TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
A temporary residence permit for the purpose of performing special activities is issued for the period necessary to achieve the purpose, specifically for a period not exceeding the required number of years, or in the case of sports activities based on a professional sports contract, for a period not exceeding the required number of years.
A temporary residence permit for special activities is not required for the first 90 days of stay if the applicant is legally residing in Slovakia and has fulfilled the obligation to notify the immigration police about the start of their stay within three business days of entering Slovakia.
An employer may hire the applicant without the need for additional permits if the employment relationship or work does not exceed 30 days in a calendar year and the applicant is an artist participating in an artistic event.
A temporary residence permit for the purpose of performing special activities may be issued for the following activities:
▪ Teaching activities
▪ Artistic activities
▪ Sports activities
▪ Internship as part of university education outside Slovakia or within two years of completing university education outside Slovakia
▪ Activities arising from Slovak government or EU programs
▪ Fulfilling Slovakia's obligations arising from an international agreement
▪ Providing medical assistance or accompanying a person receiving medical assistance when necessary
▪ Volunteering
▪ Journalism activities accredited in Slovakia
During the period of validity of the temporary residence permit granted for the purpose of performing special activities, studying is allowed, but engaging in entrepreneurial activities or employment is not permitted.
APPLICATION
The application must be submitted in person on the official form and in the Slovak language.
The following documents must be attached to the application; otherwise, it will not be accepted:
- A valid foreign passport
- One color photograph (3x3.5 cm)
- A document confirming the purpose of the stay:
▪ Confirmation from a school, university, or other educational institution regarding the performance of teaching activities
▪ Confirmation from a government authority or artistic agency
▪ Contract for professional sports activity or confirmation from a government authority or sports organization
▪ Confirmation of internship, containing a description of the training program, including the training goal, duration of training, accommodation and supervision conditions within the internship, the internship schedule, and the legal relationship between the intern and the host organization
▪ Confirmation from a government authority or an organization responsible for the administration of a program approved by the Slovak government, EU programs, or an international agreement
▪ Confirmation from a medical institution regarding the provision of medical assistance or a document confirming the necessity of accompaniment
▪ Agreement with the host organization responsible for the volunteer program, containing a description of the volunteer program, its duration, accommodation and supervision conditions within the volunteer activities, time spent on volunteering, confirmation from the governing body of the host organization on financial and material support during the volunteer activities, and, if necessary, the extent of the training the applicant undergoes
▪ Confirmation from a government authority on the performance of journalistic activities or a document confirming the accreditation of a journalist working in Slovakia - A criminal record clearance certificate from the applicant's country of citizenship, as well as from countries where the applicant has resided for more than 90 days within six consecutive months during the last three years (not required for applicants under 14 years or when changing the type of residence permit purpose).
- Confirmation of accommodation in Slovakia for at least 6 months or for the entire duration of the stay if applying for a temporary residence permit for a shorter period (this does not apply to persons requesting temporary residence for activities resulting from Slovak government or EU programs, as well as those fulfilling Slovakia's obligations under international agreements, those studying at a university, performing teaching/research activities, interns, and volunteers):
■ Notarized statement (čestné vyhlásenie) from the applicant confirming ownership of real estate or
■ Notarized lease agreement (where the applicant is listed as the tenant or one of the tenants; both the landlord's and the tenant's signatures must be notarized) or
■ Notarized statement (čestné vyhlásenie) from the property owner confirming accommodation (all property owners' signatures must be notarized) or
■ Confirmation from an accommodation provider (e.g., hotel, hostel, dormitory) confirming the provision of accommodation. - A document proving financial support in the amount of the subsistence minimum for each month of stay (as of 01.07.2024, the subsistence minimum is 273.99 euros per month); if the stay exceeds 1 year, the financial support must cover 12 times the subsistence minimum (i.e., 3287.88 euros); for applicants under 18 years old, half the amount is required. Proof of financial support can be demonstrated through:
■ A bank statement for the last 3 months from an account in the applicant's name;
■ Confirmation from the governing body of a legal entity providing financial and material support for the applicant during their stay in Slovakia;
■ Confirmation from a government authority or organization responsible for administering a program approved by the Slovak government, EU programs, or international agreements, provided that the financial support for the stay is included, and the applicant is participating in activities arising from Slovak government or EU programs, or fulfilling Slovakia's obligations under international agreements. - The hosting organization's obligation to cover expenses related to the administrative deportation of the applicant if the applicant is requesting a temporary residence permit in connection with an internship.
