FAQ

You can verify whether you fall within the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) by checking the categories below.

According to the WA, the following people are protected in the context of Slovakia:

a) UK nationals lawfully residing in Slovakia before the end of the transition period (before 31 December 2020) and who continue to live in the country after this date.

b) UK nationals pursuing an economic activity in Slovakia before the end of the transition period, but who do not reside here, and who continue to do so thereafter (frontier workers).

c) Family members of persons under points (a) or (b), who lawfully reside in Slovakia before the end of the transition period and who continue to live in the country thereafter.

d) Family members who lawfully reside in Slovakia before the end of the transition period independently based on a derived right of residence (e.g. following the death of the UK national or divorce with the UK national) and who continue to live in the country thereafter.

e) Certain direct relatives of persons under points (a) or (b), who do not yet live in Slovakia and reside in another country before the end of the transition period.

f) Partners of persons under points (a) or (b) who are in a duly attested, durable relationship, who do not yet live in Slovakia and reside in another country before the end of the transition period. Such persons have to be in a durable relationship at the end of the transition period and still be in a durable relationship at the time they seek residence in Slovakia.

g) Children born to, or adopted by, persons under points (a) or (b) after the end of the transition period, whether inside or outside Slovakia, if:

• Both parents are persons under points (a) or (b), or
• One parent is a person under points (a) or (b) and the other is a Slovak citizen, or
• One parent is a person under points (a) or (b) and has sole/joint custody of the child.

If you do not belong to any of the above categories, you are most likely not a beneficiary of the WA.

To be a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) means that you can enjoy or continue enjoying your rights in Slovakia essentially as broadly as you could before the UK´s exit from the EU. This applies only to the territory of your host state (i.e. Slovakia), not to other EU member states.

If you are covered by the WA, you will be able to enjoy its lifelong protection in Slovakia, as long as you remain resident in the country.

To maintain the right of residence in Slovakia, you should respect the maximum amount of time you can spend outside Slovakia.

In some cases, the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) requires you to be lawfully residing in Slovakia before 31 December 2020 to be able to enjoy your rights broadly as you could before the UK left the EU.

As a UK national, to lawfully reside in Slovakia means that you must fall into one of the following categories:

• You are employed in Slovakia;
• You are a self-employed person in Slovakia;
• You are studying in primary school, secondary school, or at university in Slovakia and are financially self-sufficient;
• You are financially self-sufficient and have health insurance in Slovakia;
• You are looking for work in Slovakia;
• You are a family member of a UK national or of a Union citizen who satisfies one of the above conditions and whom you are accompanying or joining.

As a UK national family member, to lawfully reside in Slovakia means that the UK national you are accompanying or joining satisfies one of the above conditions.

In general, you must fall into one of the specified categories before 31 December 2020, to be covered by the WA.

The consequences of this depend on your concrete circumstances.

A. If you were lawfully residing in Slovakia before the end of the transition period (before 31 December 2020) and you continue to live in the country, not registering your residence before 31 December 2020 does not influence your rights stemming from the Withdrawal Agreement (WA). Your residence status and the relevant entitlements are derived from you meeting the conditions for lawful residence and not dependent on you registering as resident. This means you are still covered by the WA. However, you should register your residence at your earliest convenience and apply for a WA-compliant residence card by 30 June 2021.

B. If you were not lawfully residing in Slovakia before 31 December 2020, but fall under one of the categories of persons who can start their residence after 1 January 2021 and still be covered by the WA, not registering your residence before 31 December 2020 does not influence your rights stemming from the WA. This means you are still covered by the WA, regardless of when you decide to join your family member in Slovakia. You should register your residence and apply for a WA-compliant residence card by 30 June 2021, or within three months from your arrival to Slovakia, whichever is later. You may seek residence in Slovakia at any point in the future, as long as your UK national family member has residence in Slovakia.

C. If you were not lawfully residing in Slovakia before 31 December 2020 and do not fall under one of the categories of persons who can start their residence after 1 January 2021 (i.e. point A. or B. above is not applicable to you), this means you also did not register your residence before 31 December 2020. This means you are most likely not covered by the WA. If you wish to seek residence in Slovakia, you can do so in line with the immigration rules applicable to third country nationals or immigration rules applicable to Union citizens.

You do not need to be physically present in Slovakia on 31 December 2020 in order to be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA). However, you need to be already lawfully residing in the country by this date, or fall under one of the categories of persons who can start their residence after 1 January 2021.

