How do you apply for a residence permit in Slovakia in 2026?

Most newcomers use temporary residence for employment, which includes the EU Blue Card for qualified jobs. Business residence is the route for sole traders and company directors. Study and family reunion have their own files. There is no digital nomad permit, so a freelancer with foreign clients usually needs a Slovak trade licence and business residence, with the money rules below. For the employer-sponsored path in detail, read Temporary residence for employment.

Business residence has a funding test that employment does not. A sole trader must show a business account balance of 20 times the monthly subsistence minimum, and a company's statutory representative must show 100 times. The subsistence minimum is a number the state updates, so check the current figure before you transfer money.

You have two doors. The first is the Slovak embassy or consulate that covers your country of citizenship or residence. Staff interview you, then forward the file to the Foreign Police, who decide. The second is a Foreign Police office inside Slovakia, but only if you are already there legally, for example on a Slovak national visa, a permit from another EU state, or visa-free entry. Bratislava has the busiest office, and you book a slot through the Ministry of Interior's online booking system.

A national visa abroad is a third option. You enter on it, then submit the residence application at the Foreign Police.

Every file needs the official Slovak-language form, a valid passport, proof that the fee is paid, a clean criminal record statement, and proof of accommodation. Anything issued abroad needs an apostille or consular legalisation and an official translation into Slovak or Czech. Nothing may be older than 90 days when you submit.

Accommodation proof is where files stall. Accepted versions include a notarised affidavit signed by every co-owner of the flat, a notarised tenancy agreement, an electronic landlord consent, or a hotel or dormitory confirmation. A landlord who will not visit a notary is a real problem, so settle that before you sign a lease. How to rent a home covers what to ask for.

Fees at the Foreign Police run from about EUR 140 for special activities to EUR 250 for employment and the Blue Card, EUR 330 for business, and EUR 200 for family reunion. The residence card costs EUR 10 within 30 days or EUR 39 within two working days. The Foreign Police decide in 30 or 60 days, with the faster clock for shortage occupations, shared service centres, technology centres, and foreign investors.

Report your stay to the Foreign Police within three working days of arriving. Take out public health insurance within three working days of getting the card, as explained in Choose health insurance. Submit the insurance proof and a recent medical certificate within 30 days. Then handle your address registration.