Slovakia - Trainee

Where and how to apply

In general, it is recommended to file the application for temporary residence at the Slovak embassy in the country of your citizenship or country of your residence. In specific cases stipulated by law (e.g. if you are not subject to visa requirements, if you already hold a valid residence permit in the country/in another MS), you may submit your application for residence at the competent Foreign Police Department in Slovakia. The application must be submitted in person. When submitting the application at the Slovak embassy, you will be interviewed for the purpose of a preliminary assessment of the application.

The Foreign Police Department will issue a decision within 30 days from the date of delivery of a complete application. The period starts counting from the date your application is delivered to the Foreign Police Department, not from delivery to the Slovak embassy.

The fee for applying for a temporary residence for the purpose of special activity is EUR 99.50 (in the case of submitting the application at the Foreign Police), or EUR 100 (in the case of submitting the application at a Slovak embassy). In case you receive a scholarship from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport, or a scholarship based on commitments arising from international treaties, you are exempt from paying the fee, based on reciprocity. The fee for issuance of a residence document is EUR 4.50. The residence document is issued within 30 days from fulfilling the reporting duty towards the Foreign Police (within three working days from entering the territory of the Slovak Republic), if you submitted the application at a Slovak embassy, or within 30 days from granting the residence, if you submitted the application at the Foreign Police. The fee for express issuance of a residence document within 2 working days is EUR 24.50. Administrative fees at the Foreign Police are paid in form of electronic fee stamps (eKolok), which may be bought directly at the Foreign Police Department through a vending machine, or at a post office. Consular fees at Slovak embassies are paid in cash or via bank transfers. It is recommended to verify the possible means of payment with the specific embassy.

If you are subject to visa requirements, you might also need to obtain an entry visa in order to arrive to Slovakia.

Documents required

To obtain temporary residence for the purpose of special activity as a trainee, you must submit the following documents:

• a completed and signed official application form in Slovak language;
• a valid passport and two colour photographs (3 x 3.5 cm);
• a confirmation of the traineeship, containing a description of the professional training including the educational objective, duration of the professional training, conditions of placement and traineeship supervision, traineeship working time and legal relationship between the trainee and the host organisation;
• a commitment of the host organisation to cover the costs linked to your (possible) administrative expulsion;
• a document confirming the obtaining of a university degree or an ongoing university study, i.e. university diploma not older than two years at the time of submitting the application, along with the decision on recognition of the education document, or confirmation of the university on your ongoing university study;
• a criminal record statement from the country of your citizenship and other countries where you resided for more than 90 days during six consecutive months in the last three years;
• proof of financial means to cover the cost of your stay (either a confirmation of a legal person’s statutory body to provide you with financial and material coverage during your residence in Slovakia, or a bank account balance confirmation);
• administrative fee EUR 99.50 (in the case of submitting the application at the Foreign Police), or EUR 100 (in the case of submitting the application at a Slovak embassy);
• administrative fee of EUR 4.50 (for issuance of the residence document).

Further requirements

All documents issued by official authorities abroad must be officially translated into Slovak by a certified translator and properly authenticated (apostille or superlegalisation). It is possible to submit documents issued or verified by official authorities of the Czech Republic in Czech language.

The documents must not be older than 90 days at the time of submitting the application.  

Submitting an application for temporary residence does not entitle you to reside in Slovakia. Until you obtain the temporary residence, you are entitled to stay in Slovakia only on the basis of a valid visa, another residence permit, or within the visa-free regime.

You must enter the territory of the Slovak Republic within 180 days from being granted the residence.

You must report the beginning of your residence at the Foreign Police Department within three working days from your arrival to Slovakia.

Within three working days from collecting the residence document in Slovakia, you must get a health insurance.

Within 30 days from collecting the residence document, submit at the Foreign Police a document on health insurance.

Within 30 days from collecting the residence document, you must submit at the Foreign Police a medical report not older than 30 days confirming you do not suffer from a disease constituting a threat to public health (this can be prolonged by 60 days, if requested).

You must reside in the territory of Slovakia for more than half of the length of the granted temporary residence in a calendar year.

Duration of validity of permits/visas

To carry out a traineeship in Slovakia, temporary residence for the purpose of special activity may be obtained for the time necessary to achieve the purpose of your residence, for a maximum period of two years. The residence may be extended to a maximum of three years.

Conditions for renewal

Temporary residence may be renewed repeatedly. Temporary residence for the purpose of special activity may be renewed for a maximum period of three years.

If you want to apply for renewal of temporary residence, you must do so in person at the competent Foreign Police Department no later than the last day of validity of the temporary residence. The temporary residence is considered legal in the territory of Slovakia until the decision on its renewal. It is required that you further carry out the traineeship, i.e. the purpose for which you obtained the temporary residence still lasts. The application for renewal of temporary residence must be accompanied by a valid passport, otherwise the Foreign Police will not accept the application.

