Slovakia
Generally, Slovakia accepts Ukrainian displaced people and offers accommodation, social benefits, and schooling.
However, the process of submitting an application is different for different groups of people, and, to get social benefits, Ukrainians have to apply to the Labour, Social Affairs, and Family Office. Same-sex marriages are recognised only if they have been registered abroad, but same-sex couples cannot adopt a child. The procedure of changing legal gender has required sterilisation until 2022, so the effective application of these legislative changes is still unclear.
Description
According to the EU Temporary Protection Directive, Slovakia is granting temporary protection to those displaced from Ukraine following Russian military aggression. Detailed information is available here:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/stronger-europe-world/eu-solidarity-ukraine/eu-assistance-ukraine/information-people-fleeing-war-ukraine_en
Citizens of Ukraine with a biometric passport can enter Slovakia under the visa-free regime and stay without a visa for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. Entry to the country is allowed to all people fleeing the conflict.
Upon individual assessment, entry will be also allowed for people without valid travel documents (biometric passport, visa). You can prove your identity with, for example, a valid or invalid travel document, an identity card, a driving licence or any other document with a photograph together with a birth certificate.
For minors, the application for temporary refuge shall be made in person at the hot spots (large capacity centres) by a legal guardian or a guardian appointed by the court; the minor must be present when the declaration is made.
If you have a travel, identification or other document, you will be given temporary shelter immediately. If not, your application will be processed within 30 days at the latest. If your application for temporary refuge is approved, you will be provided with a tolerated stay document marked "DOČASNÉ ÚTOČISKO" (initially, this document was marked "ODÍDENEC").
Under the directive, temporary protection will be provided for one year across the EU-27 (until March 2023), with the possibility of further extension for up to one year. For new arrivals from Ukraine, this temporary protection can be extended to family dependants rather than only applying to the nuclear family. Thus, a spouse, underage children, parents of an underage child, and other close relatives who have lived in the same household and have been wholly or partially dependent on their relative can apply for temporary protection along with a Ukrainian citizen.
Ukrainian citizens and their family members fleeing the war in their country can now apply for temporary protection in Slovakia electronically, via the online services of the Ministry of the Interior (available in Ukrainian, Slovak, and English), which will speed up the application process.
If a Ukrainian citizen wants to apply for temporary protection, large capacity centres are located in:
- Humenné: Chemlonská 7
- Michalovce: Športová 31
- Nitra: Akademická 4
- Bratislava: Bottova 7
- Žilina: Poštová 1
The Foreigners' Police Departments handle applications:
- Monday to Friday from 07.00 am to 07.00 pm
- Saturday, Sunday from 07.00 am to 15.00
The Foreigners' Police Departments in Bratislava, Dunajská Streda, Trnava, Prešov and Košice accept applications for temporary refuge only from pregnant women, families with children (only if there is at least one child under the age of 6), people over 65 and other vulnerable individuals. For others, transport to a large capacity centre will be provided.
Contact telephone numbers: 0850 211 478, +421 2 5263 0023, +421 55 625 8662, Telegram/Signal: +421 908 767
853 (voice calls only)
ua.gov.sk - portal of the public administration of the Slovak Republic
www.ukraineslovakia.sk - website prepared by the Human Rights League and NGO Mareena
Ministry of the Interior hotlines for Ukrainian speakers: +421 513 816 111 and +421 259 765 111
OZ Sme spolu (We are together): +421 911 201 889
In February-April 2022, displaced people could access social protection from the Labour, Social Affairs and Family Office after they have received a tolerated stay document with the designation "ODÍDENEC". However, from May 2022, they are only entitled to financial support from the OSN, UNHCR, UNICEF, and the Red Cross, supporting Slovakian authorities. This financial support will be available to Ukrainians from June 2022.
The amount of the allowance will be calculated based on the number of family members and their ages, up to a maximum amount of 380 euro. These amounts have been set by the government of Slovakia, according to the table below. All organisations participating in the emergency cash programme have agreed with the government of Slovakia to provide the same amount of assistance. For families where a member has a severe disability, it may be possible to receive additional cash assistance based on an assessment. UNHCR and the Red Cross will refer these families to UNICEF and IOM, who will conduct assessments and provide support accordingly.
| Category | Definition | Amount per individual per month |
| Adult | Age 18 and over | Euro 80.00 |
| Child (infant or toddler) | ≤ 3 years | Euro 160.00 |
| Child | 3+ years to <18 years | Euro 60.00 |
More detailed information on the provision of this support is given in the webpage: Information on financial support provided by international organisations.Children from Ukraine are entitled to a meal allowance in kindergarten and primary school (as long as they attend).For more information in Slovak and Ukrainian, as well as application forms, please visit the website of the Central Labour Office.
