National visa
- Last Updated: 25 April 2025
A national visa can be granted:
- in connection with granted residence in Slovakia,
- in connection with the granting of residence in Slovakia (this does not apply in case of an application for a temporary residence for the purpose of business),
- to a foreigner over 15 years of age, who is admitted for language training at a language school for at least 25 hours per week,
- it is necessary for the fulfilment of the Slovak Republic's obligations under international treaties, or
- in the interest of the Slovak Republic.
Application
The application for a national visa shall be lodged with the diplomatic mission of the SR or with the external service provider (visa center) designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accredited to the country of the applicant’s residence. If there is no such diplomatic mission or external service provider, or in cases worthy of special attention, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in agreement with the Ministry of the Interior, will designate another diplomatic mission or external service provider, where the national of a third country will submit an application for the granting of a national visa.
The application for a national visa in the interest of the Slovak Republic may be submitted also to the Foreigners' Police Department, if applicant resides in Slovakia legally - an appointment is required to make an application to the police.
The application shall be accompanied by:
- a valid travel document
- a colour photograph (3 x 3.5 cm)
- a document confirming the purpose of the stay (in the case of the national visa application submitted to be able to submit a residence application at the Foreigners' Police, all documents necessary to obtain a residence permit must be submitted),
- proof of health insurance.
The embassy or the Ministry of the Interior may request further documents only if the documents submitted are insufficient to decide on the application for a national visa. Upon request, the applicant is obliged to attend the interview in person.
If an applicant does not submit all the required documents, the diplomatic mission or the Ministry of the Interior will not accept the application and will provide a written information on which documents the applicant must submit in order for the application to be accepted.
An administrative fee is payable for the submission of the application:
- EUR 90 - national visa necessary in connection to a residence permit
- EUR 50 - national visa in the interest of the Slovak Republic or for the fulfilment of the Slovak Republic's obligations arising from international treaties
- EUR 15 - national visa granted in relation to an already granted residence permit
The embassy/consulate shall decide on the application within 30 days of its receipt.
The national visa entitles its holder to stay in Slovakia for the period for which it was issued. The holder of a valid national visa may travel to other Member States for up to three months within any 180 days under the same conditions as the holder of a residence permit issued by one of the Member States of the Schengen area.
The diplomatic mission will record the purpose of temporary residence for which the visa holder will apply at the foreign police in the national visa issued in connection with the granting of residence in Slovakia. In the case of temporary residence for the purpose of employment, it shall also record the name and identification number of the employer.
Visa validity
The visa is usually granted for a stay of more than three months, up to a maximum of one year. A national visa can be granted:
- in connection with granted residence in Slovakia for 90 days,
- in connection with the granting of residence in Slovakia for 90 days,
- to a foreigner over 15 years of age, who is admitted for language training at a language school for at least 25 hours per week for the duration of language training, up to 31 July of the school year concerned, or
- in the interest of the Slovak Republic for one year.
A national visa shall also be granted to a family member of an asylum-seeker or an alien with subsidiary protection, for the necessary period.
National visa in the interest of the Slovak Republic
National visa in the interest of the Slovak Republic can be granted to:
- citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Nepal, North Macedonia, the Philippines, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine or Uzbekistan who will be employed as bus drivers or truck drivers (international and domestic transport),
- non-EU nationals with a university degree (from any country),
- scholarship holders of selected scholarship programmes (from any country),
- relocated non-EU nationals and their family members (from any country) and
- citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Nepal, Nort Macedonia, the Philippines, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine or Uzbekistan who will be employed in one of the 46 occupations in the industry.
A person who is granted a national visa in the interest of the Slovak Republic for employment may work in Slovakia without the need for further permits. During the validity of the visa, the person may only work for the employer and in the employment for which the visa was granted (these details will be indicated on the visa), otherwise, the visa may be revoked.
Drivers
An applicant for a national visa must be on a list submitted by their prospective employer to the Ministry of Transport for approval and must not have been granted temporary residence for employment or have an application for such residence pending at the time of application for a national visa.
