Procedures for scholarship holders in relation to visa

Do I need visa to come and stay in Slovakia?

Where can I apply for a visa?

When shall I apply for a visa?

What documents shall you need?

How much is the visa fee?

 

The following information is for information purposes only, to help scholarship holders navigate the administrative obligations on arrival in Slovakia, and is not intended as binding legal advice. Binding information can be obtained from the relevant Slovak Embassy/Consulate General abroad or from the Foreign Police Departments in Slovakia. Once in Slovakia, also the assistance of Centres of Services for Foreigners (resp. Migration Assistance Points) may be used representing the official migration authorities.

Notes:

Scholarship holders of the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic (www.stipendia.sk) and scholarship holders of the Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies/CEEPUS (www.ceepus.saia.sk), who:

  • come from countries with a visa requirement, or
  • come from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland and their scholarship stay in Slovakia will last longer than 90 days,

can, in connection with the Resolution of the Government of the Slovak Republic no. 731 of December 8th, 2021, apply for a NATIONAL VISA (TYPE D), which will allow them not only to enter the territory of the Slovak Republic (if they need a visa to enter the Schengen area), but also to stay in the territory of the Slovak Republic for the duration of the scholarship stay without needing to apply for a temporary residence permit. National visa (type D visa) can be granted for a minimum of three months and a maximum of one year and cannot be extended beyond the one year.

In cases, you have been previously granted national visa in the interest of SR based on the Resolution of the Government of the Slovak Republic no. 731 of December 8th, 2021 (for programmes listed here: https://www.minedu.sk/list-of-the-programmes-interests-of-slovak-republic/), this procedure MIGHT NOT BE APPLICABLE and you may need to apply for a residence permit. Further details on the necessary procedure can be found at: https://www.researchinslovakia.saia.sk/en/main/welcome/visa-and-entry-conditions

 

Do I need visa to come and stay in Slovakia?

You can check whether you need a visa to enter Slovakia on the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic in the section "Do I need a visa to enter the Schengen area?" (https://mzv.sk/en/web/en/visa-and-services/schengen-visa#4398_zfwa_inpage_nav_2). At the same time, depending on which country you are a citizen of, you have the following options for legally entering and staying in the Slovak Republic during your scholarship:

  1. If you belong to the group of scholarship holders who do NOT NEED VISA to enter the Slovak Republic or the Schengen area and your scholarship stay lasts LESS THAN 90 DAYS (from the date of arrival to the Schengen area to the date of departure), you do not need to obtain any visa or a temporary residence permit for the duration of your scholarship stay.

Note: If your scholarship stay is for less than 90 days but you have already been in the Schengen area for the previous 180 days, please check whether you will need a visa in this case (https://ec.europa.eu/assets/home/visa-calculator/calculator.htm?lang=en)

If you are scholarship holder who will NOT HAVE VISA while entering the Slovak Republic or the Schengen area you have to fill ETIAS travel authorisation. ETIAS will start operations in the last quarter of 2026. https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias

  1. If you belong to the group of scholarship holders who do NOT NEED VISA to enter Slovak Republic or the Schengen area, but your scholarship stays lasts MORE THAN 90 DAYS (from the date of entering the Schengen area to the date of departing it), you have the following 3 options:
    • recommended solution - you can apply for a NATIONAL VISA (type D) at the Slovak Embassy/Consulate General of the Slovak Republic accredited to the country of your residence (or the external contracted party assigned to that country) prior to departure, and once the national visa is granted, arrive and stay in the Slovak Republic for the entire validity of the national visa (please note: the decision-making process for the national visa may take longer than 40 days - there are defined partial deadlines for the involved national authorities to assess the application - 12 working days and 25 days, in which case you should deal with the national visa application well in advance to allow time for the start of your scholarship stay); you can check the territorial responsibility of the Slovak diplomatic missions here: https://www.mzv.sk/en/web/en/visa-and-services/national-visa#4398_xmsp_inpage_nav_2;
    • simplified process but very tight timeframe (not recommended) - you can arrive for the scholarship stay and apply for a NATIONAL VISA (type D) in Slovakia (in this case, it is essential that you apply for a national visa as soon as you arrive in Slovakia, so that from the date of granted visa to the end of your stay is not less than 90 days (please note that national visa granting process when applying from the territory of Slovakia takes up to 30 days); for the sake of scheduling a visit to the relevant Foreign Police Department, you can try to book an appointment before your arrival in Slovakia - see below for details).

