Slovakia’s usual route for workers from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland is the single permit, one application that covers residence and work.

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Quick answer

Slovakia’s usual route for workers from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland is the single permit, one application that covers residence and work. Your employer reports the vacancy first, at least 20 working days before you apply, then you apply for temporary residence for the purpose of employment. The fee is EUR 165.50 at the Foreign Police or EUR 170 at the embassy, and the decision normally comes within 90 days. A single permit lasts up to 2 years. JobVision is free for candidates. Send your CV at jobvision.lv/job-seekers/.

Who this guide is for

Citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland who have a job offer from a Slovak employer and want to work in Slovakia. Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland do not need a permit to work in Slovakia.

The route, step by step

1. Your employer reports the vacancy. The job is reported to the competent Labour Office at least 20 working days before your application, so local and EU candidates can be considered first.
2. Your employer gives you a contract or a written promise of employment. This happens once the vacancy has not been filled from the local register in those 20 working days.
3. You apply for the single permit. Apply for temporary residence for the purpose of employment at the Foreign Police Department in Slovakia, or at the Slovak embassy in your country. The Foreign Police asks the Labour Office for confirmation that the vacancy can be filled by you, and that confirmation is issued within five working days of the request.
4. You wait for the decision. The Police Department decides within 90 days in the standard case, faster in the listed cases, including 30 days for shortage occupations. Apply within 180 days of the confirmation being issued.
5. You report your arrival and get health insurance. Report to the Police Department within three working days of entry, and take out health insurance no later than three working days from receiving your residence permit.
6. You work for the employer and in the role named on your permit. A single permit is tied to that employer and role at first, so get the permission changed before you change employer or role.

Pay and length

There is no single minimum salary for the single permit on the official pages checked, so no figure is given here. Your contract must comply with Slovak minimum wage and employment law, and your employer should confirm the pay for your role in writing. A single permit lasts up to 2 years. The EU Blue Card is a separate route for highly qualified jobs, with a salary of at least 1.5 times the average monthly salary in the relevant area, and a contract of at least one year.

What to prepare

Your passport, your employment contract or written promise of employment, and the documents the Foreign Police asks for in your case, including a criminal record extract from your country of nationality and any country where you stayed for more than 90 days in the last three years.

Your employer handles the vacancy report and the confirmation. You handle your own residence application once the employer steps exist. Never pay anyone for a job offer. JobVision never charges candidates.

How JobVision can help

JobVision is a licensed Latvian recruitment agency, licence 29/2026, registration 40203344680, licence valid until 27 May 2029. We are free for candidates, employers pay. See our Slovakia vacancies at https://jobvision.lv/vacancies/ and send your CV at https://jobvision.lv/job-seekers/ (CV file, PDF or DOC, up to 5 MB), or message us on WhatsApp at +371 20495241.

Our current Slovakia shortlists: Warehouse operatives, Slovakia and Production operators, automotive industry, Slovakia.

More country guides

• Work in Latvia: work permit guide 2026 (temporary residence permit with the right to work)
• Poland
• Belgium

Sources

• Ministry of Labour, Employment of foreigners, https://www.employment.gov.sk/showdoc.do?docid=10244
• Ministry of Interior, Agenda of Foreigners Affairs, https://www.minv.sk/?agenda-of-foreigners-affairs-1
• EU Immigration Portal, Employed worker in Slovakia, https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/employed-worker-slovakia_en
• IOM Migration Information Centre, Single Permit, https://mic.iom.sk/en/work/3/251-single-permit.html

Last verified: 10 November 2026. Disclaimer: general guidance only, not legal advice. No job, visa or permit outcome is guaranteed. Rules change; the official pages above are the authority.