Seasonal employment is an activity the performance of which does not exceed 180 days during 12 consecutive months, is bound to a certain time of the year with a significantly higher volume of work and is included in the list of seasonal employment fields, which are agriculture, forestry, fishing, industrial production, construction, accommodation and catering services.
More information can be found in our factsheet: SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT.
Non-EU nationals can be employed seasonally in two regimes: under a work permit or under the temporary residence for seasonal employment based on the confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy.
1. Seasonal employment for up to 90 days
A different approach is applied depending on whether a non-EU national does or does not need a Schengen visa to enter Slovakia.
A) Non-EU nationals who do not need visa
If a non-EU national is not subject to the visa requirement (e.g. a citizen of Ukraine with a biometric passport), performing seasonal employment requires only obtaining a work permit. Whether the Schengen visa is required can be verified using our VISA CHECK application.
The work permit is granted by the territorially competent Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family for up to 90 days during 12 consecutive months. The employer must report the vacancy to the competent Labour Office at least 10 working days before submitting an application for a seasonal work permit.
The application for a seasonal work permit may be submitted by a non-EU national or his/her employer.
The application must be submitted together with:
- Contract of employment or the employer’s promise to hire the foreign national, containing the prerequisites of a contract of employment (type of work, place of work, date of commencement of work and wage conditions);
- Officially authenticated (apostille or superlegalization) document proving the highest achieved education, officially translated to Slovak language in case of regulated professions;
- Document on accommodation at least for the duration of the employment;
- Document on health insurance during the residence in Slovakia;
- If the application is submitted by the employer:
- Written consent of the non-EU national with the application with a notarized signature;
- Confirmation that the employer is not in bankruptcy, dissolution or under compulsory administration;
- Confirmation that the employer does not have any registered pending employees’ claims arising from the employment.
An employer wanting to hire a worker for seasonal employment must also meet other requirements.
The Labour Office will issue the seasonal work permit within 20 working days from the date of submitting a complete application. If the non-EU national obtained a seasonal work permit in the last five years before submitting the application, the Labour Office will grant a work permit within 10 working days from the date of submitting a complete application.
B) Non-EU nationals who need visa
Non-EU nationals who need visa must first obtain a work permit and then also apply for a Schengen visa for the purpose of seasonal employment.
1. Work permit is to be obtained in the same way as a non-EU national who does not need the Schengen visa (however, proof of health insurance and accommodation is not submitted at this stage).
2. A non-EU national submits the Schengen visa application on an official form at the diplomatic mission of the Slovak Republic (embassy or consulate) accredited to the country of the applicant’s residence or citizenship. The applicant must submit the following documents:
- Document proving the purpose of travel, i.e. contract of employment or the employer’s promise to hire the foreign national, containing the prerequisites of a contract of employment;
- Work permit issued by the Labour Office;
- Document on health insurance at least for the duration of residence in Slovakia;
- Document on accommodation at least for the duration of the employment.
The diplomatic mission of the SR will decide on the application within 15 calendar days.
2. Seasonal employment for more than 90 days
Performing seasonal employment for more than 90 days is possible only with temporary residence for the purpose of seasonal employment. The overall duration of seasonal employment may not exceed 180 days. The worker may either apply for temporary residence for the purpose of seasonal employment and start working after obtaining the residence, or he/she may perform seasonal employment on a work permit (and visa, if required) during the first ninety days and then on temporary residence the other ninety days.
A confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy must be issued by the Labour Office before one can apply for temporary residence. The confirmation is to be requested by the employer no earlier than 20 business days after the vacancy has been reported. The Labour Office will process the request within 15 business days. The temporary residence application must be submitted within 90 days of confirmation issuance.
The application for a temporary residence for the purpose of seasonal employment is to be submitted in person at the diplomatic mission of the SR accredited to the country of the foreign national’s citizenship or residence or at the Foreign Police if he/she is in Slovakia on the basis of a valid residence permit in Slovakia or another EU country, tolerated residence, national visa, Schengen visa for seasonal employment, if he/she does not need a visa to enter Slovakia, is a temporary protection beneficiary or, holder of the certificate of a Slovak living abroad.
If a non-EU national was performing seasonal employment based on a work permit for 90 days and during this period submitted an application for temporary residence for the purpose of seasonal employment, his/her residence is considered legal in the territory of Slovakia until the decision on the application.
The application must be submitted together with the following documents:
- Valid passport;
- A colour photograph (3 × 3.5 cm);
- Criminal record statement;
- Document on accommodation in Slovakia;
- Document on financial coverage of residence;
- Administrative fee EUR
The administrative fee for seasonal employment residence application is EUR 50;
The Foreign Police will issue a decision within 90 days from the date of delivery of a complete application. The period is decreased to 30 days if the foreign national performed seasonal employment or obtained temporary residence for the purpose of seasonal employment in the last five years.
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