Student Visa for Slovakia: Temporary Residence for Study, Money and Insurance

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Slovakia has no separate "student visa" for degree students. Students from outside the EU apply for temporary residence for the purpose of study (prechodný pobyt na účel štúdia), granted by the foreign police under the Act on Residence of Foreigners (Act 404/2011). This guide follows the law as it stood in October 2026.

Who needs it

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no permit. If you stay longer than three months, you register your residence with the foreign police within 30 days after those three months, showing proof of study and a declaration that you can support yourself.
Everyone else needs temporary residence for study. It is granted for the expected length of the studies, for six years at most.

Where to apply

The first application is made in person at a Slovak embassy or consulate accredited for the country that issued your passport, or where you live. The embassy interviews you and sends the file to the police in Slovakia.

If you are already in Slovakia legally, for example because your nationality needs no visa or you hold a Slovak national visa, you can apply at the foreign police department responsible for your university's seat.

The D visa

A national visa (D visa), valid for up to 120 days, can be granted to submit the residence application or to collect a permit already granted. The consular fee is €90 for a visa linked to the application and €15 for a visa to collect a granted permit.

Documents

All documents except the passport must be no older than 90 days:

the application on the official form, and a photo of 3 × 3.5 cm;
a valid passport;
confirmation from the university that you have been admitted to study;
an extract from the criminal record of your country of citizenship, and of every country where, in the last three years, you stayed more than 90 days within six consecutive months.

University students do not need to prove accommodation. Foreign official documents normally need an apostille or superlegalisation, unless a treaty says otherwise, and an official translation into Slovak (Czech is accepted). See apostille and legalisation of documents.

Money to show

Since 1 July 2025 you no longer attach proof of money to the application. Instead, you must be able to show it at any residence check: at least the subsistence minimum for each remaining month of your stay, up to one year ahead. From 1 July 2026 the subsistence minimum for one adult is €295.22 a month, so a year comes to €3,542.64. Tuition, if you pay it, comes on top.

Health insurance

Within three working days of receiving the residence card you must take out health insurance, and be able to prove it at a residence check. Unless you are covered by Slovak public health insurance, for example through a job, that means a commercial policy covering treatment in Slovakia. Your university's international office can tell you which insurers students use. More in health insurance for students in Europe.

Fees and processing time

There is no fee for the residence application for study. When the permit is granted, issuing the residence card and delivering it to an address in Slovakia within 30 days costs €10. The law gives the police up to 90 days to decide, and the police inform your university of the result. Apply as soon as you have the admission confirmation.

After arrival

Within 30 days of receiving the card, hand in a medical certificate, no older than 30 days, confirming that you do not have a disease that threatens public health.
Report a change of name, passport or other personal details within five working days.
Tell the police in writing if you will be outside Slovakia for more than 180 days in a row.

Working while you study

With temporary residence for study you may work up to 80 hours a month, for all employers together, without a work permit. Read more in working while studying in Europe and scholarships and student jobs in Slovakia.

Extending and changing the permit

If you stop studying, tell the police within three working days. Apply to renew the permit before it expires. After graduating from a Slovak university, you can ask the police in Slovakia to change the purpose of your residence, for example to employment.

Where to look next

Official sources

Act 404/2011 on the residence of foreigners: residence for study, §§ 24, 31–33 and 111 (Slov-Lex, in Slovak)
Ministry of Interior: documents for temporary residence for study: foreign police FAQ, 2024 (in Slovak; proof of money is no longer attached)
Act 145/1995 on administrative fees: residence and visa fees (Slov-Lex, in Slovak)
Ministry of Labour: subsistence minimum from 1 July 2026 (in Slovak)

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.