IOM MIGRATION INFORMATION CENTRE

Reporting a Vacancy and the Labour Market Situation

When processing applications for a work permit, EU Blue Card, or in cases requiring the confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy, the labour offices are generally obliged to consider the labour market situation. They must check if any registered job seekers meet the conditions for the advertised position. 

Therefore, the employer who wants to hire you must first report a job vacancy to a Labour Office competent according to the place of work. A vacancy may be reported in person, in writing, by telephone, e-mail, fax or via the web page https://www.sluzbyzamestnanosti.gov.sk. 

A vacancy must be reported:

• At least 10 working days before applying for a work permit - if your case requires a work permit, 
• At least 20 working days before requesting the confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy - if your case requires the confirmation, or 
• At least on the day of requesting a confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy (or a confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy corresponding to highly skilled employment) if the Labour Office issues the confirmation without considering the labour market situation.

If the Labour Office is required to examine the labour market situation, it first checks whether there is a candidate in the register of job seekers who meets the conditions for the position to be filled. If such a candidate is found in the Labour Office's register, the Labour Office is obliged to give them priority.

When is it not necessary to consider the labour market situation, but the vacancy must still be reported no later than the day the application for confirmation is submitted?

The Labour Office will issue a confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy (or a confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy corresponding to highly skilled employment) without examining the labour market situation if it concerns the performance of:

• continuous educational or scientific activities as a pedagogical employee, university teacher, research worker, or artistic worker at a higher education institution, research employee, or development employee in research activities,
• internships or positions of a manager or an expert within an intra-corporate transfer, or
• employment with a shortage of labour - provided that the share of third-country nationals employed by the employer is less than 45% of the total number of employees and the place of employment is in the respective region where the occupation is identified as having a labour shortage. Employment positions with a labor shortage in individual regions are published by the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.

In these cases, it is still necessary to report a job vacancy, however, it is sufficient to do so on the day the application for confirmation is submitted.

When is it not necessary to report a vacancy?

Reporting a vacancy is not necessary if:

• the applicant for a temporary residence for the purpose of employment is a holder of a national visa in the interest of the Slovak Republic and will be employed in the same position, or a temporary protection holder who has been employed under an employment contract for at least six months and will be employed in the same position, or
• the applicant for an EU Blue Card is a holder of a national visa in the interest of the Slovak Republic and will be employed in the same position, or a holder of a temporary residence for the purpose of employment who will be employed in the same position, or
• when applying for the renewal of a temporary residence for the purpose of employment or an EU Blue Card and there is no change in the job position.