Options of your family members to join you and seek residence in Slovakia after the end of the transition period depend on whether they are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA), as well as on their citizenship. The scope of family members able to join you after 1 January 2021 is narrower than the scope of family members who were able to join you before 31 December 2020.

If you had lawful residence in Slovakia before 31 December 2020, but your family members didn’t join you before this date and were still living in another country before the end of the transition  period, they may be able to join you in Slovakia later on. However, this applies only to specific categories of family members. If your family members belong to one of these groups, they can join you and seek residence in Slovakia at any point in the future, as long as you remain resident in the country. In such case, they are covered by the WA.

If your family members do not fall within any of the specified categories, they may still be able to join you in Slovakia, but not as WA beneficiaries. They can seek residence in Slovakia in line with the applicable immigration rules depending on whether they are third country nationals or Union citizens.

The rules under which you will be able to move to Slovakia after the end of the transition period depend on whether you are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) or not and on your concrete circumstances.

A. If you are a UK national and you do not have any family members in Slovakia, you can move to Slovakia after 1 January 2021 in line with the immigration rules applicable to third country nationals. You are not covered by the WA.

B. If you are a UK national and you have a family member in Slovakia who is an UK  national and your UK national family member had lawful residence in Slovakia before 31 December 2020, you may be eligible to seek residence in Slovakia at any point in the future, as long as your UK national family member has residence in Slovakia. However, this applies only to specific categories of family members. In such case, you are covered by the WA.

C. If you are a UK national and you have a family member in Slovakia who is an UK  national but your UK national family member didn’t have lawful residence in Slovakia before 31 December 2020, you can move to Slovakia after 1 January 2021 in line with the immigration rules applicable to third country nationals. You are not covered by the WA.

D. If you are a UK national and you have a family member in Slovakia who is an Union citizen, you may be eligible to register your right of residence as an Union citizen family member. You are not covered by the WA.

E. If you are a UK national and you have a family member in Slovakia who is a Slovak citizen, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residence for five years. You are not covered by the WA.

F. If you are a UK national and you have a family member in Slovakia who is a third country national, you can move to Slovakia after 1 January 2021 in line with the immigration rules applicable to third country nationals. You are not covered by the WA.

G. If you fall under one of the categories of persons who can start their residence in Slovakia after 1 January 2021, you may be eligible to seek residence in Slovakia at any point in the future, as long as your UK national family member has residence in Slovakia. You are covered by the WA.

Yes there is.

If you moved to Slovakia before 31 December 2020 and you are a Withdrawal Agreement (WA) beneficiary, you should register your residence within 30 days from the lapse of three months from entering Slovakia. If you haven’t done this yet, we advise to do so at your earliest convenience.

Please note that registering your residence and applying for a residence card are two different things:

• If you are a UK national, you may register your residence and apply for a WA-compliant residence card at the same time in one procedure, or separately. For your convenience, it is recommended to do this together, in one procedure.
• If you are a UK national family member, registering your residence automatically includes applying for a WA-compliant residence card.

If you fall under one of the categories of persons who can start their residence after 1 January 2021 you should register your residence and apply for a WA-compliant residence card by 30 June 2021, or within three months from your arrival to Slovakia, whichever is later.

Not respecting the deadline for registering residence may result in a fine of up to 300.00 EUR.

Yes there is.

If you have an EU residence card issued in Slovakia (“Pobytový preukaz občana EÚ” or “Pobytový preukaz rodinného príslušníka občana EÚ”), the deadline to exchange it for the non-EU Withdrawal Agreement (WA)-compliant residence card is 30 June 2021.

UK national family members (who are third country nationals, i.e. who are not UK nationals or Union citizens) may be subject to a fine of up to 300.00 EUR for not respecting the deadline for exchanging the EU residence card for the non-EU residence card.

Yes there is.

If you are a UK national covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA), the deadline to apply for the non-EU WA-compliant residence card is 30 June 2021.

If you are a UK national family member covered by the WA who moved to Slovakia before 31 December 2020, you should apply for the non-EU WA-compliant residence card within 30 days from the lapse of three months from entering Slovakia. This means that the deadline to apply for the WA-compliant residence card and the deadline to register your residence is the same. This applies only if you haven't first opted for the EU residence card.

