Residence in Slovakia
and legislation
Persons with Ukrainian citizenship
After entering Slovakia citizens of Ukraine can stay here for 90 days on the basis of a visa-free stay. However, you do not have the right to work and you do not have health insurance during your stay in Slovakia as part of visa-free travel.
Therefore, if you want to stay in Slovakia, you can achieve refugee status by requesting temporary refuge. Temporary refugee is a special form of protection provided to people forced to flee Ukraine due to war.
You can apply directly at the border crossing as soon as you enter the Slovak Republic, at the asylum department in Humenné (if you do not have the necessary documents), at large-capacity centers in Humenné, Michalovce and Bratislava, or at any foreign police department closest to you. Minors must also be present when applying for biometric data.
By granting temporary refuge, you gain a permission to stay in Slovakia, the opportunity to work without a work permit and access to health care. However, you must stay in the territory of the Slovak Republic for its duration.
Alternatively, you can apply for asylum, which is administratively longer and can take up to 6 months.
REQUEST FOR TEMPORARY REFUGE IS NOT MANDATORY.
The “Temporary Refuge Registration” form can also be completed online. This will significantly speed up the administrative processes directly at the Foreign Police.
If you want to stay in another country within the European Union, ask for temporary refuge there.
If you have been in Slovakia for a long time, you do not have a residence permit and you do not know whether you should apply for temporary refuge, contact the League for Human Rights. They have set up a line 0800 222 350, which you can call from 7:00 to 22:00 every day. You can also write your questions for them at [email protected] or on their social networks.
Persons who do not have Ukrainian citizenship
Slovakia allows entry to all people who come from Ukraine, including persons who do not have a Ukrainian citizenship, if they can show their passport/ identity card and a legal residence in Ukraine.
You would receive a stamp in your passport upon entry allowing you to enter Slovakia which means that you can legally stay here temporarily but it does not mean that you have the opportunity to move freely within the territory of the European Union. If you want to travel further, you need to find out what the entry conditions are in the country you are passing through for the citizens of your country. Immediately upon entry contact the embassy of your home country and inform them about your situation and ask for help with your departure from Slovakia.
Non – UA citizens will be granted temporary refuge if they have been granted asylum or international protection in Ukraine, or if they have been granted permanent residence and cannot return to their country of origin under stable and secure conditions.
Reporting obligation
Every foreigner who comes to Slovakia and is not a citizen of the European Union or a family member of
a citizen of the European Union is obliged to report the address of their stay in the territory of the Slovak Republic within 3 working days from entry to the territory of the Slovak Republic at the relevant department of the Foreign Police (according to the address of residence) in person or by post.
- If you are an EU citizen or a family member of an EU citizen, this period is 10 working days.
- If you have secured accommodation in the accommodation facility (hotel, hostel), this obligation will be fulfilled by the landlord.
We recommend that you send the report by post, as the Foreign Police do not currently process requests other than temporary refuge.
More information, FAQ, downloadable forms as well as information on other protection options (asylum, subsidiary protection)
Pro bono legal aid for people from Ukraine
Slovak Bar Association (SAK) has a database of more than 130 advocates who offer pro bono legal services for people running from the war in Ukraine. The link below is already containing a filter with a view of all the lawyers that offer pro bono help for Ukrainians. To navigate in the database, you can further filter “City” to choose the city in Slovakia and “Language skills” for language that lawyers can communicate in.
Who is behind the initiative
What we do
Who will help Ukraine is an online platform that provides various forms of assistance to citizens of Ukraine who are forced to leave their homes due to armed conflict and come to Slovakia. In the current stage, we focus on helping to provide accommodation in Slovakia, psychological, social and financial support.
Who is behind the initiative
Michal Matys
Lucia Šicková
Lucia Pašková
Jakub Trančík
Michaela Benedigová
Katarína Šimková
Lubo Šimko
Kristína Félová
Oksana Mytiai
Zuzana Suchová
Katarína Nagy Pázmány
Jakub Kratochvíl
Anna Kratochvílová
Eduard Shlepetskyy
Andrea Cocherová
Ján Astaloš
Krasimír Damjanov
Karolína Farská
Veronika Bruncková
Peter Šulík
Veronika Cigáneková
Alexandra Sivá
Ján Gálik
Andrej Zhaňač
Monika Červenáková
Diana Burgerová
Who is behind the initiative
What we do
Who will help Ukraine is an online platform that provides various forms of assistance to citizens of Ukraine who are forced to leave their homes due to armed conflict and come to Slovakia. In the current stage, we focus on helping to provide accommodation in Slovakia, psychological, social and financial support.
Who is behind the initiative
Michal Matys
Lucia Šicková
Lucia Pašková
Jakub Trančík
Michaela Benedigová
Katarína Šimková
Lubo Šimko
Kristína Félová
Oksana Mytiai
Zuzana Suchová
Katarína Nagy Pázmány
Jakub Kratochvíl
Anna Kratochvílová
Eduard Shlepetskyy
Andrea Cocherová
Ján Astaloš
Krasimír Damjanov
Karolína Farská
Veronika Bruncková
Peter Šulík
Veronika Cigáneková
Alexandra Sivá
Ján Gálik
Andrej Zhaňač
Monika Červenáková
Diana Burgerová
Initiative partners and collaborators
