IOM MIGRATION INFORMATION CENTRE

EU Blue Card

Blue Card is a type of temporary residence, which is issued to third country nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment in Slovakia. The basic requirements for obtaining it are higher professional qualifications in the form of a university degree or advanced professional skills (only applicable to ICT managers and specialists), a salary of at least 1.2 times the average wage in the Slovak economy (or the average salary if the applicant obtained a university degree in the last three years) and an employment contract for at least six months.

Download Fact Sheet: EU Blue Card

The application for the Blue Card shall be submitted at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic accredited to the country of origin or the country of residence of the foreign national. If the person stays in Slovakia legally, they may apply to the Foreign Police Department competent for their place of residence. 

Before applying for the Blue Card, it is necessary to have a confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy corresponding to highly qualified employment issued by the Labour Office. The employer must report a vacancy to the Labour Office no later than the day of applying for the confirmation. Reporting of the vacancy is not required if the applicant is:

• a holder of a national visa in the interest of the Slovak Republic, who will be employed in the same job position, or
• a holder of the temporary residence for employment who will be employed in the same job position.

The application for the issuance of the EU Blue Card must be submitted within 90 days from the issuance of the confirmation.

Documents to obtain a Blue Card:

1. Completed application form for temporary residence, signed by the applicant;
2. Valid passport;
3. A colour photograph (3 x 3.5 cm);
4. Criminal record statement from the country of the applicant’s citizenship and the countries where he/she resided for more than 90 days during six consecutive months in the last three years (not older than 90 days);
5. Document on accommodation in Slovakia (not older than 90 days);
6. Administrative fee EUR 250
7. Administrative fee for issuing the residence card and its delivery within Slovakia: 10 EUR (within 30 days) or 39 EUR (within 2 working days).

The Foreign Police will issue a decision within 30 days of the date of submitting your complete application.

Submitting a complete application to the Foreign Police entitles the applicant to stay in Slovakia legally until it is decided upon and start working.

Within 30 days of collecting the residence card (if submitted at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic abroad) or of applying (if submitted at the Foreign Police Department) the foreign national must submit a medical report confirming the absence of diseases which could endanger public health (not older than 30 days) at the competent Foreign Police department.

The Blue Card is issued for five years or, if the confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy is valid for less than five years, for the validity of the confirmation extended by 90 days.

Not eligible for a Blue Card are:

• Asylum seekers;
• Temporary protection applicants and holders;
• Applicants for temporary residence for the purpose of research and development;
• Foreign nationals with long-term residence in another EU Member State, who are applying for temporary residence to pursue economic activity as employees or as self-employed persons;
• Individuals who, based on agreements concluded between the European Union and its Member States on one side, and third countries on the other side, have the right to free movement equivalent to that of EU citizens;
• Holders of tolerated residence or who are allowed to stay in Slovakia;
• Foreign nationals entering the territory of Slovakia on the basis of commitments arising from an international treaty;
• Foreign nationals posted by an employer with a registered seat in an EU Member State to provide services offered by the employer;
• Foreign nationals who, based on a business contract, secure delivery of goods or services, and deliver such goods or carry out installation works, warranty services and repairs, work related to system setup of production facilities, programming work or professional training, if the employment relationship or secondment does not exceed a total of 90 days per calendar year;
• Foreign nationals who work for a company which was provided investment aid, based on a business contract, and secure delivery of goods or services, or deliver such goods or carry out installation works, warranty services and repairs, work related to system setup of production facilities, programming work or professional training, during a period for which the decision on the approval of the investment aid was issued for. 

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