If you fall under one of the categories of persons who can start their residence after 1 January 2021 you should apply for a WA-compliant residence card by 30 June 2021, or within three months from your arrival to Slovakia, whichever is later.

If you are a UK national or a UK national family member and covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA), not respecting the deadline for registering residence may result in a fine of up to 300.00 EUR.

If you are a UK national family member (i.e. you are not a UK national or a Union citizen) and covered by the WA, not respecting the deadline for exchanging your EU residence card for the non-EU residence card may result in a fine of up to 300.00 EUR.

Any EU residence cards owned by UK nationals and their family members (“Pobytový preukaz občana EÚ” or “Pobytový preukaz rodinného príslušníka občana EÚ”) after 30 June 2021 will cease to be valid.

If you are a WA beneficiary but you do not apply for the non-EU residence card or you do not exchange your EU residence card for the non-EU one within the deadlines, this doesn’t mean that you lose your rights and entitlements under the WA. This is due to the fact that your residence status and the relevant entitlements are derived from you meeting the conditions for lawful residence and not dependent on you registering as resident and applying for the non-EU WA-compliant residence card. You will be able to fulfil these obligations even after 30 June 2021.

You are strongly encouraged to register your residence and/or apply for the non-EU WA-compliant residence card or exchange your EU residence card for the non-EU one within the deadlines, as you may also face difficulties evidencing your rights.

This depends on which relatives wish to join you and whether they will be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) or not. If you are a WA beneficiary, the following applies.

Some family members were only able to join you by 31 December 2020, in order to be considered as WA beneficiaries. They might still be able to join you after 1 January 2021, at any point in the future, but not as WA beneficiaries and only in line with the applicable immigration rules depending on whether they are third country nationals or Union citizens.

Specific categories of family members can join you and seek residence in Slovakia also after 1 January 2021 and still be covered by the WA. These family members may join you at any point in the future, as long as you remain resident in Slovakia, without any deadline.

So just bear in mind, the scope of family members able to join you after 1 January 2021 as WA beneficiaries is narrower than the scope of family members who were able to join you before 31 December 2020 as WA beneficiaries.

To make an appointment with the Foreign Police, you should use the online booking system of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic. It is available in English and Slovak language. You will need to fill in various personal data, including your passport number, date of birth and address of residence in Slovakia.

In general, it is necessary to have an appointment when going to your respective Foreign Police department. We always encourage applicants to have a booked appointment for their own convenience and to save time.

Yes, each member of your family who is applying for a residence status in Slovakia or who is exchanging their EU residence card must have their own appointment with the Foreign Police.

As an example, if you are seeking residence together with your wife and two children, you will need to make four appointments with the Foreign Police through the online booking system.

Yes you do. You need to be present at your competent Foreign Police department to submit the required paperwork. There is no other way to do this. Applying electronically, by mail or by means of an authorized representative is not possible.

We advise booking an appointment with the Foreign Police via the online booking system.

Yes you do. You need to be present at your competent Foreign Police department to submit the required paperwork. There is no other way to do this. Applying electronically, by mail or by means of an authorized representative is not possible.

We advise booking an appointment with the Foreign Police via the online booking system.

Yes you do. You need to be present at your competent Foreign Police department to submit the required paperwork. There is no other way to do this. Applying electronically, by mail or by means of an authorized representative is not possible.

We advise booking an appointment with the Foreign Police via the online booking system.

You should submit your paperwork at the Foreign Police department competent according to your place of residence in Slovakia. You can check which is your competent Foreign Police department and what are the contact details.

This depends on whether you are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) or not.

If you are a WA beneficiary, applying for your residence status at the Slovak Embassy in London is not possible. You can only secure your residence by being physically present in Slovakia by going to your competent Foreign Police department.

If you are not a WA beneficiary and you are a third country national residing in the UK, you can also submit your application for residence at the Slovak Embassy in London. However, bear in mind that in such case, processing your application will take longer.

If the online booking system is not available or if it keeps on displaying error messages, you may contact the Call Center of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic on callcentrum@minv.sk or 0800 222 222. If you are unable to book for an appointment through the online booking system, you may be able to request an appointment by email.

If you use the online booking system to book an appointment with the Foreign Police, at the end of the booking process the system will automatically generate your completed application form and a PIN number.

