How does temporary residence for employment work in Slovakia in 2026?

The sequence has four steps, and your employer owns the first three.

1. Report the vacancy. The employer usually reports the job to the Labour Office at least 20 working days in advance, which can be done electronically. The 20-day wait does not apply when the office does not test the labour market.
2. Request the confirmation. The employer applies for a confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy, attaching your employment contract or a written promise of employment. Regulated professions, such as doctors and teachers, also need the decision recognising your qualifications.
3. Wait for the office. The Labour Office has 15 business days from a complete request. It sends the answer electronically to the employer and to the Foreign Police or the embassy.
4. You file the residence application within 180 days of the confirmation.

If the Foreign Police or embassy never received the confirmation, they will not accept your application. Ask the employer for a copy before you travel to the appointment.

Apply in person at the Slovak embassy that covers your country, or at a Foreign Police office in Slovakia if you are already there legally, for example on a Slovak national visa or visa-free. Foreign Police appointments are booked on the Ministry of Interior's online system. The official form is in Slovak, and the fee for employment and the EU Blue Card is EUR 250, plus EUR 10 or EUR 39 for the card.

The decision clock is 30 days for shortage occupations, shared business service centres, technology centres, and employees of significant foreign investors. Other single permit cases take 60 days. Once your complete application has been submitted, you may begin work from the date in the Labour Office confirmation.

A single permit lasts up to two years, and the Foreign Police may grant other employment residence for up to five. Renewal at the Foreign Police costs EUR 140, or EUR 90 if you file electronically. How to apply for a residence permit lists the documents, including a clean criminal record, accommodation proof, and apostilled, translated papers.

Report your arrival to the Foreign Police within three working days and sign up for public health insurance within three working days of collecting the card. Hand over the insurance proof and a medical certificate within 30 days. Details are in Choose health insurance. Your employer registers you for payroll tax, so you rarely need a personal DIČ; see Get a tax ID to check if you are the exception.

Ending the job matters too. A third-country national must tell the Foreign Police within three business days if the purpose of the permit ends, so a resignation on Friday needs a report on the following Wednesday. You must also spend more than half of each calendar year in Slovakia, unless a special exception applies.

Payroll needs a local account number, so open a bank account early. For the office day itself, read English at work in Slovakia.