I’m a UK national

Are your citizen's rights protected?

In the context of Slovakia, the Withdrawal Agreement protects:

  1. UK nationals lawfully residing in Slovakia before the end of the transition period (before 31 December 2020),
  2. UK nationals pursuing an economic activity in Slovakia before the end of the transition period, but who do not reside here (frontier workers),
  3. Family members of persons under points (a) or (b), who lawfully reside in Slovakia before the end of the transition period,
  4. 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),
  5. 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,
  6. 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,
  7. 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.
What does it mean in practice?

To be protected by the Withdrawal Agreement means that you will be able to continue enjoying your rights broadly (as before the UK´s departure from the EU) in the territory of Slovakia.

As a UK national, if you are already registered as resident in Slovakia, or if you are lawfully residing in Slovakia by the end of the transition period (before 31 December 2020) and continue to reside here thereafter, your rights will be protected for as long as you remain resident.

To lawfully reside in Slovakia means that you must fall into one of the specified categories.

You will have to apply for a new (non-EU) Residence Card, even if you currently hold one and even if you are already registered as resident, at the latest by 30 June 2021.

What is lawful residence?

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.

In general, you must fall into one of the specified categories before 31 December 2020, to be able to enjoy your rights in the territory of Slovakia broadly as you could before the UK left the EU.

Are you eligible to register as resident?

As a UK national, you have the right of residence in Slovakia for a period longer than three months, if you satisfy one of the following conditions:

  • 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 have sufficient financial resources for yourself and your family members to avoid burdening the social security system and you have health insurance in Slovakia;
  • You are looking for work;
  • You are a family member of a UK national or a Union citizen who satisfies one of the above conditions and whom you are accompanying or joining.

In general, you must meet one of the above conditions before 31 December 2020 to be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (exceptions apply).

These conditions do not apply to UK nationals who move to Slovakia after 31 December 2020 (exceptions apply).

You can check who is considered a UK national here.

A Union citizen is a citizen of the EU (except for Slovakia), the European Economic Area Agreement (EEA) or Switzerland. You can check all the countries that belong to these groups here.

What will happen with your residence?

As a UK national, your current lawful residence in Slovakia, or the lawful residence which you start before 31 December 2020, will be changed automatically from an EU to a non-EU status.

You will obtain one of the relevant types of residence status, depending on how long you have lived in Slovakia.

All you have to do is:

  • register your residence (unless you have already done so) and
  • apply for a non-EU Residence Card
What are the deadlines?

Lawful residence

  • By 31 December 2020, you must be lawfully residing in Slovakia (and continue to reside here thereafter).

Registration of residence

  • You should register your residence within 30 days from the lapse of three months from entering Slovakia.
  • Unless you have already done so, you should register at your earliest convenience.
  • When you register after 1 January 2021, you will have to demonstrate that you were lawfully residing in Slovakia before 31 December 2020.

New Residence Card

  • By 30 June 2021, you must apply for a non-EU Residence Card (even if you are already registered as resident and hold an EU Residence Card).

We are encouraging you to register your residence and apply for the non-EU Residence Card at your earliest convenience.

You don't need to be physically present in Slovakia at the end of the transition period, but you do need to be already lawfully residing here at that point.

The deadline for application for the non-EU Residence Card is 30 June 2021. However, it is recommended you apply for the new Residence Card as soon as possible, or by 31 December 2020. If you do not submit your application for a new Residence Card by 31 December 2020, your residence status will be changed automatically. In this case, you will have to apply for the new Residence Card before 30 June 2021.

We advise not leaving the registration of residence and/or the application for the non-EU Residence Card until the last moment.

What status will you get?

You will get one of the following types of residence status, depending on how long you've been living in Slovakia:

  • Five-year residence:

You will get this type of residence if you have lawfully resided in Slovakia for less than five years. You will also get this type of residence, if you have resided in Slovakia without being registered, regardless whether it was for less or for more than five years. It is granted for a period of up to five years. The Residence Document is also issued for a period of five years;

or

  • Long-term residence/Permanent residence for unlimited time:

You will get this type of residence if you have  lawfully resided in Slovakia continuously for more than five years. It is granted for an indefinite time period. The Residence Document is issued for a period of 10 years. In specific cases, you may qualify for this type of residence even before you have resided in Slovakia for five years.