Note: if you arrive for the scholarship stay and miss the timeline for a national visa submission we recommend to apply for a temporary residence permit (see next point). However, in such a case different documents are required and need to be properly submitted;

If you are scholarship holder who will NOT HAVE VISA while entering the Slovak Republic or the Schengen area you have to fill ETIAS travel authorisation. ETIAS will start operations in the last quarter of 2026. https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias

  • alternative process - you can arrive for the scholarship stay and apply for a TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMIT in Slovakia. Please check and arrange necessary documents at home country before arrival. You can consult various options for temporary residence permit here: https://www.researchinslovakia.saia.sk/en/main/welcome/visa-and-entry-conditions/entry/third-countries/more-than-90/temporary-residence-old/
    When you submit a complete application for temporary residence at the foreign police, you can legally reside in the territory of SR until a decision is made on this application. The decision-making process depends on the purpose of the temporary residence permit but typically lasts between 30 and 90 days (e.g. the purpose of research – 30 days, special activity - 30 days, studies – 90 days).

    If you are scholarship holder who will NOT HAVE VISA while entering the Slovak Republic or the Schengen area you have to fill ETIAS travel authorisation. ETIAS will start operations in the last quarter of 2026. https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias

 

  1. If you belong to the group of scholarship holders who NEED VISA to enter the Slovak Republic or the Schengen area, and your scholarship stay lasts LESS THAN 90 DAYS, you have the following 3 options. You can apply for SCHENGEN VISA (type C):
    • at the Slovak Embassy/Consulate General of the Slovak Republic accredited to your country of nationality or residence;
    • in the visa centre, as long as the Slovak Republic is cooperating with an external service provider in the country of your residence;
    • at a diplomatic mission/visa centre of another EU Member State, with which the Slovak Republic has concluded an agreement on representation in issuing Schengen visas ("Visa representation agreements") in the country of your residence - https://mzv.sk/en/web/en/visa-and-services/visa-information/visa-representation-agreements). In such a case, the visa is issued in accordance with the procedures of the country that accepted the visa application, and the Slovak Republic has no influence on its decision.

Please note that the standard visa decision-making process takes 15 days. This period may be extended to up to 45 days if a more detailed examination of the application and/or additional documents are required. Hence it is necessary to deal with the visa application well in advance. Once you have been granted the visa, you can arrive and stay in the Slovak Republic for the visa's entire validity.

Please note that nationals of Bangladesh, Belarus, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, Vietnam shall submit a police-certified invitation to their application issued by the host institution (university, research organisation).

  1. If you belong to the group of scholarship holders who NEED VISA to enter the Slovak Republic or the Schengen area, and your scholarship stay lasts MORE THAN 90 DAYS, you have the following 3 options:
    • recommended solution - apply for a NATIONAL VISA (type D) at the Slovak Embassy/Consulate General of the Slovak Republic accredited to the country of your residence (or at the external contracted party assigned to that country) prior to departure, and once the national visa has been granted, you can arrive and stay in the Slovak Republic for the entire period of validity of the national visa (please note: the decision-making process for the national visa may take longer than 40 days - there are defined partial deadlines for the involved national authorities to assess the application - 12 working days and 25 days).
    • alternative standard solution - in certain life circumstances (especially when accompanied by a family member), it may be more convenient for you to obtain a TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMIT. Moreover, the Slovak diplomatic missions may apply some limitations in regard to the previously granted national visa in the interest of SR based on the Resolution of the Government of the Slovak Republic no. 731 of December 8th, 2021. It is advisable to consult various options for temporary residence permit here: https://www.researchinslovakia.saia.sk/en/main/welcome/visa-and-entry-conditions/entry/third-countries/more-than-90/temporary-residence-old/
      The decision-making process depends on the purpose of the temporary residence permit but typically lasts between 30 and 90 days (e.g. the purpose of research – 30 days, special activity - 30 days, studies – 90 days). However, in such a case specific documents are required and need to be properly submitted (including official authentication and translation of certain documents).

