated).
Moving to Slovakia to Work
Third-country nationals moving to Slovakia for employment purposes must apply for a Slovak work visa. Slovakia issues several types of work visas that you can choose to apply for depending on the type of work you are going to do; however, one of the most common types of work visas for foreigners is the single permit.
Depending on what type of employment you will perform, you can apply for one of the following work visas.
– Single Permit.
– Work Permit.
– EU Blue Card (highly skilled workers).
The work visa will be valid for the same duration as your employment contract, but you can renew it. You are also allowed to bring your family members with you.
Moving to Slovakia to Study
If you are admitted to a Slovak educational institution and want to move to Slovakia to continue your studies, you will need to apply for and obtain a student visa. You can apply for a student visa at the nearest Slovak diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate) in your home country.
The student visa is usually issued for a period of one to three years or until your educational program is completed. With this type of visa, you will be allowed to work for up to 20 hours per week and bring your family members with you.
Moving to Slovakia for Family Reunification
Nationals from non-EU countries who have a family member in Slovakia can join them by obtaining a Slovakia family visa. There are two types of family visas that you can apply for:
– Family reunification visa (if you are married to a Slovak citizen).
– Family visa for accompanying family members of foreign workers.
The application for a family visa is made at the nearest Slovak embassy or consulate in your home country. Once you are granted the family visa, you will obtain a residence permit valid for five years. This type of visa allows you to freely work and study in Slovakia.
Family members that can apply for a Slovak family visa include:
– Spouses of a Slovak citizen or a third-country national with a residence permit in Slovakia.
– Minor children of a foreigner who is the spouse of a Slovak citizen with a permanent residence in Slovakia.
– Children of Slovak citizens wishing to live with their parents.
4. Does Slovakia Allow Dual Citizenship?
The Slovak Republic recognizes dual citizenship only in certain cases, such as if you have acquired the citizenship at birth, through marriage, or if you had another citizenship before becoming a Slovak citizen.
However, the country does not allow its nationals to maintain dual citizenship. In such cases, Slovak citizenship is automatically lost.
5. How Long Do I Need to Live in Slovakia to Win Citizenship?
To be eligible for Slovak citizenship you must have a minimum of at least eight years of uninterrupted permanent residence in Slovakia. This is how you can acquire citizenship by naturalization.
There are also other criteria that you must meet to be eligible for citizenship by naturalization (probity check, Slovak language proficiency, knowledge about the country, etc.). However, residence time in Slovakia is crucial.
Other ways you can win Slovak citizenship are:
– Citizenship by birth.
– Citizenship by descent.
– Citizenship by adoption.
– Citizenship by marriage.
– Citizenship by investment.