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Visas & legalization: Slovakia

Slovakia currently offers 5 active paths relevant to remote workers. Conditions below come from official immigration sources — filter by your citizenship.

Verified

Getting in

Who can enter Slovakia and on what terms — visa-free windows and entry visas.

Visa-free stay (Schengen 90/180)

activeVisa-free stay

For: US citizens, UK citizens, Ukrainian citizens

Duration
3 months
Path to PR
No
Requirements (3)
  • Passport of a visa-exempt country (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and others; Ukraine with a biometric passport)
  • 90 days within any rolling 180-day window, counted across the whole Schengen area
  • From late 2026, visa-exempt travellers must obtain ETIAS pre-travel authorisation

Tax implications: No official carve-out permits remote work during a visa-free stay; longer stays require the business residence permit.

Modeled for the non-EU citizenship groups in our registry; the full visa-exempt list is much longer. EU citizens use free movement instead.

Staying long-term

Grounds for residence — business, employment, special programs — with the conditions to qualify.

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens — right of residence

activeSpecial program

For: EU citizens

Duration
10 years, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Included
Requirements (3)
  • No visa or permit needed; full labour-market access and business on the same terms as Slovaks
  • Report the start and place of stay to the Foreign Police within 10 working days of entry
  • For stays over 3 months: sufficient funds and health insurance (or be employed/self-employed/studying)

Tax implications: Register a trade licence (živnosť) freely and use the SZČO flat-rate + 15% regime.related scheme →

Permanent residence after 5 years of continuous residence. The simplest route by far — most SettleMetric readers from the EU just register and freelance.

Temporary residence for business

activeTemporary residence

For: All except EU citizens

Income requirement: 5,904 EUR/year (business bank-account balance of 20× the subsistence minimum (€295.22 from 2026-07-01) for a sole trader)

Duration
3 years, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Included
Fee
240 EUR
Requirements (4)
  • Conduct business in Slovakia as a sole trader (živnosť) or company statutory representative
  • Funds: sole trader €5,904.40 (20× subsistence) in a business account; company representative €29,522 (100×)
  • A business plan is required (since 1 July 2025), reviewed by the Ministry of Economy; application filed at a Slovak embassy abroad
  • Health insurance and accommodation

Tax implications: The residence is tied to the trade licence, which is taxed under the SZČO flat-rate + 15% regime.related scheme →

The main route for non-EU freelancers. Renewal requires prior-year business income above ~€2,877. Residence card issuance adds €4.50. Permanent (long-term) residence after 5 continuous years. Slovakia has no digital nomad visa.

EU Blue Card (highly-qualified employment)

activeTemporary residence

For: All except EU citizens

Income requirement: 1,883 EUR/month (≥ 1.2× the average monthly wage in the economy (indicative: 1.2 × ~€1,569, the 2024 SO SR average; the immigration authority uses the prior-year figure))

Duration
5 years, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Requirements (3)
  • Employment contract with a Slovak employer for at least 6 months
  • Recognised higher qualification in a high-skill occupation
  • Salary at or above the Blue Card threshold

Tax implications: Employer-tied route: income taxed as employment, not under the SZČO freelancer schemes.

Included for completeness of the stay-grounds picture; it needs a Slovak employer, so it is not a freelancer route. Fees €250 issue / €140 renewal.

Temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens

activeSpecial program

For: Ukrainian citizens

Duration
8 months, renewable
Path to PR
No
Family
Included
Requirements (3)
  • Ukrainian citizens (and certain family members) displaced by the war
  • Registration for temporary protection (dočasné útočisko)
  • Currently extended until 4 March 2027

Tax implications: Permits work and business in Slovakia, so holders can run a živnosť under the SZČO regime.related scheme →

Duration shown as months remaining to the current 4 March 2027 end date. A one-year transition applies after protection ends, and holders can convert to standard residence (e.g. business).