 

Where can I apply for visa?

NATIONAL VISA (TYPE D) as recommended above can be applied for:

  1. abroad in person at a Slovak Embassy/Consulate General accredited to the country of your residence (or at the external contracted party assigned to that country) - a list of Slovak Embassies/Consulates General is published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic  (https://www.mzv.sk/en/web/en/visa-and-services/national-visa#4398_xmsp_inpage_nav_2).
    If there is no such diplomatic mission or external service provider (visa centre), or in cases worthy of special consideration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can, in agreement with the Ministry of the Interior, designate another diplomatic mission or external service provider (visa centre) at which an application for a national visa can be filed.
  2. on the territory of the Slovak Republic, in person at any Foreign Police Department across Slovakia, while you need to make an appointment in advance.

The appointment needs to be booked via the dedicated online form available from: https://www.minv.sk/?nv.

  • After selecting the area and selecting a specific situation, the system will display the Foreign Police Department with the nearest reservation date;
  • Select the suitable Foreign Police Department and the reservation date;
  • When filling in the electronic reservation, follow the info icon/hint for each item;
  • After filling in all the items, the reservation will be created in the last step after pressing Print and the PIN code will be assigned;
  • It is necessary to keep the following information: PIN code, date when the reservation was made, date and time of appointment and address of the Foreign Police Office.
  • At the time of appointment, come to the Foreign Police Department, enter the PIN code into the terminal and print the ticket.The ticket number will be displayed signaling your turn.

SCHENGEN VISA (TYPE C) as recommended above can be applied for:

  1. at the Slovak Embassy/Consulate General of the Slovak Republic accredited to your country of nationality or residence;
  2. in the visa centre, as long as the Slovak Republic is cooperating with an external service provider in the country of your residence - https://www.mzv.sk/en/web/en/visa-and-services/visa-information/visa-centres;
  3. at a diplomatic mission/visa centre of another EU Member State, with which the Slovak Republic has concluded an agreement on representation in issuing Schengen visas ("Visa representation agreements") in the country of your residence - https://mzv.sk/en/web/en/visa-and-services/visa-information/visa-representation-agreements). In such a case, the visa is issued in accordance with the procedures of the country that accepted the visa application, and the Slovak Republic has no influence on its decision.

 

When shall I apply for visa?

NATIONAL VISA (TYPE D) – it is recommended to file the application at least 40 days before the planned start of the stay in Slovakia in case the visa application is lodged from abroad (the decision-making period is 12 working days and 25 days of the receipt of the application – those time periods are split to several steps of national authorities).

SCHENGEN VISA (TYPE C) - not earlier than 6 months before the planned start of the stay in Slovakia, but at least 15 days before the intended visit, taking into account the deadlines of the diplomatic mission for making a decision on the application. This period may be extended to up to 45 days if a more detailed examination of the application and/or additional documents are required.

 

What documents shall I need?

NATIONAL VISA (TYPE D)  

Information is provided at the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic: https://www.mzv.sk/en/web/en/visa-and-services/national-visa#4398_xmsp_inpage_nav_3

To be applied for on the basis of the Resolution of the Government of the Slovak Republic no. 731 of December 8th, 2021 to the Strategy of internationalization of higher education by 2030, you, as a scholarship holder, need to submit the following documents (https://www.mzv.sk/en/web/en/visa-and-services/national-visa#4398_xmsp_inpage_nav_3):