Ukrainians will receive urgent medical care upon presentation of proof of temporary protection status, and the cost of this will be covered by the budget of the Ministry of Healthcare. They will be able to receive urgent medical care within the first 30 days after entering Slovakia, even without having a document confirming their temporary protection status. After getting the relevant documents, they have indefinite access to urgent medical care. All Ukrainian citizens are entitled to free coronavirus vaccinations.
After crossing the border, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations will help you with finding an accommodation. The Slovak government encourages its citizens to offer their accommodation and provides them with financial support to this purpose. There are also humanitarian centres of the Migration Office, where a person can stay until another accommodation is found, but Ukrainians are accepted only if there are vacant places, which is rare, because these centres are mostly for refugees, not for people asking for temporary protection.
For information on different forms of assistance, please visit the following pages:
Kto pomôže Ukrajine (Who will help Ukraine) - a platform that covers various forms of assistance (accommodation, psychological, medical, financial assistance)
Pomoc pre Ukrajinu (Help for Ukraine) - lists of state, hotel and private accommodation
SOS Ukraine Slovakia - Ukrainian community in Slovakia Hotline +421 911 201 889 Email: ukrajina.sk.sos@gmail.com Facebook: Ukraine-Slovakia SOS
EL*C has created a lesbian hosting network of individuals who made their flats and spare rooms available to Ukrainian refugees. Please notice that EL*C can provide you with a temporary solution (up to a few months). Contact the relocation team at: +48 571 944 400 and info@lesbiangenius.org
After the application for temporary protection has been submitted, children can go to school in Slovakia; displaced people should visit the local kindergarten, primary or secondary school to enrol their child. The school will check their level of education and knowledge of the Slovak language and place him/her in the appropriate grade. After being enrolled in school, a child will also be provided with Slovak language tuition at the same time as their enrolment.
More information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic.
Information for university students can be found on the SAIA, n. o. website.
There are 2 possibilities for Ukrainian students to study at a Slovakian university:
- non-degree study (called "academic mobility") - for those who already started their study at a Ukrainian university (either at undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral level), and would like to collect ECTS credits for individual subjects which can then be recognised by the home university. If there is no dedicated special contact for Ukrainian students on the webpage of the respective university, search for the contact of its international relations office.
- full degree study – students have to be officially accepted by the Slovak university for a degree study, which usually means they have to pass the official admission process.
There is also a legal possibility of a transfer of study from a Ukrainian university to a Slovakian university. This process depends on the availability of a vacant place in the chosen Slovakian university, and the list of credits and exams Ukrainian students have passed in the Ukrainian university. The university is solely responsible for this decision.
For a full master's degree, a student will need to provide a diploma and a diploma supplement from at least a bachelor's degree. For a full PhD programme a candidate will need to provide a diploma and a diploma supplement from at least a master's degree. They may need to undergo a recognition process in order to use the aforementioned documents for admission to study - more information on recognition at https://www.minedu.sk/recognition-of-foreign-diplomas/.
Vehicles registered in Ukraine will be exempt from paying the highway toll.
The Slovak Railway Company has introduced free transport on all trains for citizens of Ukraine who present a valid passport or ID card. On trains with compulsory seat tickets, transport is also possible without a valid seat ticket for Ukrainian refugees.
Several Slovak regions are providing free bus transport.
Train and bus connections can be found HERE.
People granted temporary protection may enter the labour market immediately after they receive their status recognition, allowing employers to hire people that do not have a work permit yet, without having to meet the additional requirements usually stipulated for the employment of a third-country national in Slovakia. It means that employers can hire people even without a work permit, just with a granted temporary protection status.
If a person is granted temporary protection, he or she can work in Slovakia without needing further permits. However, they cannot run a business or be self-employed.
Practical information, tips and links to websites related to finding a job in Slovakia can be found here.
Transgender people in Slovakia have been allowed to change legal gender since 1995. Since 2022, the procedure doesn't require surgery and sterilisation any more. Since this legislation is very recent, its effective application is still unclear.
For LGBT+ people coming from the Slovak-Ukrainian border and going further, they can:
- Provide transport by car from the Slovak-Ukrainian border “Vyšné Nemecké – Užhorod” to Košice and its surroundings (if necessary, they can try to mediate queer-friendly transport further)
- Connect queer people heading to other countries with other LGBT + organisations that provide support (Prague, Budapest, etc.)
- Provide assistance with temporary queer-friendly accommodation in Košice (if necessary they can provide such accommodation elsewhere)
For LGBT+ people who are interested in staying in Slovakia - specifically in Košice and its surroundings, they also offer:
- Free psychological counselling
- Support on the needs of LGB people
- Support on the needs of transgender people
- Safe environment for meeting other LGBT + people
For LGBT+ people who do not have Ukrainian citizenship and cannot return to their home countries due to the threat of persecution, they offer support and can provide contacts and connections to the relevant organisations which can assist in the asylum application process.
For requests of help and support, please contact: help@pridekosice.sk