The completed application form will open in a new window/tab of your browser. You should print this completed application form out and have it with you when you go to the Foreign Police. You should keep the PIN number, as you will need it at the Foreign Police to get your waiting ticket.

If you are a Withdrawal Agreement (WA) beneficiary holding an EU residence card issued in Slovakia and you wish to exchange it for the non-EU WA-compliant residence card, you must submit the following documents at the Foreign Police:

1. Your valid passport
2. Your current residence card
3. One passport size colour photograph (3 x 3.5 cm)
4. Application form automatically generated by the online booking system
5. Application form completed in Slovak language (optional)
6. Optional fee(s) of 24.50 EUR and/or 3.00 EUR
7. Document on accommodation, applicable only in the following cases:

• if you haven’t submitted it when applying for your first residence card, or
• if you have changed your address of residence

The application form

When using the online booking system to book an appointment with the Foreign Police, it will automatically generate your application form, which you should print out. Even if you use the online booking system, you may consider bringing both completed forms to the Foreign Police, the automatically generated one and the one that you fill in manually, as a backup.

This Guide explains how to complete the application form.

Document on accommodation

The document on accommodation may be one of the following:

• Affidavit about ownership of a property (if you own property)
• Tenancy agreement with the owner or the user of the property and documentation of eligibility to use the property if it is a tenancy agreement with the user of the property
• Affidavit of a natural person or a legal entity about the provision of accommodation and documentation of eligibility to use the property if it is an affidavit of the user of the property
• Confirmation from an accommodation facility (e.g. a hotel, hostel)

Signatures in affidavits and tenancy agreements must be notarized.

What are the optional fees

For your convenience, you may consider paying one or both of the following optional fees:

• Expedited issuance of the Residence Card within two working days (instead of the standard 30 days): 24.50 EUR
• Sending the Residence Card to your address in Slovakia (to avoid going to the Foreign Police again in order to collect it): 3.00 EUR

How to pay for the optional fees

Fees at the Foreign Police are paid in form of electronic fee stamps (eKolok), which may be bought:

• Online by visiting and registering on this website. Once you select your fees, you need to print them out. The fees may be used within 30 days from the purchase. They may be paid with a card.
• Via the eKolok mobile app. You will get a QR code which you will show on your mobile phone at the Foreign Police Department. The fees may be used within 30 days from the purchase. They may be paid with a card.
• At the Foreign Police Department through a vending machine. The fees may be used within 30 days from the purchase. They may be paid in cash or with a card.
• At a post office. The fees may be used within two years from the purchase. They may be paid in cash or with a card.

Unused fees may be returned at a post office for reimbursement within two years from the purchase.

If you are a UK national and a Withdrawal Agreement (WA) beneficiary who hasn’t yet registered residence in Slovakia nor applied for a residence card, you must submit the following documents at the Foreign Police:

1. Your valid passport
2. Two passport size colour photographs (3 x 3.5 cm)
3. Application form automatically generated by the online booking system
4. Application form completed in Slovak language (optional)
5. Document(s) confirming your right of residence in Slovakia
6. Document(s) confirming that you were lawfully residing in Slovakia before 31 December 2020
7. Document on accommodation
8. Optional fee(s) of 24.50 EUR and/or 3.00 EUR

The application form

When using the online booking system to book an appointment with the Foreign Police, it will automatically generate your application form, which you should print out. Even if you use the online booking system, you may consider bringing both completed forms to the Foreign Police, the automatically generated one and the one that you fill in manually, as a backup.

This Guide explains how to complete the application form.

Document confirming your right of residence in Slovakia

This document may be one of the following, depending on your situation:

• Written promise of employment or confirmation of employment
• Trade Licence
• Confirmation from school or university and a document confirming sufficient financial means
• Document confirming sufficient financial means and a document on health insurance
• Affidavit certifying that you are continuously looking for work
• Document proving the family relation or the duly attested, durable relationship with the UK national or Union citizen whom you are accompanying or joining in Slovakia and their Registration Certificate proving they have registered residence in Slovakia

Document confirming sufficient financial means

Financial means may be demonstrated by e.g.:

• Your bank account balance confirmation issued and stamped by your bank in Slovakia
• Your credit card
• Cash

The minimum required amount to demonstrate as a one-off lump sum at the Foreign Police depends on your situation, e.g. 214.83 EUR (for a single person), 364.70 EUR (for a couple) or 462.78 EUR (for a couple with one child). These amounts apply until 30 June 2021.

