A national visa can be granted:
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:
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:
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.
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:
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 can be granted to:
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.
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 can apply for a national visa if they completed
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:
The national visa is granted to graduates for the following purposes:
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:
The national visa shall be granted for a maximum period of one year.
This national visa can be applied for by
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:
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.
Obtaining this type of national visa is possible for 46 jobs, such as:
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
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.