The application must be submitted together with:

• a valid passport;
• one colour photograph (3 × 3.5 cm);
• a document proving the purpose of your residence, identical to the one submitted with the first application (not required if the circumstances proven by the original document remain unchanged); 
• a document on financial coverage of residence;
• a document on health insurance during the residence in Slovakia;
• administrative fee EUR 33;
• administrative fee EUR 4.50 (for issuing a residence document).

Administrative fees at the Foreign Police are paid in form of electronic fee stamps (eKolok), which may be bought directly at the Foreign Police Department through a vending machine, or at a post office.

Appeals

In the case of a positive decision on your application, the Foreign Police does not issue a written decision and will send you a written notification informing that the residence has been granted, stating the date of granting and date of expiry. The Foreign Police will send a written or electronic notification on granting of the residence to you, to the competent Slovak embassy, as well as to the self-governing region and to the municipality according to your place of residence in Slovakia.

You will obtain a written decision in case your application is rejected. You can file an administrative appeal to the Directorate of Foreign Police/Directorate of Border and Foreign Police. You can file a judicial appeal to the Regional Court.

Change of status

As a trainee holding a temporary residence for the purpose of special activity, your status in Slovakia is aligned with the traineeship. If the purpose of your residence status ceases to exist, you must inform the Foreign Police Department within three working days.

If you wish to change your status and perform an activity other than traineeship, i.e. change the type or purpose of your residence (e.g. from special activity to employment, if you were offered a job), you must submit a new application for residence at the Foreign Police Department, no later than the last day of validity of your current residence.

Family members

If you hold a temporary residence for the purpose of special activity as a trainee in Slovakia and would like your family members to join you, they may apply for temporary residence for the purpose of family reunification.

Family members include your spouse of at least 18 years of age, your and your spouse’s unmarried children younger than 18 years of age, your unmarried children younger than 18 years of age, unmarried children of your spouse younger than 18 years of age, your dependent unmarried children older than 18 years of age or dependent unmarried children of your spouse who cannot provide for themselves due to a long-term unfavourable health condition, your dependent parent or parent of your spouse who lacks appropriate family support in the country of origin.

The Foreign Police Department can grant your family members residence until the validity of your residence expires, for a maximum period of 5 years.

Your family members may study, conduct business (does not apply to parents and children older than 18 years of age) and be employed during their stay in Slovakia. However, they need to obtain a work permit in the period of up to 12 months from being granted temporary residence. After the period of 12 months, they may work without further permits.

In general, it is recommended that your family member files the application for temporary residence at the Slovak embassy in the country of his/her citizenship or country of his/her residence. In specific cases stipulated by law (e.g. if he/she is not subject to visa requirements, if he/she already holds a valid residence permit in the country/in another MS), he/she may submit the application for residence at the competent Foreign Police Department in Slovakia. The application for residence must be submitted in person. If your family member cannot submit the application for residence in person due to being bed-bound, you can do so instead.

To obtain a temporary residence for the purpose of family reunification, the following documents must be submitted:

• a completed and signed official application form in the Slovak language;
• a valid passport and two colour photographs (3 × 3.5 cm);
• documents confirming the basis for family reunification (i.e. registry document, and in the case of a single child younger than 18 years of age, dependent child, dependent parent or a dependent person, also a document confirming these facts, e.g. birth certificate, affidavit, confirmation from a doctor);
• consent with the reunification of the other parent of a child younger than 18 years of age, to whom the child has not been entrusted to personal care and who is entitled to meet with the child;
• proof of financial means to cover the stay;
• proof of accommodation in Slovakia;
• proof of clear criminal record (those who are older than 14 years of age);
• administrative fee of EUR 132.50 (if the application is submitted at the Foreign Police Department) or EUR 135 (if the application is submitted at the Slovak embassy). Children younger than 18 years of age are exempt from paying an administrative fee;
• administrative fee EUR 4.50 (for issuing a residence document).

Administrative fees at the Foreign Police are paid in form of electronic fee stamps (eKolok), which may be bought directly at the Foreign Police Department through a vending machine, or at a post office. Consular fees at Slovak embassies are paid in cash or via bank transfers. It is recommended to verify the possible means of payment with the specific embassy.

Long term residence

As a trainee holding a temporary residence for the purpose of special activity, you may not obtain long-term residence. It is necessary to first obtain temporary residence for another purpose (e.g. employment or business) and only then you may apply for long-term residence.

In general, obtaining long-term residence requires legally residing in Slovakia for at least five consecutive years directly prior to the submission of the application. However, the time period of your temporary residence for the purpose of special activity during which you carried out a traineeship is only counting as half of its length.

More on long-term residence