Residence of Union citizens
- Last Updated: 30 June 2023
- a citizen of another EU Member State, with the exception of Slovakia,
- a citizen of a state Party to the European Economic Area Agreement (EEA),
- a citizen of Switzerland.
In this section, you will learn when you, as a Union citizen, acquire the right of residence in Slovakia, how you must report your entry into the country, how to register your residence with the Foreigners Police and obtain a residence card, when you acquire the right of permanent residence and how to end your stay in Slovakia. If you have not found what you are looking for, please contact us.
Right of residence
- is employed in Slovakia,
- is self-employed in Slovakia,
- studies in primary or secondary school or at a university in Slovakia,
- has sufficient financial means for themself as well as for their family members, to prevent them from burdening the social security system during their stay and has health insurance in Slovakia,
- will potentially find employment,
- is a family member of a Union citizen who meets one of the above-mentioned conditions and whom he/she is accompanying or joining.
Download Fact Sheet: Residence of EU Citizens
Reporting duty
Within 10 working days from the date of entry into Slovakia, a Union citizen is obliged to report the beginning and place of their stay to the Foreigners Police according to their place of residence using the Notice of Stay form, if the accommodation provider (hotel, hostel) does not do it on their behalf.
Registration of the right of residence in Slovakia
A Union citizen staying in Slovakia for a period longer than three months is obliged to register his/her residence within 30 days from the lapse of three months from entering Slovakia.
- a valid identification card or a valid travel document and
- a document confirming one of the matters above, e.g.
- employment contract or
- trade licence or
- confirmation from school
- affidavit on seeking employment,
- birth certificate/marriage certificate.
A Union citizen who is not able to submit an employment contract a trade licence or a confirmation from school can provide proof that he/she has sufficient means (the minimum subsistence level of EUR 268.88 in cash or a bank account statement) and health insurance in Slovakia (confirmation from a health insurance company or EU insurance card).
On the day of submitting a complete application, the Foreign Police Department will issue a confirmation on the residence registration, which will contain the name, surname and address of the registered person as well as the date of registration. If the Union citizen fails to submit a document on accommodation, the municipality where he/she will be staying will be stated as the address.
Union Citizens may apply for the issuance of a residence card valid for 5 years. A valid travel document or a valid identification card, 2 photographs (3 x 3.5 cm) and proof of accommodation need to be attached to the application for issuance of a residence card.Proof of accommodation can be:
- an affidavit of a foreign national about ownership of a property (if they own property), or
- a tenancy agreement with the owner or the user of the property and documentation of eligibility to use the property if it is a tenancy agreement with the user of the property,
- confirmation from an accommodation facility (e.g. a hotel or a boarding house) or
- an affidavit of a natural person or a legal entity about the provision of accommodation to a foreigner in the Slovak Republic and documentation of eligibility to use the property if it is a tenancy agreement with the user of the property.
Signatures in affidavits and tenancy agreements must be notarized.
The right of a Union citizen to permanent residence
A Union citizen is entitled to permanent residence if he/she has legally resided in Slovakia for an uninterrupted period of five years. In specific cases, it is possible to apply for permanent residence even earlier than after five years of uninterrupted residence.
Employment
Union citizens may be employed in Slovakia under the same conditions as Slovak citizens. They do not need a work permit or any other permit to be able to work.
Termination of the right of residence of a Union citizen
The entitlement to residence or the entitlement to permanent residence of a Union citizen expires, if:
- the person notifies the Foreign Police Department in writing of the residence termination,
- the person was deported,
- the Foreign Police Department revoked his/her right to residence or to permanent residence,
- the person died or was declared dead,
- the person acquired citizenship of the Slovak Republic.