Accommodation for temporary refugees

Holders of the temporary refuge status are legally residing in Slovakia. Temporary refuge is granted for the purpose of protecting foreigners from war, endemic violence, the consequences of a humanitarian disaster or persistent or massive human rights violations in their country of origin. 

For the time being, it is granted with an expiry date of 4 March 2025.

Temporary refuge holders can find accommodation themselves directly through property owners or real estate agents, through their family or friends, or accommodation can be arranged by staff at assistance centres, NGOs, any municipal or city office, or on specialised accommodation websites. You can search for rental offers through various websites, such as:

• reality.sk
• nehnutelnosti.sk
• topreality.sk
• byty.sk
• remax-slovakia.sk
• avizo.sk

When renting through a real estate agency, the tenant may be required to pay a commission of one month's rent, which must be agreed in advance and stipulated in the contract.

As Temporary Refuge Status holders, the accommodation allowance is available to you. This is an allowance provided under the Asylum Act and paid by the state to accommodation providers. You may or may not be able to use this allowance. Currently the allowance is paid until 30 June 2024.

Basic information about the temporary refugee accommodation allowance:

• The basic condition for receiving the allowance is that the landlord and the returnee have a contract. Here you can find a model CONTRACT for accommodation in a private flat or family home, via the Ministry of the Interior's scheme.
• An application for a lodging allowance for a temporary refugee`s accommodation is made by the accommodation provider.
• The accommodation agreement, together with your personal details including proof of temporary shelter, will be submitted by the accommodation provider to the municipal or town office at the place of accommodation.
• You will then notify the municipality or town hall each month whether you continue to be housed.
• The temporary protection holder is required to notify the municipality in person once a month during the period in which the accommodation is still being provided.

Owners of hotels, guesthouses and hostels providing accommodation on a commercial basis. These providers can receive allowances through the scheme covered by Act on Tourism. All information regarding the accommodation allowance can be found on the Department for Transport website, here.

The accommodation contract sets out the basic conditions under which accommodation can be provided.

Amount of the allowance

The allowance is payable to the accommodation provider until 30 June 2024 in the following amount:

- Accommodation in apartments and family houses: EUR 5/person/day.

- Collective accommodation facility for non-business purposes (allowances granted from ministry of interior) EUR 6/person/day.

- Hotels, guesthouses and hostels: EUR 6/person/day.

Warning !!!
As of 1 March 2024, accommodation allowances for accommodating temporary protection holders have been halved, meaning less income for many landlords to offset accommodation costs.

- If you are staying in a hotel, guest house or hostel, your landlord may ask for the additional accommodation fee. 

BUT

- If you are staying in an apartment or family home, your landlord CANNOT charge you extra rent.

It is not yet known what conditions, allowances and supports will be in force in Slovakia from 1.7.2024.