IOM MIGRATION INFORMATION CENTRE

Information and assistance in connection with irregular migration

Entry and residence in Slovakia without further permits

If you entered Slovakia without a permit (without a valid visa or valid residence permit and at the same time you are not exempt from the visa requirement), your stay in Slovakia is not authorised (irregular).

Foreign Police may expel (deport) persons who are staying in Slovakia unauthorised (irregularly).

However, the Foreign Police cannot expel you if there are so-called obstacles to expulsion in terms of the non-refoulement principle. This means you cannot be expelled to a country where:

• your life and freedom would be endangered for your race, nationality, religion, political opinion or membership of a particular social group; or
• you would be at risk of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; or
• you were sentenced to capital punishment or there is a presumption that capital punishment may be imposed on you in ongoing criminal procedure.

If you are staying in Slovakia unauthorised (irregularly), you cannot apply for a residence permit. You may apply for asylum if you have reasons for it. If the abovementioned obstacles to your expulsion exist, you may remain in Slovakia.

Remaining

If you are staying in Slovakia illegally, but the abovementioned obstacles to your expulsion exist, you may remain in Slovakia.

However, remaining in the territory of the SR is not considered as residence in Slovakia. This means that while remaining in the territory of the SR, you are not entitled to apply for the granting of temporary or permanent residence, to work, or do business.

Confirmation of Remaining is issued by the Foreign Police.

List of Foreign Police Departments (after you click on the link, it will show you the location of the Foreign Police Department on the map):

Bratislava – Foreign Police Department Bratislava, Regrútska 4,  Bratislava 831 07

Dunajská Streda – Foreign Police Department Dunajská Streda, Mlynská 4629/2A, Dunajská Streda 929 01

Trnava – Foreign Police Department Trnava, Paulínska 13, Trnava 917 01

Trenčín – Foreign Police Department Trenčín, Jílemnického 2, Trenčín 911 01

Nitra – Foreign Police Department Nitra, Rázusova 7, Nitra 949 01

Nové Zámky – Foreign Police Department Nové Zámky, Bitúnková 8, Nové Zámky 949 36

Banská Bystrica – Foreign Police Department Banská Bystrica, Sládkovičova 4343/25

Rimavská Sobota - Foreign Police Department Rimavská Sobota, Hviezdoslavova 35

Žilina – Foreign Police Department Žilina, Janka Kráľa 4, Žilina  010 40

Košice – Foreign Police Department Košice, Trieda SNP 35, Košice 040 01

Michalovce – Foreign Police Department Michalovce, Jána Hollého 53/46, Michalovce 071 01

Prešov – Foreign Police Department Prešov, Ľubochnianska 2, Prešov 080 01

Ružomberok - Foreign Police Department Ružomberok, Námestie Andreja Hlinku 74, Ružomberok 034 01 (6th floor)

Asylum (international protection)

You can apply for asylum if you have well-founded fears of persecution in your country of origin on grounds of race, nationality, religion, political opinion or membership of a particular social group and, because of these fears, you cannot or do not wish to return to this country, or if you are being persecuted for exercising your political rights and freedoms.

You may be granted subsidiary protection to protect you from serious harm in your country of origin.

The Ministry of the Interior may also grant asylum on humanitarian grounds.

If you enter the Slovak Republic through a border crossing point, the border police department at the border crossing point is competent to receive your asylum application. If you are travelling by air, it is the police department in the transit area of the airport (Košice, Bratislava, Poprad). If you are already on the territory of the Slovak Republic, you can apply for asylum exclusively at the Asylum Department of the Police Corps in Humenné:

Asylum Department of the Police Force in Humenné

Nemocničná 1, 066 01 Humenné
 +421 96182 3241

The authority responsible for deciding on applications for asylum or subsidiary protection  Migration Office of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic:

Migration Office of the MoI of the SR

Pivonková 6, Bratislava
 +421 (0)2 4341 4775, +421 (0)2 4825 4104

Our Centre is not able to provide advice on asylum law, however, you can contact NGOs that provide legal advice to asylum seekers: the Slovak Humanitarian Council or the Human Rights League. Answers to the most important questions about asylum can be found HERE (in Arabic HERE). Asylum procedure at a glance HERE.

Human Rights League

Račianska 80, Bratislava
 cellphone: +421 800 222 350 (free of charge), + 421 918 366 968
 e-mail:

Slovak Humanitarian Council

Budyšínska 1
 Bratislava, 831 03
 +421 51 70 81 777
 e-mail:

Work, possibility of accommodation, meals and provision and health care and material assistance

During the period of remaining in Slovakia, you cannot do business or work in Slovakia.
 
If you are an asylum seeker, you can work after six months since the asylum application.

If you have been granted asylum or subsidiary protection, you can work without further permits.

Under normal circumstances, the state does not provide accommodation to persons with the possibility to remain in Slovakia. However, due to the situation with irregular migration, there are facilities in various locations where you can sleep and receive warm meals and basic medical treatment.

List of facilities (when you click on the link, it shows you the location on the map):

Bratislava:

Regrútska Street - near the Foreign Police Department, you can sleep over and Bratislava and you can be provided with basic health care and meals

Banská Bystrica:

Tulská Street - in the premises of the asylum centre of the Red Cross, you can sleep over and you can be provided with basic health care and meals

Opatovská Nová Ves - in the premises of the residential camp of the Migration Office, basic health care and food and shelter for vulnerable groups (such as mothers with children) as well as material assistance can be provided

Trenčín:

Kvetná Street - a shelter for vulnerable groups can be provided

Prešov:

Ľubochnianska Street - near the Foreign Police Department, you can sleep over and Bratislava and you can be provided with basic health care and meals

Information about safe border-crossing

In case of a threat to life, call 112!

Information on how to travel safely, how to avoid getting into a situation of human trafficking, how to recognize human trafficking and where to find help in an emergency can be found in the SAFE application - www.safe.iom.sk.

If you suspect that you have been affected by human trafficking, call the National Helpline for Victims of Human Trafficking at +421 800 800 818. It works from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and you can communicate in English. If it is found that human trafficking was involved in your case, you are entitled to protection and assistance.

If you were exposed to gender-based violence (GBV), do NOT forget that you are entitled to access services of assistance that are free of charge. GBV can include for example cases of physical, psychological, emotional or sexual violence. If you seek advice, do not hesitate to contact us and call +421 907 787 374, IOM Infoline on human trafficking and safe travelling, where you can get free information even in English. Free psychological support can be provided by the League for Mental Health in the Ukrainian language, +421 0800 222 450, Linka dôvery Nezábudka. National Helpline for Women Experiencing Violence can provide services in Slovak at +421 0800 212 212.

Humanitarian assistance must be provided free of charge, without any request for money, sexual activity or other services. If you experience any inappropriate behaviour by humanitarian workers you can contact us and call +421 907 787 374, IOM Infoline on human trafficking and safe travelling.
 

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