AKMV 
On 1 September 2026, Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 224/2026 Coll. on the Interest of the Slovak Republic to Grant a National Visa to Selected Groups of Third-Country Nationals in the Field of Higher Education, Research and Development (hereinafter referred to as “Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 224/2026 Coll.”) entered into force, simplifying and refining the process of granting a national visa in the interest of the Slovak Republic to selected groups of third-country nationals operating in the fields of science, research, and higher education.
Pursuant to Section 15(1)(d) of Act No. 404/2011 Coll. on the Residence of Foreigners and on Amendments and Supplements to Certain Acts, a national visa may be granted to a third-country national if it is in the interest of the Slovak Republic. In this instance, such interest applies to foreign nationals entering the territory of the Slovak Republic under approved scholarship programs supported under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic. A prerequisite is that the relevant scholarship program is listed in the official register published on the Ministry’s official website. Concurrently, it is a condition that the foreign national does not hold lawful residence status in the territory of the Slovak Republic at the time of submitting the application for this visa and does not have a concurrent application pending for any other residence permit.
The published list of programs must state the following:
- the title of the program or the designation of the purpose of financial support, which distinguishes it from other programs listed in the register;
- the duration of the program, provided that the fact of the program’s limited duration is known at the time the list is drafted or updated;
- the name of the legal entity authorized to issue a confirmation of scholarship award under the relevant program or a confirmation of acceptance for academic mobility under the relevant program;
- the designation of the statutory body of the legal entity referred to in point (c) and of the person authorized by said statutory body to issue the relevant confirmation; the statutory body may authorize at most one person to issue such confirmations.
Period of Validity and Reissuance
The Regulation of the Government precisely defines the timeframe for which the visa is issued. Pursuant to Section 1 of Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 224/2026 Coll., “A national visa shall be granted for the period for which the scholarship was awarded under the program, extended by 14 days prior to the commencement of the relevant period and by 30 days after its end, unless paragraph 3 provides otherwise.”
If the authority deciding on the granting of the national visa determines that, under the procedure set forth in paragraph 2, the period for which the national visa is to be granted would exceed one year, it shall grant the national visa for a maximum period of one year (Section 1(3) of Regulation of the Government of the Slovak Republic No. 224/2026 Coll.).
In the event that a third-country national enters the territory of the Slovak Republic again under a different approved program, the national visa may be granted repeatedly, provided that at least 15 days have elapsed between the expiry of the original national visa and the granting of the new national visa.
Read more about national visas here:
When Does a Visa Lapse or Get Revoked?
A visa shall lapse or be revoked in the event of failure to fulfill its intended purpose. Non-fulfillment of purpose shall be deemed to occur when:
- the foreign national fails to commence their studies, suspends their studies, drops out, or is expelled from their studies;
- the authorized institution cancels or suspends the provision of the awarded scholarship;
- the foreign national has been granted a residence permit.
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