Change of https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-slovakia

Change description : 2025-12-23 13:09:00: Rewrote guide to make it easier to read and understand. Includes new information about dual citizens travelling to the UK (‘Passports and travel’ section). [Foreign, Commonwealth & Development OfficeGuidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2025-08-14 13:51:53.805205345 +00:00..2025-12-23 13:09:37.861132745 +00:00

Guidance

Living in Slovakia

Information aboutfor movingBritish to,citizens livingmoving to or retiringliving in SlovakiaSlovakia, – including visas,guidance working,on healthcareresidency, healthcare, driving licences and driving.passports.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
22 May 2013
Last updated
2314 DecemberAugust 2025 — See all updates

Getting

This helpguide withsets livingout inessential Slovakia

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Younationals abroad guidance sets out how British nationals can alsostay getsafe abroad and how the FCDO can help fromif English-speakingyou professionalsdo get into difficulty.

Read general guidance on moving or retiring abroad.

To instay Slovakia,up including:to date:

  • lawyerssign up for email alerts
  • translators
  • notaries
  • funeralfollow directorsthe British Embassy Bratislava on Facebook and Twitter

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MakeSee sureour youtravel meetadvice thefor Slovakia for up-to-date information on entry requirementsrequirements, forlocal Slovakialaws beforeand youcustoms, travel.safety and emergencies.

Visas and residence documents

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    Passports and travel

    You can apply for or travellingrenew withinyour the SchengenBritish areapassport from Slovakia.

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    Bringingnot familyexceed membersthe tovisa-free Slovakia90 days in any 180-day period. This applies even if you movedhave therea beforeSlovak 1residence Januarypermit. 2021

    TheYou Slovakare government’sresponsible informationfor oncounting stayinghow inlong Slovakiayou afterstay Brexitunder explains:

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    Reada ourresident guidanceof onSlovakia. moving,Check livingeach orcountry’s retiringtravel abroadadvice page. Thisfor coversinformation howon to:entry requirements.

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      The EU is preparing to introduce a Britishnew passportdigital fromborder abroad

    • travelon urgently12 withoutOctober your2025, Britishcalled passport
    the Entry/Exit System (EES).

    IfEES youwill haverequire non-EU nationals, including British nationals, visiting the EU to create a Slovakdigital residencerecord documentand orprovide long-their staybiometric visa,data (fingerprints and facial image) at the timeborder youwhen spendentering inthe EU’s SlovakiaSchengen doesZone.

    UK nationals notwho countare towardsbeneficiaries of the 90-dayWithdrawal visa-freeAgreement period(those youwho canwere spendlawfully resident in the EU before 1 January 2021) will be exempt from registration in EES, provided they hold the Schengencorrect area.documentation. View the EU’s frequently asked questions about the EES.

    AlwaysIn carrySlovakia, yourthis passportis andthe residence“Povolenie documentna whenpobyt entering,– leavingtrvalý” card. orIf travellingyou withinhave the Schengenthis area.document, Ifyou you’rewill askednot need to showregister in the EES when travelling. Please keep your passport“Povolenie atna borderpobyt control,– maketrvalý” card surewith you alsowhen showtravelling yourand residencereplace documentit orpromptly otherif evidenceit ofis residencelost status.or Yourstolen. You passportwill maystill beneed stampeda ifpassport youto do not.travel.

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    When travellingyou totravel, thecarry UK,your Britishresidence citizensdocument must(Povolenie carryna apobyt) validor Britishfrontier passportworker orpermit certificateissued ofunder entitlement.the ReadWithdrawal guidanceAgreement, onin dualaddition citizenship.

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    passport.

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    If you’reyou legallyhave residentrights inunder the Withdrawal Agreement, you can enter and exit Slovakia butwith a valid passport. You do not haveneed aany residenceadditional document,validity contacton the Foreignpassport Policebeyond Department forthe informationdates on howwhich toyou getare one.travelling.

    Healthcare

    ForYou moremust informationregister aboutfor howhealthcare theas EESa willresident workin andSlovakia.

    There whenare it3 willinsurance comecompanies intoyou force,can read:use:

    Healthcare

    If inyou Slovakia 

    cannot register for healthcare, you must ensure you have private healthcare cover for Slovakia.

    ReadYou ourcan guidancenot onuse moving,a livingUK-issued European or retiringGlobal abroad.Health ThisInsurance coversCard how(EHIC to:

    • planor yourGHIC) healthcare
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    if you live and work on a Slovak employment contract.