Document confirming your lawful residence in Slovakia before 31 December 2020

These documents may include, but are not limited to, e.g.:

• Document(s) confirming your right of residence in Slovakia dated before 31 December 2020
• Lease contract for a house/flat concluded before 31 December 2020
• Contract with a private health insurance provider in Slovakia concluded before 31 December 2020
• Bills on your name from before 31 December 2020 (e.g. utilities, telecommunication)
• Flight/other travel ticket to Slovakia on your name from before 31 December 2020
• Invoice on your name from a relocation company from before 31 December 2020
• A bank account on your name opened in a Slovak bank before 31 December 2020

Please note that it is up to the Foreign Police to consider whether the documents you submit are a credible proof of your lawful residence in Slovakia before 31 December 2020.

Document on accommodation

The document on accommodation may be one of the following:

• Affidavit about ownership of a property (if you own property)
• Tenancy agreement with the owner or the user of the property and documentation of eligibility to use the property if it is a tenancy agreement with the user of the property
• Affidavit of a natural person or a legal entity about the provision of accommodation and documentation of eligibility to use the property if it is an affidavit of the user of the property
• Confirmation from an accommodation facility (e.g. a hotel, hostel)

Signatures in affidavits and tenancy agreements must be notarized.

What are the optional fees

For your convenience, you may consider paying one or both of the following optional fees:

• Expedited issuance of the Residence Card within two working days (instead of the standard 30 days): 24.50 EUR
• Sending the Residence Card to your address in Slovakia (to avoid going to the Foreign Police again in order to collect it): 3.00 EUR

How to pay for the optional fees

Fees at the Foreign Police are paid in form of electronic fee stamps (eKolok), which may be bought:

• Online by visiting and registering on this website. Once you select your fees, you need to print them out. The fees may be used within 30 days from the purchase. They may be paid with a card.
• Via the eKolok mobile app. You will get a QR code which you will show on your mobile phone at the Foreign Police Department. The fees may be used within 30 days from the purchase. They may be paid with a card.
• At the Foreign Police Department through a vending machine. The fees may be used within 30 days from the purchase. They may be paid in cash or with a card.
• At a post office. The fees may be used within two years from the purchase. They may be paid in cash or with a card.

Unused fees may be returned at a post office for reimbursement within two years from the purchase.

The only case when you don’t need to apply for the new non-EU residence card is if you permanently leave Slovakia before 30 June 2021.

In all other cases, you need to apply for the non-EU residence card, even if you are already registered as resident in Slovakia and even if you have an EU residence card.

You must apply for the non-EU residence card if you are a:

• UK national or a UK national family member holding an EU residence card (“Pobytový preukaz občana EÚ” or “Pobytový preukaz rodinného príslušníka občana EÚ”) issued in Slovakia and you want to stay living in Slovakia also after 30 June 2021, or
• Withdrawal Agreement (WA) beneficiary who moved to Slovakia before or after 31 December 2020 and you are applying for a residence status for the first time.

No. If you are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA), exchanging your EU residence card for the non-EU residence card does not mean that you lose your current rights and entitlements. You will be able to continue enjoying your rights in Slovakia essentially as broadly as you could before the UK´s departure from the EU.

However, your protected rights and entitlements are only valid in your host state in which you are resident (i.e. in Slovakia), as the WA does not include the continued right of UK nationals and their family members living in the EU to freedom of movement.

Standard procedure

In standard cases, a residence card is issued within 30 days and the applicant needs to collect it at the Foreign Police. In such case, issuance of a residence card is free of charge.

Once your residence card is issued, you should receive a text message from the Ministry of Interior of the SR (MV SR) informing you about this. The text message will be sent to your Slovak mobile phone number which you have indicated in your application form. Please note that this must be a Slovak phone number.

Fast-track procedure

For your convenience, you may consider paying one or both of the following optional fees:

• Expedited issuance of the residence card within two working days (instead of the standard 30 days): 24.50 EUR
• Sending the residence card to your address in Slovakia (to avoid going to the Foreign Police again in order to collect it): 3.00 EUR

If you pay the two above optional fees, you residence card will be delivered to an address in Slovakia (which you indicate in your application form) within two working days from the day of submitting your application at the Foreign Police.

Delivery of your residence card

This applies only if you opted to have your residence card delivered to an address in Slovakia and if you have paid the optional fee of 3.00 EUR.

