Before exploring mobility opportunities, each student must verify whether their home country has a visa agreement with the Slovak Republic. It is recommended to visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the respective public authority responsible for visa matters and to find out the entry and residence requirements for Slovakia.
For a detailed overview of the application process, please follow this link: Administrative procedure for applicants from the EU/EHP/Switzerland and third countries can be found on this website.
Arrivals from the EU, EEA, Switzerland
Students, researchers, and academic staff from the European Union, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland* are exempt from visa requirements as Slovakia is part of the Schengen Area.
Within 10 working days after arriving in Slovakia, you must submit your Residence Report to the Foreign Police Department of the Slovak Republic. If you are staying in university accommodation, the Residence Report will be submitted on your behalf by the university or accommodation facility.
If you are staying in private accommodation, you are required to submit the Residence Report yourself at the local Foreign Police office.
If your stay exceeds 4 months (i.e. 120 days), you must apply for Registration of Residence within 30 days after this period and make an online appointment at the Foreign Police.
Depending on the type of stay, you may be required to provide additional documents — a full list is available on this page:
Administrative procedure for applicants from the EU/EHP/Switzerland can be found on this website.
If you are arriving with a family member who has permanent residence in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, different administrative conditions may apply. If your family member is a citizen of a third country, the same procedures apply as for students, researchers, or academic staff from third countries.
Arrivals from Third Countries
Students, researchers, academic staff, and their family members from third countries are required to follow specific visa procedures.
It is strongly recommended to check whether your country has a visa-free agreement with Slovakia. Even if it does, you will still need a valid residence permit for longer stays.
Every student, researcher, or family member from a third country must submit a Residence Report to the Foreign Police within 3 working days of arrival in Slovakia.
If you stay in university accommodation, the university will handle the Residence Report for you. If you stay in private accommodation, you must submit it yourself at the local Foreign Police office.
Every foreign citizen staying in Slovakia must also report to the Foreign Police within 5 working days of any change of address or residence.
If you have been granted temporary asylum, you are required to report to the Foreign Police:
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(in writing) if you stay outside Slovakia for more than 180 consecutive days,
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if you stay outside your registered address for more than 30 consecutive days,
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or if the reason for which the temporary asylum was granted ceases to exist.
Temporary asylum becomes invalid when the reason for which it was granted no longer applies.
The procedures and conditions for residence approval vary depending on the type, length, and purpose of stay, as well as on the applicant’s country of origin.
Administrative procedure for applicants from third countries can be found on this website.
Applicants from Third Countries with a Residence Permit in Another EU Member State
This applies to applicants with a valid short-term residence permit (up to 360 days) in Slovakia.
Required documents before starting mobility:
A scanned copy of the residence card issued for study purposes by another EU member state and valid for the entire duration of the stay in Slovakia.
A scanned copy of the passport.
The educational institution must report any changes concerning the student’s mobility in Slovakia to the Foreign Police within 3 working days after becoming aware of them.
Applicants Who Need Diploma Recognition
The authority responsible for the recognition of academic diplomas and professional certificates is the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, specifically the Centre for Recognition of Diplomas.