    ToYour findemployer outwill howpay contributions to getyour medicalhealth treatment:insurance on your behalf.

    Working in Slovakia

    Medicine

    ReadIf ouryou guidanceare on moving,a livingprescription for any medication you should ensure you have a supply of it, or retiringare abroad.able Thisto coversobtain workingit abroad,when includingin documentsSlovakia. youCertain medicines may neednot frombe theavailable UKin government.

    ToSlovakia work(including major brands readily available in Slovakia,the UK), and you may needbe aprohibited workfrom permittaking orthem workinto visa.the Ourcountry. guidanceYou onshould consult your GP before travelling to Slovakia forto workfind explainsout theabout differentany workalternative permitsmedication.

    Read andthe visasguidance availableif you need to you.travel with medicines.

    Working in Slovakia

    YouIf doyou notare needplanning ato workmove permitto orSlovakia visaand ifwork, you havemay beenneed livinga invisa. SlovakiaRead legallythe sinceIOM beforeMigration 1Information JanuaryCentre’s 2021,guidance on working in Slovakia as youa haveforeign rightsnational underand thehow Withdrawalto Agreementget a visa.

    To apply for a job,job you may need to provide a UKUK police police certificate.

    IfYour employer must notify the local labour office within 7 working days of you livestarting your job.

    Read:

    If you work in another EU orSlovakia, Europeaneven Freeif Tradeyou Associationwork (EFTA)for countrya beforeUK-based 1company, Januarythis 2021,may readaffect guidancewhere foryou frontierpay workersNational Insurance-type contributions. Read the National insurance and social security contributions section. for more information.

    RecognitionIf ofyou qualificationswere living in Slovakia before 1 January 2021

    You have the right to work under the Withdrawal Agreement.

    If you wantlive in Slovakia and were regularly commuting to work in Slovakia,another youEU mayor needEFTA tocountry getbefore your1 foreignJanuary qualifications2021, recognisedread our guidance for frontier workers.. 

    DrivingProfessional in Slovakiaqualifications

    ReadYou ourmay guidanceneed onto moving,get livingyour orprofessional retiringqualification abroad.recognised Thisif coversyou howwant to:

    • driveto abroadwork legally
    • takein youra UKprofession vehiclethat abroad
    • getis drivingregulated licencein letters

    TheSlovakia. SlovakWhen governmentdoing portalthis, providesyou informationwill onbe drivingtreated inas Slovakia,a including:

    • applyingthird forcountry anational. SlovakA licence
    • renewingthird yourcountry licence
    • exchangingnational ais foreignsomeone licence

    Forwho moredoes informationnot readhave EU, EEA or Swiss nationality.

    Read guidance on:

    DrivingIf you were living in Slovakia usingbefore a1 foreignJanuary driving licence2021

    YouIf canthe driverelevant regulator in Slovakia forofficially 185recognised daysyour usingprofessional aqualification drivingbefore licence1 issuedJanuary in:

    • the2021, UK
    • Gibraltar
    • Jersey
    • Guernsey
    • theor Isleyou ofstarted Man

    Youthe cannotrecognition replaceprocess orby renewthis anydate, ofmake thesesure licencesyou ifunderstand youthe liveterms inof Slovakia. 

    Exchangingyour adecision. UK,You Gibraltar,should Jersey,get Guernseyadvice orfrom Islethe ofrelevant Manregulator.

    Studying drivingin licence

    Slovakia

    AfterIf completingyou 185plan daysto ofstudy residency,in Slovakia, you must exchangemeet yourall drivingvisa licencerequirements (inbefore Slovak)you withintravel.

    Contact 60the daysrelevant tohigher continueeducation driving.provider You’llin needSlovakia to gocheck what fees you may have to pay.

    Read guidance on:

    If licenceyou andwere residenceliving cardin toSlovakia dobefore this.

    1 January 2021

    YouThe cannotstudying startin the processEuropean beforeUnion you’veguidance beenincludes residentinformation forif 185you days.were Youalready doliving notin haveSlovakia tobefore take1 aJanuary test.2021.

    Tax

    ToThe UK has exchange,a you’lldouble needtaxation toagreement getwith confirmationSlovakia ofso yourthat drivingyou licencedo bynot doingpay onetax ofon the following:  same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

    Driving in Slovakia

    Read ourthe guidance on moving,what livingyou ormust retiringdo abroad.to Thisdrive covers:legally in Slovakia:

    YourIf you’re asked for a letter authenticating, certifying or validating your UK statedriver’s pensionlicence, isyou calculatedshould differentlycontact ifyour you’veDVLA previouslyUK livedissuing inoffice.