Prior to the delivery of your residence card, you should receive two text messages on your Slovak mobile phone number which you have indicated in your application form. Please note that this must be a Slovak phone number.

1. A text message from the Ministry of Interior of the SR (MV SR) informing that your residence card has been issued and will be delivered by a courier.
2. A text message from the Slovak Post/courier service informing about the delivery of your residence card, including a phone number where the courier may be reached.

On the day of delivery, the courier will contact you on your Slovak mobile phone number which you have indicated in your application form.

What to do if your residence card wasn’t delivered

• If you have not received the text messages as explained under point 1. and 2. above and the time frame for delivery of the residence card has already lapsed (e.g. 2 working days from submission of your application if you paid for the fast-track procedure), you should contact your respective Foreign Police department.
• If you received the text messages as explained under point 1. and 2 above, contact the courier on the phone number, as specified under point 2. and enquire about the status of your delivery.
• Visit your respective post office to enquire whether the mail (the undelivered envelope with residence card) hasn’t been deposited there.

If you are a Withdrawal Agreement (WA) beneficiary and you exchanged your EU residence card for the non-EU one, or you applied for a residence card as a WA beneficiary for the first time, the content of your non-EU Withdrawal Agreement-compliant residence card should be the following:

• POVOLENIE NA POBYT (i.e. residence permit): this is indicated on top of the card.
• TRVALÝ, ČLÁNOK 50 ZEÚ (i.e. permanent, Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union): this is indicated under “Druh pobytu/Type of permit” on the front side of the card.
• ČL. 18 ODS. 4 DOHODY O VYSTÚPENÍ UK Z EÚ (i.e. reference to the Withdrawal Agreement): this is indicated under “Poznámky/Remarks” on the front side of the card.
• Validity of the residence card should be 5 years (if you have lawfully resided in Slovakia for less than five years), or 10 years (if you have lawfully resided in Slovakia continuously for more than five years).

If the content of your residence card does not correspond with the above, please get in touch with your respective Foreign Police department by email and request issuance of a corrected residence card. Check what are the contact details of Foreign Police departments.

We always advise verifying whether all your personal data (such as name, date of birth, address) on a newly issued residence card is correct.

If you have identified any incorrect content, we advise to contact your competent Foreign Police department by email and request issuance of a corrected residence card. Check what are the contact details of Foreign Police departments.

If the incorrect content has been caused by an error on the side of the Foreign Police, you will be issued a new residence card free of charge. The new residence card will be issued and delivered to you under the same conditions as your original residence card, i.e. depending on whether you have opted for the expedited issuance of the residence card and/or delivery to an address in Slovakia.

The non-EU Withdrawal Agreement-compliant residence cards started to be issued to UK nationals in Slovakia only after 21 August 2020.

Between 1 February 2020 and 21 August 2020, the Foreign Police in Slovakia was issuing an older format of non-EU residence cards that did not contain a reference to the Withdrawal Agreement.

These non-EU residence cards were issued to UK nationals who:

• Opted for a non-EU residence card instead of an EU residence card when registering their residence in Slovakia for the first time; or
• Applied for the exchange of their EU residence card for the non-EU residence card

These non-EU residence cards do not need to be exchanged before 30 June 2021 and are valid until their expiry date.

These residence cards are not the Withdrawal Agreement-compliant residence cards.

If you have a non-EU residence card without reference to the Withdrawal Agreement issued between 1 February 2020 and 21 August 2020:

• This does not influence your protection by the Withdrawal Agreement. This is due to the fact that your residence status and the relevant entitlements as a Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary are derived from you meeting the conditions for lawful residence in Slovakia and not dependent on you having a non-EU Withdrawal Agreement-compliant residence card.
• You should not be in any way disadvantaged.
• You should be able to enjoy your rights in Slovakia in full extent.
• However, it may be more difficult for you to evidence (and for authorities/institutions/others to recognize) that you are a Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary due to the absence of a clear proof of your status (in the form of a residence card with reference to the Withdrawal Agreement).
• You have the right to apply for issuance of the Withdrawal Agreement-compliant non-EU residence card at any point.