  1. completed and signed national visa application form (available at the website above);
  2. valid passport (passport must be valid for at least 90 days after departure from the Slovak Republic);
  3. 3 x 3.5 cm colour photograph showing the current appearance according to ICAO standards (details at: https://www2023.icao.int/Security/mrtd/Downloads/Technical%20Reports/Annex_A-Photograph_Guidelines.pdf)
  4. confirmation of adequate and valid health insurance covering medical expenses in the territory of the Slovak Republic for the entire period of the validity of the national visa;
  5. certificate of study or acceptance letter from the relevant educational institution
    • in the case of scholarship holders, the Letter of Award issued by SAIA, n. o. is submitted, confirming the purpose and sufficient financial means during the stay (attention: SAIA, n. o., is not the receiving/host institution, SAIA is only the administrator of the scholarship programme; hence, in your visa application please indicate the actual receiving/host institution where your stay will take place).
    • typically, also the acceptance letter from the receiving/host institution is required.

If necessary, the relevant authority (the Diplomatic Mission or the Foreign Police Department) may request additional documents in relation to your visa application. Hence, we recommend that you consult the relevant authority where you will be applying in advance.

SCHENGEN VISA (TYPE C)

In general, when lodging the application the applicant is required to submit/present:

  1. completed and signed application form available from: https://www.mzv.sk/web/en/visa-and-services/visa-application-forms or via online form  Electronic visa request.
  2. valid passport: 
  • the passport’s expiry date should be at least 3 months after the date of your departure from the Schengen area.
  • it shall contain at least two blank pages; 
  • it shall have been issued within the previous 10 years.  
  1. full-face colour photo according to ICAO standards (details at: https://www2023.icao.int/Security/mrtd/Downloads/Technical%20Reports/Annex_A-Photograph_Guidelines.pdf)
  2. allow the collection of fingerprints, where applicable
  3. providesupporting documents indicating the purpose and conditions of the stay
  • in the case of scholarship holders, the Letter of Award issued by SAIA, n. o. is submitted, confirming the purpose and sufficient financial means during the stay (attention: SAIA, n. o., is not the receiving/host institution, SAIA is only the administrator of the scholarship programme; hence, in your visa application please indicate the actual receiving/host institution where your stay will take place).
  • nationals of Iran, Morocco, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Belarus who apply for a Schengen visa (regardless of the purpose), must submit the invitation from the receiving/host institution authenticated by the respective Foreign Police Department. The process of authentication takes 15 days. The official form of the invitation: https://www.minv.sk/?pozvanie-cudzinca&subor=451913
  1. proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance 
  • covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation for the medical reasons (including in the event of death)
  • valid throughout the territory of the EU Member States and covering the entire period of your intended stay.
  • minimum coverage of 30 000 EUR. 

It is advisable to contact the local diplomatic mission abroad directly to find out what documents are required and accepted.

 

How much is the visa fee?

You can find the information here: https://www.mzv.sk/en/web/en/visa-and-services/schengen-visa#4398_zfwa_inpage_nav_11. The most applicable consular fees are the following:

  • NATIONAL VISA - in connection with the performance of commitments of the Slovak Republic under international treaties or in the interest of the Slovak Republic (including scholarship programmes based on the Resolution of the Government 731/2021) - 50 EUR
  • NATIONAL VISA - in connection with a residence permit application to be submitted in the Slovak Republic - 90 EUR
  • SCHENGEN VISA (in general, filed at the Slovak Embassy/Consulate General) - 90 EUR

When lodging the application at the visa centre you may be required to pay not only the administrative (consular) fee but also an additional service fee charged by the visa centre for the provided services. The service fee depends on the location and is regulated by the agreement concluded between the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic and the external service provider. Further information on the service fee will be provided by the diplomatic mission.

Certain categories of Schengen visa applicants may be exempt from the obligation to pay a visa fee: https://www.mzv.sk/en/web/en/visa-and-services/visa-information/visa-fees-exemptions.

Applying for a TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMIT may induce further processing fees. The administrative fee for issuance and delivery of the residence card within Slovakia is 10 EUR (within 30 days) or 39 EUR (within 2 working days). The administrative fee for filling a residence permit application can be waived in some circumstances; this could especially be the case for the purpose of studies, research and development, special activity (incl. scholarship holders of defined programmes and pedagogic staff or university teachers).