    Exchanging Australia,your CanadaUK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or NewIsle Zealandof andMan nowlicence

    If you live in theSlovakia, EU.

    Claimingyou must exchange your licence for a Slovak pension

    one within 60 days of completing 185 days of residence. You cancannot claimexchange anyour old-ageUK pensionlicence ifbefore youreaching have185 workeddays inof Slovakiaresidence. forRead 15more yearsinformation andon reachedthe pensionSlovak agepolice website (in Slovak) and the European Commission-affiliated Euraxess website. ContactYou must do this at your nearest socialregional securitypolice officedirectorate (in Slovak)Slovak). toYou finddo outnot whetherneed youto cantake claima andriving old-agetest pension.to exchange your licence.

    Benefits

    Claiming

    You UKneed benefits

    to provide:

    Read

    if you’re leaving permanently.

    AlsoTo tellmove your Slovakpension healthto insurancethe provider:

    .

    IfRead the NHSguidance fundson returning yourto healthcarethe UK permanently which inincludes Slovakiainformation throughon, theamongst S1other form,things, contactbringing thefamily NHSmembers, Overseastax Healthcareand Teamaccess to cancelservices.

    Your it.non-British family members wishing to return with you will require their own immigration status.

    DisclaimerUseful information

    WeSupport providefor thisBritish informationNationals asabroad aguidance sets guideout only.how Forto definitivestay information,safe contactabroad, and explains how the SlovakFCDO authorities.

    Readcan oursupport consularyou informationif disclaimer.you get into difficulty.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 May 2013
    Last updated 2314 DecemberAugust 2025 + show all updates

    1. Rewrote guide to make it easier to read and understand. Includes new information about dual citizens travelling to the UK ('Passports and travel' section).

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    Contents

    Update history

    2025-12-23 13:09
    Rewrote guide to make it easier to read and understand. Includes new information about dual citizens travelling to the UK (‘Passports and travel’ section).

    2025-08-14 14:51
    Launch date of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been added.

    2025-07-03 11:35
    Visa and residency was updated with information from the new Foreigners Act.

    2025-02-11 16:20
    Driving in Slovakia has been updated to reflect an increase in fees for exchanging a driver’s licence.

    2024-10-25 12:37
    The section about the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has been edited to reflect the postponement of the system’s launch, which had been planned for Autumn 2024.

    2024-06-17 14:29
    Information on the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) that will be introduced in Autumn 2024 has been added to the Passports and travel section.

    2023-02-24 14:29
    Guidance has been fully reviewed and updated.

    2022-09-06 14:37
    Added new guidance: ‘Before you go’ and ‘medicine’. Guidance reviewed and updated in the following sections: ‘healthcare’, ‘visas’, and ‘births, deaths, marriages, and civil partnerships’.

    2022-04-28 14:17
    Updated information in the “Passports and travel” section about the documents needed when travelling within the Schengen area.

    2022-03-11 08:00
    Important information in the Working in Slovakia, and National insurance sections if you work in Slovakia, even it if it is for an employer based in the UK.

    2021-03-01 16:35
    Coronavirus section updated with a link to guidance on vaccines. Driving section updated with new guidance on exchanging your UK licence for a Slovak one.

    2020-09-07 15:13
    Major update on Passports and travel section updated to include information on passport validity and entry requirements when travelling to other European countries from January 2021

    2020-06-29 16:33
    Visas and residency section updated to include information about how to access the UK National Support Fund for those who may find it harder to complete their residency applications.

    2020-01-23 14:58
    Brexit update: includes further details on passport validity, healthcare rights and State Pension uprating if the UK leaves the EU with a deal.

    2019-09-23 16:47
    Brexit update: healthcare section updated to reflect transitional arrangements announcement

    2019-09-03 16:48
    Brexit Update: Pensions section updated to include further details on State Pension uprating.

    2019-08-12 15:51
    Brexit update: We have added new information on residency, pensions and benefits.

    2019-06-04 09:43
    EU Exit update: We have added new information in “Passports and travel after the UK leaves the EU section”

    2019-05-14 15:19
    EU Exit update: We have added new information about pensions.

    2019-04-17 15:35
    EU Exit update: updated information on EU Exit in healthcare, visas and residency, passports, driving and working sections