If you decide to apply for the Withdrawal Agreement-compliant non-EU residence card:

• You will need to book an appointment with the Foreign Police
• Visit your respective Foreign Police department in person
• Submit the required documents

Documents to submit at the Foreign Police

When exchanging your non-EU residence card issued in the period between 1 February 2020 and 21 August 2020 for the Withdrawal Agreement-compliant non-EU residence card, you will need to submit the following documents:

1. Your valid passport
2. Your current residence card
3. One passport size colour photograph (3 x 3.5 cm)
4. Application form completed in Slovak language (optional). This Guide explains how to complete the application form.
5. Application form automatically generated by the online booking system
6. Accompanying letter explaining why you are requesting a new residence card (optional - template available here)
7. Optional fee(s) of 3.00 EUR (for sending the new residence card to your address in Slovakia) and/or 24.50 EUR (for a fast-track issuance of the residence card within 2 working days, instead of the standard 30 days)

The support you may seek from IOM in Slovakia depends on whether you are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) or not.

A. UK Nationals Support Fund project

If you are a UK national or a UK national family member (regardless of citizenship) and at the same time a WA beneficiary, you can get support within the UK Nationals Support Fund (UKNSF) project.

The IOM UKNSF team provides WA beneficiaries moving to or living in Slovakia with free of charge legal counselling on how the UK’s departure from the EU will affect their life, family, work and on what they need to do to maintain or secure their residence in the country.

What kind of support we offer:

• Legal advice related to relocation, residence and family reunification
• Guidance in other areas of life such as health insurance and healthcare, social security, work, business, study and citizenship
• Support in addressing encountered challenges related to the above issues
• Assistance with completing application forms and preparing required paperwork

How is the support provided:

• Website: Our UKNSF in Slovakia website includes step-by-step guides, requirements and procedures related to residence depending on your situation, as well as information about other areas of life
• Information helpline: You can call us on +421 908 342 340, available on Monday – Friday 10.00 – 12.00 and 13.00 – 15.00
• Email: You can send us a message to UKnationalsSK@iom.int You can request an online face-to-face consultation by completing this form.
• Online consultation: You can request an online face-to-face consultation by completing this form.
• Information sessions: You may participate in one of our online information webinars
• Personal consultation: These are available only upon appointment and in case of specific circumstances justifying the need of a personalized assistance

Please note that the direct support is provided only until 30 June 2021. After this time the helpline, email and personal/online consultations will not be available anymore. The website will remain available also after this date.

Find out more information about the UKNSF project.

B. IOM Migration Information Centre

If you are a UK national or a UK national family member and you are not covered by the WA, you can get support within the IOM Migration Information Centre.

The IOM Migration Information Centre provides non-EU citizens with free of charge legal counselling in the field of residence, employment, business, family reunification, social security, health insurance, education, citizenship and other areas of life in Slovakia. They also offer job counselling, support in retraining and Open Courses of Slovak language.

Find out more information about the IOM Migration Information Centre or get in touch.

This depends on the concrete situation and type of challenges you encounter.

IOM

We are available to provide our support and legal advice if the problem you encounter falls within our focus and mandate. In case we are not in the position to help with your issue, we will advise you on your options and/or you will be signposted or referred to the competent stakeholder(s).

British Embassy in Slovakia

You may contact the British Embassy via its enquiry contact form.

European Commission 

The European Commission is formally responsible for monitoring the implementation and application of citizens’ rights in the EU set by the Withdrawal Agreement.

If you have problems enforcing your rights in Slovakia, you can contact the European Commission assistance services.

European Commission - Your Europe advice

Information about citizens’ rights in Slovakia and other EU countries. Its assistance services provide advice on rights and a way to resolve issues with public bodies in EU countries. If you face obstacles, you can submit an enquiry or a complaint.

British Embassy in Slovakia

If you’re in Slovakia and you need urgent help (for example, you’ve been attacked, arrested or someone has died), call +421 2 5998 20 00.

You can follow the British Embassy in Slovakia on Facebook, Twitter or Flickr.

Living in Slovakia Guide

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) provides useful information for British nationals living in Slovakia on GOV.UK, including information on entry and residence requirements, health, benefits, finance, and specific advice for people following the UK's departure from the EU.

You can sign up for email alerts to this guidance. You will then be sent notifications of updates as they happen.

Transition pages

Up-to-date information about changes for businesses and citizens, including a tool for people to enter details taking them to information specific to their needs, as well as information about visiting the EU after 1 January 2021.

Travel advice

Details of new travel arrangements to Slovakia and advice about travelling to other EU countries.