ATTENTION: An employer wishing to employ a driver on the basis of a national visa must meet specific conditions (e.g. be established in Slovakia for at least ten years, have no personal or property links to foreigners or legal persons established outside Slovakia).
The document confirming the purpose of the stay is an employment contract and the relevant authorisation to drive a motor vehicle.
The national visa is granted for the duration of the employment, for a maximum of one year. It cannot be reissued.
Graduates
Graduates can apply for a national visa if they completed
- the second level of university studies in Slovakia or the Czech Republic,
- higher education studies at a selected university or research institution, or
- university studies of at least three years if they will be employed by an employer in the Slovak Republic in the selected occupations (the list is in Slovak only).
An applicant for a national visa who is a graduate of a Slovak, Czech school or other selected university or research institution must not have been granted temporary residence for the purpose of employment or study at the time of applying for the visa.
An applicant who is to be employed in selected occupations must not have been granted temporary residence for the purpose of employment at the time of applying for the visa.
The document confirming the purpose of stay is:
- university diploma or certificate of successful completion of university studies - if the graduate is applying for a visa for the purpose of seeking employment
- proof of education and a contract of employment or a written promise of employment from the employer, if the application is for a national visa for employment purposes.
The national visa is granted to graduates for the following purposes:
- seeking employment - for a period of 90 days,
- employment - for the duration of the employment, for a maximum period of one year.
Scholarship holders
Foreign students, university teachers, researchers, artists and other university and R&D staff can apply for a national visa if coming to Slovakia with the support of a scholarship funded by one of the following programmes:
- Erasmus+
- National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic (NSP)
- programs implemented based on bilateral international agreements and cooperation programmes
- Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies (CEEPUS)
- Government Scholarship of the Slovak Republic
- Scholarships for talented students from abroad
- Scholarships for excellent researchers threatened by the war conflict in Ukraine
- Scholarships for excellent PhD students
The national visa shall be granted for a maximum period of one year.
Relocated employees and their family members
This national visa can be applied for by
- employees relocated from a company established outside Slovakia to an enterprise of the same company established in Slovakia, who will perform the function of a managerial employee or professional requiring special expertise, skills, abilities, knowledge, qualifications and experience necessary for the operation or management; and
- their family members (spouse and direct descendant who is under 21 years of age or dependent).
The relocated employee must work under an employment contract and their agreed salary must be at least twice the average salary of an employee in the economy of the Slovak Republic for the calendar year two years preceding the calendar year in which the relocated employee applies for a national visa.
The applicant for a national visa must be on a list submitted by their prospective employer to the Ministry of Economy for approval and must not have been granted residence under the Residence of Foreigners Act at the time of the application for a national visa.
The document confirming the purpose of the stay is:
- an employment contract or a written promise of employment by the employer; or
- a registry document.
A national visa is granted for the duration of the employment, for a maximum of one year, and may be granted repeatedly.
The family member may study or be employed during the period of validity of the national visa granted.
Industry
Obtaining this type of national visa is possible for 46 jobs, such as:
- specialists in crop and livestock production
- cooks, waiters and kitchen assistants
- breeders of various livestock
- maintenance workers
- bricklayers, construction ironworkers and carpenters
- welders and metalworkers
- butchers, producers and processors of various types of food
- equipment operators and assemblers
- cleaners and housekeepers
- auxiliary workers in various types of production.
The applicant for a national visa must be on a list submitted by their prospective employer to the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family for approval and must not have been granted temporary residence for employment or have submitted an application for such residence at the time of applying for a national visa.
ATTENTION: An employer wishing to employ a worker based on this national visa must meet specific conditions (e.g. be established in Slovakia for at least three years, not have been fined for illegal employment and have fulfilled tax and levy obligations).
The document confirming the purpose of the stay is
- an employment contract or
- an employment contract and a copy of the proof of education or professional qualification necessary for the performance of the job.
The national visa is granted for the duration of the employment, up to a maximum of one year. It cannot be reissued. Its holders cannot apply for temporary residence with another employer.
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