Temporary residence for the purpose of employment requiring higher qualification - EU Blue Card
The EU Blue Card is a specific form of temporary residence that you can be granted in Slovakia in case you have a higher professional qualification. It enables you to enter the Slovak labour market more easily and work in highly qualified jobs. Higher professional qualification means a qualification attested by a certificate of higher education (method of proof of which is given below). If you are interested in obtaining the EU Blue Card, you must conclude an employment contract with a future employer in Slovakia, or to obtain a written promise of future employment from him.
Such an employment contract shall be concluded for a period of at least one year from the date of the EU Blue Card issuance, while the agreed salary must be at least 1.5 times the average monthly salary in the economy of the Slovak Republic in the relevant sector as published by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic for the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the application for the EU Blue card was filed.
Statistical data on the amount of the average monthly salary is listed at the website of the Statistical Office of the SR.
The employer willing to employ you in a highly qualified job is obliged to report a vacancy at the Central Labour Office at least 15 working days before you submit your application for a Blue Card. You cannot apply before before this period has elapsed.
More information on the procedure related to the employment requiring higher qualification can be found here
You can apply for a Blue card (i.e. for a temporary residence) in person at the Slovak embassy/consulate competent for your country or at a Foreign Police office in Slovakia. However, you can’t do so earlier than 30 working days after a vacancy is reported by your potential employer. Your application will be accepted at the foreign police office in Slovakia only if you are staying in Slovakia legally.
If you are a holder of an EU Blue Card issued by another EU Member State you may apply for a Blue Card within 30 days after the entry into the territory of the Slovak Republic. Normally, you have to submit a complete application; however, your Blue Card application cannot be refused if you submit at least a filled out application form and your valid passport.
completed application form “Application for the temporary residence” (it has to be filled in Slovak; in the field no. 22 “Employment after arrival to the Slovak Republic, position, address of the company, organisation, school” it is necessary to state the place of work and the organisation's identification number)
2 recent full-face photographs 3x3.5 cm
valid passport (a police officer will make a copy of it)
documents proving the purpose of your stay:
– the employment contract for a position requiring higher qualification concluded for at least one year and offering a salary that is at least 1.5 times the average monthly salary in the relevant sector as published by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic for the preceding calendar year, or employer’s written promise to employ the third country national in such job
– desision on recognition of higher professional qualification to work in highly qualified job stipulated in the employment contract or in the employer’s promise, translated into Slovak and officially authenticated. A decision on the document’s recognition will be issued by the Centre for Recognition of Diplomas of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic; in case of unregulated professions, a decision shall be made and issued by a Slovak university which offers a programme in the same or related study field
criminal record extract (apostilled or superlegalised) from your country of origin and from every country where you have stayed for more than 90 days during 6 consecutive months within the last 3 years (if any).
document proving your accommodation (in Slovak) for at least 6 months of the temporary residence; in the case of a shorter stay it is necessary to provide a proof of accommodation for the whole stay; e. g.
– a confirmation from your accommodation facility or
– a rental agreement (with notarized signatures) , or
– an affidavit on the provision of accommodation (with notarized signature).
Each document issued in a language other than Slovak (except for documents issued by Czech) has to be translated to Slovak by an official sworn translator. The list of accepted sworn translators can be found here. In case the translation is done abroad, the competence of the translator must be attested by the Slovak embassy/consulate.
None of the documents proving accommodation and no criminal record can be older than 90 days on the day of submitting the application for the a temporary residence.
After you submit your application, the police department shall complete a form “Application for issuing the confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position requiring higher qualification” and send it to the Central Labour Office together with a part of your application, documents proving the purpose of your stay, no criminal record and accommodation. The Central Labour Office will consequently issue and send back the “Confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacant position requiring higher qualification”.
The police officer in charge will confirm a receipt of your application (last page of the application form). If you do not submit all the documents required by law, the police officer will accept your application even if imcomplete (you must at least present your passport).
A decision on the application for a Blue Card is issued within 30 days from the date of submitting a complete application and is sent to the foreigner or an authorized representative. If applying for a temporary residence directly at a Foreign Police in Slovakia, the officers will ask you to provide a cell phone number (you can write the number on your application form). You will be notified by a text message in Slovak when your residence card is ready. You can collect the residence card at the Foreign Police in person or you can appoint somebody else with a power of attorney to do it for you. When applying for a Blue Card abroad at an embassy/consulate, it is advised to consult with them the way of notification on granting the residence.
If you submitted a written employer’s promise proving the purpose of your stay during the Blue Card application procedure, you are obliged to submit the employment contract within 30 days after obtaining the residence card.
The Blue Card is issued for four years. In case the foreseen period of employment is shorter than four years, the police department shall issue the Blue Card for that period extended for 90 days.
If you are granted a Blue Card, you are obliged to submit a medical certificate confirming that you do not suffer from any disease threatening public health within 30 days from the collection of your residence card. If you, however, applied for a Blue Card at the police department, you must submit the medical certificate within 30 days from the submission of your application. The certificate cannot be older than 30 days. It can be obtained in specific medical centres only and you will be charged a fee.
Fees: 165.50 EUR for the application for a temporary residence for the purpose of employment (170 EUR in case of an application submitted at the embassy/consulate of the Slovak Republic)
99.50 EUR for the application for a renewal of the temporary residence
Note: Applicants who are pedagogical staff or university teachers are exempted from the obligation to pay the application and the renewal fee.
4.50 EUR for the residence card