- A document confirming university education or ongoing university studies, if the applicant is requesting a temporary residence permit in connection with an internship (the applicant’s higher education diploma should not be older than two years, along with a decision on the recognition of the educational document, or confirmation from the university about the applicant’s ongoing studies).
- Administrative fee of 140 euros. Persons under 18 years of age and applicants for a residence permit for activities arising from EU/Slovak Government programs and fulfilling Slovakia’s obligations are exempt from this fee.
- Administrative fee of 10 euros for the issuance of a residence permit and its delivery within Slovakia within 30 days, or 39 euros for delivery within 2 working days.
CHANGE OF TYPE OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMIT
Changing the type of residence permit means transitioning from a temporary to a permanent residence permit (for example, in the case of marriage to a Slovak citizen). In practice, this means submitting a new application for permanent residence. The application for a change in residence status must be submitted no later than the last day of the validity of the temporary residence permit. The applicant’s temporary residence status is considered legal (only) on Slovak territory until a decision is made regarding the change of residence type.
A person with a residence permit can engage in activities in Slovakia only related to the purpose for which the residence permit was issued or any other activity permitted under that type of residence permit. If the person wishes to engage in an activity different from the special activity for which the residence permit was granted, they must apply for a new residence permit appropriate to the new activity.
If a temporary residence permit has been granted, it is necessary to submit an application to change the purpose of the temporary residence (e.g., from special activities to entrepreneurial activities).
The application for changing the purpose of the residence permit must be submitted no later than the last day of the current temporary residence permit’s validity. The current temporary residence permit is considered valid (only) on the territory of Slovakia until a decision is made on the new application.
When submitting an application to change the type/purpose of the residence permit, all the required documents for obtaining the residence permit must be provided, except for the criminal record clearance certificate (if it was already provided with the previous residence permit application) and the medical certificate.
RENEWAL OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMIT
A temporary residence permit can be renewed (extended), including for a second time. A temporary residence permit for special activities can be renewed for a period not exceeding 3 years.
The application for renewing a temporary residence permit must be submitted in person at the relevant immigration police department no later than the last day of its validity. The condition for renewal is the continued performance of some type of special activity by the applicant. A valid foreign passport must be attached to the renewal application; otherwise, the police department will not accept the application.
If the applicant does not provide all the necessary documents when submitting the application for residence permit renewal, they must do so within 30 days of submitting the application; otherwise, the immigration police will stop processing the application, and this decision cannot be appealed. In justified cases, the police department may extend this period by 15 days upon request. The temporary residence permit is considered valid (only) on the territory of Slovakia until a decision on its renewal is made.
The following documents must be attached to the application:
- A valid foreign passport
- One color photograph (3 x 3.5 cm)
- A document confirming the purpose of stay, the same as submitted with the initial application (not required if the circumstances stated in the original document confirming the purpose of stay remain unchanged).
- Confirmation of accommodation in Slovakia (not required for applicants who have been granted a temporary residence permit for the purpose of an internship or volunteer activities);
- Confirmation of financial means for the stay;
- Confirmation of health insurance;
- Administrative fee of 50 euros (persons under 18 years of age and those applying for residence permit renewal for activities arising from EU or Slovak government programs and fulfilling Slovakia's obligations are exempt from this fee);
- Administrative fee of 10 euros for the issuance of the residence permit card and its delivery within Slovakia within 30 days, or 39 euros for delivery within 2 working days.