National visa
The Act on the Stay of Foreigners provides for the option of granting national visa to foreign nationals in the article 15. Among the grounds for granting the national visa is also one specific ground - "national interest". This cathegory has been rather vague but since 1 April 2022, two new governmental decrees will enter into force, specifying what constitutes "national interest" in particular cases.
National visa for high qualified foreign nationals
In accordance with Regulation No. 521/2021 Coll., it is in the Slovak Republic´s interest to grant a total of 3000 national visas to highly qualified third-country nationals in 2022. The regulation specifically applies to three groups of foreigners:
- graduates of Slovak or Czech universities who hold master´s degree minimum
- graduates of one of the universities listed here (available only in Slovak)
- graduates or postgraduates who will be employed on one of the positions with high added value for the Slovak´s economy listed here ( available only in Slovak) ( you may apply for a national visa granted in the Slovak Republic´s interest even if you are a graduate from a university, which is not listed in number 2, however, in this scenario, you are eligible to apply only for those job positions that have high added value for the Slovak´s economy - your national visa will include a specific code of job position you choose from the list when you submit your visa application)
If a foreigner falls to one of the listed categories, the Ministry of Interior may decide to grant him/her a national visa. The purpose of these visas is to allow highly qualified third-country nationals to arrive to Slovakia and seek a job here. The visa will be granted for 90 days within which a foreigner may look for a job. In case a foreigner would find a job before his/her arrival to Slovakia, he/she will be granted a visa for one year. After a foreigner finds a job, her/she may apply for temporary residence.
National visa for specific cathegories of citizens of Belarus, Serbia and Ukraine
The second Regulation No. 520/2021 Coll. applies to citizens of Belarus, Serbia, and Ukraine who would like to work as:
- bus driver (total of 150 national visas are expected to be granted in 2022)
- lorry driver - national and international transport (total of 1770 national visas are expected to be granted in 2022)
In case of both regulations, we would like to highlight that even if you, your friend or a relative fulfill mentioned conditions, it´s still fully up to the Ministry to decide whether the national visa will be granted to you or not. There is no legal title to this type of visa. On the other hand, the Ministry will have to provide an adequate statement of reasons if your application will be refused.