Important: The validity of your new Residence Document should not be shorter than five years or ten years, in line with the above. In case you were issued a Residence Document with a shorter validity, please 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.

You might find useful familiarizing yourself with the following basic terms used throughout this section and the differences between them before further reading and undertaking any steps.

Notice of the Stay

All foreign nationals (Union citizens, their family members and third country nationals alike) arriving to Slovakia have the obligation to notify the Foreign Police of the start and place of their residence.

This obligation applies if they are renting, own a property, live with relatives, friends etc. If they are staying in a hotel, hostel, or similar accommodation facility, it is instead the responsibility of the accommodation provider.

The obligation is fulfilled by sending the completed Notice of the Stay form by mail to the Foreign Police Department competent according to their place of residence in Slovakia. The completed form may also be submitted in person.

Union citizens and their family members must do so within 10 working days (third country nationals within three working days) from entering Slovakia.

Registration of residence

Union citizens holding a valid passport or ID card have the right of residence in Slovakia for a period not exceeding three months without any conditions.

Union citizens have the right of residence in Slovakia for a period longer than three months, if they satisfy certain conditions.

Union citizens intending to stay for a period longer than three months must register their residence at the Foreign Police within 30 days from the lapse of three months from entering Slovakia.

To be registered as resident in Slovakia means to hold a Registration Certificate (confirmation about the registration of residence) and optionally also a valid Residence Card (plastic ID card “Pobytový preukaz občana EÚ”).

To register residence, Union citizens must go to the Foreign Police Department competent according to their place of residence in Slovakia and submit the completed application form, together with the required documents. They must do so in person. Applying electronically, by mail or by means of an authorised representative is not possible.

You may use the online booking system of the Foreign Police to book an appointment for registering your residence.

On the day of submitting a complete application, the Foreign Police will issue a Registration Certificate, i.e. a confirmation about the registration of residence of the Union citizen.

Registration Certificate

A Registration Certificate is the document issued by the Foreign Police on the day of submitting a complete application for registration of residence by a Union citizen. It serves as a confirmation certifying that the Union citizen has registered his/her residence in Slovakia. It states the name and surname, address of the registered person and the date of registration.

A Registration Certificate and a Residence Card are not the same. These are two different documents.

Residence Card

A Residence Card is the plastic ID card issued to foreign nationals (Union citizens, their family members and third country nationals alike) in Slovakia by the Foreign Police. It is issued to Union citizens and their family members based on their application and to third country nationals upon granting of residence.

Union citizens who register their residence in Slovakia are not required to apply for a Residence Card. This means that having a Residence Card for Union citizens in Slovakia is not mandatory, but only a possibility they may opt for voluntarily.

To apply for a Residence Card, Union citizens must go to the Foreign Police Department competent according to their place of residence in Slovakia and submit the completed application form, together with the required documents. They must do so in person. Applying electronically, by mail or by means of an authorised representative is not possible.

The same application form is used for applying for a Residence Card and for registration of residence of Union citizens.

Residence Cards for Union citizens are issued within 30 days from their application. Expedited issuance within two working days is possible for a fee of 24.50 EUR.

To understand the steps you need to take, please chose one of the following three options.

What do you want to do now that the UK has left the EU?

I want to stay in Slovakia

If you are currently in Slovakia and want to stay here, the steps you need to take depend on several factors.

To determine the procedure applicable in your case, you need to know your residence status in Slovakia. Therefore, please chose one of the following four options (from A. to D.) that applies to your situation, in order to understand what you should do.

I want to come to Slovakia

If you are currently not in Slovakia but want to move here, the steps you need to take depend on the time of your planned arrival.

The procedure applicable in your case depends on when you want to come to Slovakia. Therefore, please choose one of the following two options that applies to your situation, in order to understand what you should do.

I want to leave Slovakia

If you are permanently returning to the UK or moving to another country, you must inform the Foreign Police and return your Residence Card. You need to do so by sending a written notice on termination of your residence by mail together with your Residence Card to the Foreign Police Department competent according to your place of residence in Slovakia. We recommend doing so after you return to the UK or move to your country of destination.

Find your competent Foreign Police Department here. Contact details of Foreign Police Departments are available here.

You should also inform your health insurance company that you are permanently leaving Slovakia.

More information

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently and restrictions on returning to the UK related to COVID-19.