<h2>What is a Residence Permit for Entrepreneurship in Slovakia – Terms and Definitions</h2>
<p><b>Residence Permit</b> (Slovak: Prechodný pobyt) – an official document granting foreigners the right to live legally in a foreign country for a certain period and for specific purposes (e.g., for business activity, employment, or family reunification). If the purpose for which the residence permit was granted ceases to exist, the validity of the document is also lost.</p>
<p><b>Živnosť</b> – a colloquial term used to describe the form of entrepreneurial activity for individuals (sole proprietors) in Slovakia.</p>
<p><b>Permanent Residence</b> (Slovak: Trvalý pobyt) – a document granting foreigners the right to reside in the country indefinitely without the need to define specific purposes. In Slovakia, permanent residence can be obtained after 5 years of living with a residence permit (except for residence permits granted for study purposes, where the residence period is counted as one year for every six months).</p>
<div class="blog-services" style="background-color: #fff7ed;">
<h3>⚠️ ATTENTION: This article is outdated!</h3>
<p>Due to significant changes in <b>Act No. 404/2011 on the Residence of Foreigners,</b> which came into effect on <b>July&nbsp;1,&nbsp;2025,</b> the information below is no longer valid.<br/>
<p>Key innovations that changed the procedure:</p>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><li><p>Applications for business residence permits must now be submitted exclusively through consulates outside of Slovakia [2].</p></li>
<li><p>A business plan is now a mandatory document for every applicant [3].</p></li></ul>
<p>Current information and a full list of new rules can be found in our article <a href="/en/blog/slovakia-residence-law-changes-2025" target="_blank">👉&nbsp;Changes to the Foreigners' Residence Act from 01.07.2025</a></p>
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<h2>How to Obtain a Residence Permit in Slovakia: Step-by-Step Guide and Basic Requirements</h2>
<p>The issuance of residence permits in Slovakia is regulated by the Foreigners’ Residence Act <a href="https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2011/404/" target="_blank">(Act No. 404/2011)</a>. To obtain temporary residence (residence permit), you must fulfill the requirements outlined in the legislation, which we will discuss in detail below.</p>

<h3>Confirmation of the Purpose of the Residence Permit</h3>
<p>For obtaining a residence permit for business purposes, the document confirming the purpose of stay can be a business plan written in Slovak or a business license <i>(Slovak: živnostenské osvedčenie).</i></p>
<p>Providing a business plan as proof of purpose is objectively a bad decision. The Ministry of Economy of Slovakia will assess it to determine whether your future entrepreneurial activity aligns with the country's interests.</p>
<div class="blog-disclaimer"><p><b>⚠️ Useful Information:</b> <i>"If it is easier for the government to avoid responsibility and not approve something, it will certainly take that opportunity 🤡"</i></p></div>

<p style="margin-bottom: 5px;">An alternative and reliable way to confirm the purpose of obtaining a residence permit is to provide a business license. Anyone who meets the following requirements can register a business in Slovakia:</p>
<ul><li>Over 18 years of age;</li>
<li>Legal capacity;</li>
<li>No criminal record.</li></ul>
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<p>If you do not have permanent residence in an EU/EEA country or a residence permit in Slovakia that allows you to engage in entrepreneurial activities, after registering a business, you will not be able to operate it. In other words, you will get a business (individual entrepreneur/živnosť or LLC/s.r.o.) that will not be active and will not even be published in the publicly accessible business registry and company register (<a href="https://orsr.sk" target="_blank">orsr.sk</a> and <a href="https://zrsr.sk" target="_blank">zrsr.sk</a> respectively).</p>
<p>However, you will receive a business license, which will serve as the document confirming the purpose of your residence permit, and thus, you won’t have to prepare a business plan and rely on the “mercy” of the Ministry of Economy employee.</p>
<p>You can register as a sole proprietor for only 150 euros <a href="/en/sluzby/zalozenie-zivnosti" target="_blank">via the link.</a></p>

<div class="blog-disclaimer"><p style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><b>⚠️ Useful Information:</b> <i>List of residence permits that allow entrepreneurial activities:</i></p>
<ul><li>Residence permit for entrepreneurship,</li>
<li>Residence permit for family reunification,</li>
<li>Residence permit for study purposes,</li>
<li>Residence permit for research activities,</li>
<li>Permanent residence in an EU/EEA country,</li>
<li>Temporary protection in Slovakia (Slovak: dočasné útočisko).</li></ul></div>

