Apply for a National visa before coming to Slovakia

Do you need a visa before coming to Slovakia?

Visa check 

Please, apply for a VISA of type D (National VISA of the Slovak republic). The national visa allows the holder to stay in the territory of the Slovak Republic for the period for which the visa was granted (no other type of VISA). The national visa may be issued with maximum validity of 1 year. 

Conditions of granting of the National visa type D

The list of documents needed :

  1. a valid passport;
  2. a completed application form for the national visa; via the electronic system :  https://ezov.mzv.sk/e-zov/
  3. a 3 x 3,5 cm colour photograph;
  4. a certificate of studies or a letter of acceptance from the relevant educational institution,
  5. proof of health insurance valid for at least 30 days from the planned entry into the territory of the Slovak Republic; the embassy shall remind the applicant of the obligation to be insured for the entire period of his or her stay.
  6. a document indicating the date and means of transport to the Slovak Republic.

Once in Slovakia you will ask for the temporary residence for the purpose of study, for that you will need as well :

7. criminal record statement from your country of origin (Translated to Slovak by a certified translator in Slovakia - English version can be accepted but it needs to be authenticated and superlegalized).

We recommend paying special attention when gathering your criminal record extract, as this document has a limited time validity (when submitting your residency application in Slovakia it must not be older than 90 days – legal requirement). 

If you are coming via the ERASMUS +, or the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic, ask at your Embassy for a National Visa type D, for the whole period of your stay.  

What is the difference between a Schengen visa and National visa?

Schengen Visa (Type C)

  • Purpose: Short-term stays (up to 90 days in a 180-day period).
  • Scope: Valid for travel.
  • Examples of Use:
    • Tourism
    • Business trips
    • Family visits
    • Short-term studies or training

National Visa (Type D)

  • Purpose: Long-term stays (90 days and more according to your stay in Slovakia).
  • Scope: Issued by a specific Schengen for the purpose of coming, studying and applying for a temporary residence.
  • Examples of Use:
    • Studying (e.g., university degree)
    • Employment
    • Family reunification
    • Residency
  • Advantages:
    • Allows you to stay and work or study in the issuing country for more than 90 days. Allows you to apply for your residency permit.

 

Key Differences Summary Table

 

Key Differences Summary Table

Feature Schengen Visa (Type C) National Visa (Type D)
Duration Up to 90 days Can be over 90 days
Purpose Tourism, business, short visits Study, work, residence

Application deadline for the National Visa  

Embassies will confirm to the representative of the Welcome Centre, the date of the appointment for submitting the application. The applicant will be then informed by the Welcome Centre of the date. 

Visas: application forms to download

Legalization of your documents

Public documents issued abroad must be officially authenticated (apostille, consular legalization).  

Documents issued in a language other than Slovak must be translated to Slovak by a certified translator registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic.  

Please note, that the Foreign Police only accepts documents translated in Slovakia. Therefore, do not translate your documents before coming. 

The link to find all the official list of Translators

The photocopies of documents must be notarized. Do not submit originals.