Flag of Slovakia

Slovakia

Slovakia is a landlocked country in the heart of central Europe, between Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria and Czechia, running from the Danube lowlands around Bratislava, its capital, to the High Tatras on the Polish border. Slovak, close to Czech, is the language, the euro is the currency, and Slovakia is a member of the EU and the Schengen Area.

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  • CapitalBratislava
  • CurrencyEUR €
  • TimezoneCentral European Time (UTC+1), summer CEST (UTC+2)
  • LanguagesSlovak
  • Population5.4M (2025)
  • Area49,034 km²
  • RegionEurope · Eastern Europe
  • Phone code+421
  • Native nameSlovensko
  • Electricity230 V
  • Plug typesEuroplug · Type E
  • Driving sideright
  • Internet domain.sk

Visa Requirements for Slovakia

Holders of American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passports need no visa for Slovakia and may stay up to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen Area, for tourism or business. Irish citizens move freely as citizens of the EU, and Indian and Nigerian travellers need a Schengen visa issued before the journey. Longer stays, for work, study, family, business or research, need a national visa and a temporary residence permit from the Foreigners' Police.

Before you travel

  • 90 days in any 180

    A visitor whose passport needs no visa may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen Area, Slovakia included, for tourism or business, and may not work; the stay is recorded in the EU's Entry/Exit System, which takes fingerprints and a photograph at the first crossing.

  • The passport

    The passport must have been issued within the last ten years and remain valid for three months beyond the departure from the Schengen Area; proof of accommodation, funds and a return or onward ticket may be asked for.

  • Registering the stay

    Visitors staying privately report their stay to the Foreigners' Police (Cudzinecká polícia) within three working days of arrival; hotels and other registered accommodation do it for their guests.

  • Where to apply

    A Schengen visa is applied for at the Slovak embassy or consulate for the applicant's place of residence, or at the mission of another Schengen state that represents Slovakia there, with the application form, photographs, travel insurance with medical cover valid across the Schengen Area, proof of accommodation and funds and a return or onward ticket. A Schengen visa issued by any member state covers Slovakia as well.

  • Longer stays

    Stays beyond 90 days need a national visa (Type D) from a Slovak embassy or consulate, followed by a temporary residence permit from the Foreigners' Police in Slovakia, for work, study, family, business or research.

Visa types

Visa-Free Entry (Schengen)

Up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen Area; the passport valid three months beyond departure; no work.

For tourism, family visits, conferences, business meetings and short courses on a passport that needs no Schengen visa.

Free movement

No limit

For Irish citizens, who live, work and travel in Slovakia freely as citizens of the EU.

Schengen Visa (C Visa)

Up to 90 days within any 180-day period, valid across the Schengen Area; a Schengen visa from another member state covers Slovakia too.

For short stays on a passport that needs a Schengen visa, applied for at the Slovak embassy or consulate, or at the mission of another Schengen state that represents Slovakia.

National Visa (D Visa)

Up to a year, followed by the residence permit application at the Foreigners' Police.

The entry visa for a stay of more than 90 days, issued so that the holder can apply for a temporary residence permit in Slovakia, on the documents of the purpose behind it: a work contract, a university admission, proof of a family tie, a business plan or a research agreement.

Temporary Residence: Employment and EU Blue Card

Renewable, with permanent residence possible after five years.

For paid work in Slovakia, through an employer-backed work and residence permit at the Foreigners' Police, or the EU Blue Card for highly qualified professionals earning above the salary threshold the law sets.

Temporary Residence: Study

Matched to the programme and renewed each academic year.

For full-time study at a Slovak university, Comenius University in Bratislava, the Slovak University of Technology and the Technical University of Košice among them, applied for with the admission letter, proof of funds and accommodation.

Temporary Residence: Family

Renewable, with permanent residence possible.

For the spouses, registered or cohabiting partners and children of Slovak citizens, of EU citizens living in Slovakia, or of foreign residents holding a permit, with proof of the relationship, accommodation and the sponsor's means.

Temporary Residence: Business and Research

Renewable, with permanent residence possible.

For founders running a business in Slovakia, with a business plan, experience and capital, and for researchers hosted by a Slovak university or an institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences under a hosting agreement.

Working Holiday

Up to a year

For young Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians, under bilateral agreements, to travel in Slovakia and work to fund the stay.

Guides

Slovakia rewards a trip that pairs Bratislava, an hour from Vienna, with the High Tatras and one or two of the regions between them, one of each kind rather than five of the same. The High Tatras rise steeply from their foothills, with cable cars, glacial lakes and summer trails, and the gorges of the Slovak Paradise are climbed by ladders and chains. Medieval Spiš and Levoča, the silver town of Banská Štiavnica, the castles of Bojnice, Trenčín and Orava, the wooden churches of the Carpathians and the spa towns fill the land between. Trains cross the country from west to east, and the day ends with halušky and a glass of borovička.

Slovakia travel guide →

A route of one castle, one mountain range and one medieval town of each kind, not five of the same.

Money in Slovakia →

The euro, cash machines in every town, cards and phones almost everywhere, and tipping.

Eating in Slovakia →

How bryndzové halušky is eaten, kapustnica's rival claim, borovička and slivovica, and beer from pub lager to craft.

Getting around Slovakia →

The main line from Bratislava to Košice, the Tatra Electric Railway, buses to the gorges and castles, and the motorway vignette.

Health & safety in Slovakia →

Medical care, safe tap water, and the High Tatras' fast weather, seasonal trail closures and mountain rescue.

Cities & planning

BratislavaBratislava

Plan your trip

FlightsBratislava (BTS)HotelsBratislavaTrainsTrain ticketsAttractionsTickets & tours

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Regions

Embassies & missions

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Slovakia?

Not for a visit of up to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen Area on a US, UK, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport; Irish citizens move freely as EU citizens. Indian and Nigerian travellers need a Schengen visa issued before the journey.

Planning a trip to Slovakia? Compare hotels and flights and book in minutes.

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Hotels in BratislavaFlights to Bratislava

This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.