<h3>Confirmation of Financial Support</h3>
<p>One of the most difficult stages of obtaining a residence permit is proving adequate financial support for living and doing business. Since July 15, 2024, the only acceptable document for confirming financial stability is a bank transaction statement in the name of the applicant for the last three months.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 5px;">You need to provide two separate statements from two different accounts.</p>
<ul><li>To confirm financial support for <b>living</b>, one of the accounts must have an amount exceeding 12 times the minimum living wage. As of 2024-2025, this amounts to <samp>€3,287.88</samp> (273.99 x 12).</li>
<li>To confirm financial support for <b>entrepreneurial activity</b> as an individual entrepreneur <i>(Slovak: živnosť)</i>, the other account must have more than 20 times the minimum living wage, which amounts to <samp>€5,479.80</samp> (273.99 x 20).</li></ul>
<p>You can provide statements from both Slovak and foreign bank accounts. The key is that the statements must be signed, stamped, and either written in Slovak or translated into Slovak by a government-certified translator.</p>
<p>The statements must be issued no later than 90 days ago.</p>
<p>This requirement is an obvious relic in the foreigner residence law. If you have only one account with funds (as most people do), you won’t be able to prove financial support, even if you have a million euros in it 🤡. You will need to open another account, deposit funds, and wait at least 3 months.</p>
<div class="blog-disclaimer"><p><b>⚠️ Useful Information:</b> <i>"If you decide to open bank accounts in Slovakia, keep in mind that it’s not necessary for individual entrepreneurs to open a business account. A regular personal account will be much easier to open. Don't be surprised if some bank employees try to "turn you away". For Slovak banks, a foreign client is an additional risk. If you’re denied opening an account at one branch or bank, just try another one. Sooner or later, they’ll open an account for you ;)"</i></p></div>

<h3>Confirmation of Residence</h3>
<p>There are several ways to confirm your residence. In this article, we won’t suggest ineffective options, like "providing a rental agreement" (since in 99% of cases, the landlord must notarize their signature for the document to be valid, and almost no one does or will do this).</p>
<p>So, the only truly reliable document for confirming residence is a statement from the property owner confirming that they are providing accommodation to you. If the owner is an individual, the signature must be notarized. If the owner is a legal entity (e.g., an LLC), a stamp and signature on the document are sufficient. You can find the document template via the link.</p>
<p>The document must be issued no later than 90 days ago.</p>
<p>Some realtors, helpers, and dormitory owners sell such confirmations (which, of course, we do not recommend).</p>

<h3>Confirmation of Criminal Record</h3>
<p>Like most European countries, Slovakia does not wish to accept individuals with a criminal past. Therefore, you need to provide criminal record certificates from your country of citizenship and from all countries where you have lived for more than 90 days in the last 3 years (clarification: more than 90 days in a 6-month period). The certificates must be apostilled and translated into Slovak by a government-certified translator.</p>
<p>The certificate must be issued no later than 90 days ago. However, in justified cases, the migration police department may accept a certificate issued more than 90 days ago if the period between its issuance and the applicant's arrival in the Slovak Republic does not exceed 90 days.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 5px;"><i><b>Useful Information for People with Criminal Records:</b></i><br/>
<i>According to § 121, paragraph 4 of the Foreigners’ Residence Act, a person who has been convicted is considered to have no criminal record if the period required for the expungement of the conviction under the Slovak Criminal Code has passed. This means:</i></p>
<ul><li><i>If the person was sentenced to less than 1 year, they are considered to have no criminal record 3 years after serving the sentence.</i></li>
<li><i>If the sentence was for more than 1 year, the status of having no criminal record is acquired 5 years after serving the sentence.</i></li>
<li><i>Persons sentenced to more than 5 years are considered to have no criminal record 10 years after serving the sentence.</i></li></ul>

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<h3>Reservation of a Slot in the Migration Police</h3>
<p>There is no way to submit an application for a residence permit through a live queue at Slovak migration police – all applicants must make a reservation due to the outdated and slow <a href="https://portal.minv.sk/wps/portal/!ut/p/a1/jdFBD4IgGAbgn8QLIcoRygDLnJWrvDRPza2sQ-v3R60O1sK-G9vzMt4PUpMtqbvm1h6aa3vumuPjXIs9xzi12QyZkWqEUmimoqIAwD3YeYAfo9DPYxlNUVJjdW7AwNkrHwC9fGLX_tLZNLKyXIxg6Gf-G_TyRU4FVJWvtZIVg3m_f2yU5fH80ShhcBNtJ7HMASf-ywfAwP42pH4SypijeuVJUkoo40TMUk2R0AHg8AKhDk8Q-qRgTURDgJPLqfKzRetadwfspzGT/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/" target="_blank">online reservation system.</a> Be patient and enthusiastic when making a reservation ;)</p>

<p>Currently, those who have never had a residence permit in Slovakia can submit documents at any migration police department. Those who have or had a residence permit must go to the migration police department at their registered address.</p>

