Driving License for a Foreign National in Slovakia

If a foreign national has been granted residence in Slovakia for at least 185 days, they may apply for a Slovak driving license.

This stems from Section 77(1)(b) of the Act on Road Traffic, which states: “A driving license shall be granted to an applicant who, as of the date of the granting of the driving license, has a residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic for a duration of at least 185 days in the calendar year in which they apply for the driving license; if 185 days have not elapsed since January 1 of the calendar year in which the applicant applies for the driving license, the decisive factor for granting the driving license is whether this condition was met in the previous calendar year; this shall not apply if they prove by a certificate of study that they have been studying in the territory of the Slovak Republic for at least six months.”

For the issuance, the foreign national will primarily need an extract from the driver’s record from their home country where the driving license was originally granted. The extract from the driver’s record must specifically state who issued the driving license, when, and the driving categories for which they are authorized. The extract from the driver’s record must be officially translated by a Slovak certified translator. Alternatively, the police department may also request an officially certified translation of the driving license itself. Naturally, the foreign national must present a document of identity (residence card) when arranging the driving license.

The driving license is issued within 30 days for a fee of 6.50 EUR, or within an expedited period of 2 working days for a fee of 26 EUR.

It is important to note that upon receiving the Slovak driving license, the driving license issued in the home country will be confiscated from the foreign national. This will subsequently be sent by the police department to the respective home country where the driving license was issued.