How to obtain permanent residence in Slovakia

Your father can submit an application for permanent residence on the grounds of being a dependent relative in the direct line of a Slovak Republic citizen with permanent residence in the territory of the SR.

For the first time, permanent residence can be granted to him for a limited period, namely 5 years; after they expire, he can apply for permanent residence again, which is then unlimited in time.

It is necessary to submit the application at the diplomatic mission of the SR in the accredited country of which he is a citizen or in which he has permanent residence. Alternatively, it is also possible to submit the application at the foreign police department in the place of the future permanent residence.

The application must be submitted in the Slovak language—there is an application form—and the following documents must be attached:

• a valid travel passport

• two color photographs

• a document that confirms the justification of the application (in this case, it can be your birth certificate, which proves parentage)

• a criminal record extract

• a document regarding financial resources securing the stay in Slovakia (financial resources must be in the amount of at least the subsistence minimum for one month throughout the entire year. Currently, the subsistence minimum is €205.07, so the financial resources must correspond to a sum of at least €2,460.84)

• a document regarding accommodation in Slovakia (e.g., a notary-verified copy of a lease agreement, an affidavit from the property owner who will provide you with accommodation)

• an administrative fee in the form of a revenue stamp

All attached documents must be in the Slovak language, officially verified, and must not be older than 90 days.

By submitting the application, the applicant does not yet acquire a right to permanent residence. He may stay in the territory of the Slovak Republic only on the basis of a valid visa, visa-free travel, or another permit that has been assigned to him.

If the applicant is granted the right to permanent residence, it is necessary that he:

• arrives within 180 days of the granting of permanent residence

• within 3 days of arrival, reports the start of his permanent residence to the foreign police (if he is not staying in a hotel)

• within 30 days of arrival, submits to the foreign police a confirmation of public health insurance in Slovakia and a document [proving] that the applicant does not suffer from any disease that could endanger public health

At the same time, it is necessary to report all important changes that occur to the foreign police (change of passport, permanent residence, address in the SR, change of status, etc.).

It is necessary to apply for the renewal of residence no later than the day of the last residence for which the applicant still had a permit.

Yes, in this case, if it concerns the child of a Slovak citizen with permanent residence in Slovakia, the mother—a third-country national—can apply for the granting of permanent residence in Slovakia according to Section 43, Paragraph 1, Letter a) of the Act on the Residence of Foreigners for the purpose of family reunification. Permanent residence will be granted to her for 5 years.

Please note that the child must be a state citizen of the SR and must also have permanent residence in the territory of the SR.

This follows from Section 43, Paragraph 1, Letter a) of the Act on the Residence of Foreigners, according to which: “The police department shall grant permanent residence for five years, if there are no grounds for refusing the application according to Section 48, Paragraph 2, to a third-country national who is the spouse of a state citizen of the Slovak Republic with permanent residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic or a dependent relative in the direct line of a state citizen of the Slovak Republic with permanent residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic.”

The following are primarily attached to the application:

• the child’s birth certificate

• an extract from the mother’s criminal record (with an apostille or superlegalized)

• financial security

• 2x photograph

• a valid passport

The mother proves financial security with a statement from her bank account, which must have a balance of at least just under €2,500 (12 times the subsistence minimum). If the confirmation is issued by a foreign bank, it is required to also submit turnovers for the last 3 months and, of course, an official translation into Slovak.

If the mother has a national “D” visa, she can also submit the residence application at a police department in Slovakia. If she does not have one, she submits the application at the diplomatic mission in her home country, or in the country where she has residence.

According to Act No. 404/2011 Coll. on the Residence of Foreigners and on amendments and supplements to certain acts (hereinafter “Act on the Residence of Foreigners”), permanent residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic is:

• permanent residence for five years

• permanent residence for an unlimited time

• the residence of a third-country national with the granted status of a person with long-term residence in the European Union (long-term residence)

Permanent residence for five years can be granted, according to the provision of Section 43, Paragraph 1 of the Act on the Residence of Foreigners, to a foreigner who: “is the spouse of a state citizen of the Slovak Republic with permanent residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic or a dependent relative in the direct line of a state citizen of the Slovak Republic with permanent residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic is an unmarried child under 18 years of age entrusted to the personal care of a third-country national who is the spouse of a state citizen of the Slovak Republic with permanent residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic is an unmarried child under 18 years of age of a third-country national with permanent residence for five years or a child under 18 years of age entrusted to the personal care of a third-country national with permanent residence for five years is a dependent child over 18 years of age who is unable to care for themselves due to a long-term unfavorable health condition, of a third-country national with permanent residence, or if it is in the interest of the Slovak Republic”

Permanent residence for an unlimited time can be granted, according to Section 46, Paragraph 1 of the Act on the Residence of Foreigners, to a foreigner who has been granted permanent residence for five years for at least four years, or if they are a child under 18 years of age of a third-country national with permanent residence for an unlimited time, or a child under 18 years of age entrusted to the personal care of a third-country national with permanent residence for an unlimited time, or if it was proposed by the Slovak Information Service or Military Intelligence due to the security interests of the Slovak Republic.

Long-term residence (granted for an unlimited time) can be granted, according to Section 52, Paragraph 1 of the Act on the Residence of Foreigners, to a foreigner:

• who has resided in the territory of the Slovak Republic lawfully and continuously for a period of five years immediately preceding the submission of the application for long-term residence

• whose long-term residence expired because they were granted long-term residence in another member state of the European Union, or whose long-term residence was canceled because they have resided outside the territory of the Slovak Republic for more than six months / resided continuously outside the territory of the EU for 12 consecutive months / resided continuously outside the territory of the EU for 24 consecutive months

• who has five years of lawful, continuous residence in the territory of member states as a Blue Card holder and has resided in the territory of the Slovak Republic as a Blue Card holder for at least two years immediately preceding the submission of the application

In this context, however, we point out that the possibility of obtaining long-term residence based on five years of lawful continuous residence in the territory of the SR immediately preceding the submission of the application does not apply to temporary residence for the purpose of study.

If you are interested in continuing your studies even after the expiration of the period for which your residence was granted, you can apply for a renewal of temporary residence for the purpose of study. If you do not plan to continue your studies but want to get employed, it will be necessary to apply for a change of the purpose of temporary residence to temporary residence for the purpose of employment.