<p>It’s easier to make the reservation on a computer or laptop. After it’s created, you’ll receive an SMS with a PIN code. Make sure to save it, as you’ll need it to input in a special terminal at the migration police. You’ll also get an email with a link to cancel the reservation. If you know that you won't be able to make it to the scheduled time, please cancel it.</p>
<p>After creating the reservation, a PDF application will be generated. It’s recommended to download and print it before visiting the police. If you can’t download the application for any reason, you can print the empty template and fill it in manually.</p>

<h3>Payment for Government Services. Ekolky</h3>
<p>Ekolky are proof of payment for government services. You can make the payment directly at the migration police using a special terminal. Please note that some terminals do not accept cash, so make sure you have funds on your bank card.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 5px;">You need to pay for the services: </p>
<ul><li>Issuance of residence permit for entrepreneurial activity (code 554, cost <samp>€330.00</samp>), </li>
<li>Issuance and delivery of the residence permit card (code 547, cost <samp>€10.00</samp>).</li></ul>
<p>Make sure to write down the service codes separately – they’ll help you quickly find the necessary government services at the terminal when purchasing Ekolk.</p>

<h3>Small Organizational Matters</h3>
<p>Before visiting the migration police, be sure to check all your documents. You’ll also need two passport-size photos measuring <samp>3.5 x 3.0 cm</samp> and your international passport. It’s recommended to arrive at the migration police 15 minutes before your scheduled time.</p>
<p>In our article, we often mention translations done by government-certified translators. This is important because translations by other translators are not accepted. You can find the list of government-certified translators <a href="https://www.justice.gov.sk/registre/prekladatelia/?stav_string=zapis&rozhodnyDatum=14.08.2024&pageNum=1&size=10&sortProperty=meno_sort&sortDirection=ASC" target="_blank">in the official registry.</a></p>

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<h2>What You Need to Apply for a Residence Permit in Slovakia: Documents, Deadlines, Conditions</h2>
<ol><li>Slovak business license <i>(Slovak: živnostenské osvedčenie).</i></li>
<li>Bank transaction statements for the last three months: accounts should have at least <samp>€3,287.88</samp> and <samp>€5,479.80</samp>, statements should be no older than 90 days and translated into Slovak.</li>
<li>Confirmation of residence in Slovakia: this must be done by the property owner where the applicant will stay (sometimes purchased for a fee), the document should be no older than 90 days.</li>
<li>Criminal record certificate from the country of citizenship and from all countries where the applicant has lived for more than 90 days in the last 3 years: document must be apostilled, translated into Slovak by a government-certified translator, and no older than 90 days.</li>
<li>Ekolky for residence permit issuance (code 554, cost <samp>€330.00</samp>) and residence permit card delivery (code 547, cost <samp>€10.00</samp>).</li>
<li>Two passport-size photos <samp>3.5 x 3.0 cm.</samp></li>
<li>Completed application form.</li>
<li>Reservation at the migration police.</li>
<li>International passport.</li></ol>

<h2>What to Do After Receiving a Residence Permit in Slovakia: Registration, Insurance, Taxes</h2>
<p>If the document package fully meets the requirements, you will receive approval for your residence permit within 90 days of submitting your application. First, you will receive an SMS about the approval, and then the residence permit card will be sent to you by mail. Your business will also be registered in the company register on the website <a href="http://zrsr.sk" target="_blank">zrsr.sk.</a></p>
<p>After receiving the residence permit card, you must register with a medical insurance provider and pay the insurance premiums of <samp>€97.8 per month</samp> (you will receive the payment details). Slovakia has three health insurance companies: Dovera, Union, and VšZP. You can contact any branch. Some insurance companies, such as Union, offer the possibility to register online.</p>
<p>Additionally, you need to undergo a special medical examination for the migration police <i>(Slovak: lekárska prehlídka cizokrajných chorôb)</i> at a certified clinic. A list of clinics is available <a href="https://www.minv.sk/?information-for-foreigners&subor=480176" target="_blank">here.</a> After the medical examination, you also need to send the certificate by mail to the migration police at your registered address.</p>
<p>After <b>five years of residence</b> in Slovakia on the basis of a residence permit, you have the right to apply for permanent residence.</p>

<h2>Where to Start the Process of Obtaining a Residence Permit in Slovakia for Entrepreneurship</h2>
<p>Starting a business in Slovakia with OkiDoki is easy. We have already prepared everything for you:</p>
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How to get a residence permit in Slovakia for business: documents, deadlines, sole proprietorship (živnosť) registration, and renewal.

Residence Permit in Slovakia for Business Purposes (for Third-Country Nationals)