Temporary protection: Slovakia
🛰️ Varta monitors 6 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: EU Temporary Protection Directive 2001/55/EC + Temporary Refuge Act • status valid until 04/03/2027 • already extended until 04/03/2028
Steps
- 1
Cross the border
Visa-free entry. UNHCR Slovakia collects all information in Ukrainian.
📍 Border crossing💳 Free - 2
Apply for dočasné útočisko at cudzinecká polícia
Apply for dočasné útočisko at the foreigners’ police (cudzinecká polícia). You receive confirmation — residence, work, healthcare, education rights.
📍 Foreigners’ police⏰ As soon as possible💳 Free - 3
Housing, healthcare, school
State humanitarian housing via the Interior Ministry/regions. Healthcare via insurance (state covers initial period). Children to local schools.
📍 Region / school💳 Free
Documents
Foreign passport
requiredChild’s birth certificate
requiredProof of residence before 24.02.2022
if availablePhoto
requiredUkrainian Embassies and Consulates
Map
Document samples and how to fill them
First name and surname in LATIN letters as in the passport.
Format DD.MM.YYYY.
Foreign passport number.
Address in Slovakia.
❌ Name in Cyrillic ❌ Missing signature
As in the passport.
Passport number.
Family members (for child benefits).
❌ Incomplete family data ❌ Missing signature
Benefits
Labour market access
Holders of dočasné útočisko.
How to apply: Automatic
Humanitarian housing
Eligibility for supported accommodation depends on the duration of protection and designated vulnerability criteria. Confirm the conditions with the municipality or Interior Ministry.
How to apply: Via region/Interior Ministry
Material-needs assistance
Temporary-refuge holders may apply for an eligibility assessment. Material-needs assistance and standard family benefits have different rules.
How to apply: The local Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family; documents: https://www.upsvr.gov.sk/media/medialne-spravy/uzitocne-informacie-pre-obcanov-ukrajiny-korisna-informacia-dla-gromadan-ukraini-useful-information-for-citizens-of-ukraine.html?page_id=1159972
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Where to apply
What happens after protection ends
After protection: residence permit on other grounds (work, study, family), permanent residence after 5 years.
What happens when protection ends
These are options for the future — you will need to choose ONE, and not now.
These routes are available outside temporary protection — work, study, family, business, etc.
The description below is a general scheme, similar across countries. Check exact requirements, fees and timelines via the official link in each card — they differ by country and change over time.
💼 Work-based residence — Slovakia
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: Foreigners’ police.
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
Foreigners’ police
The employer or the applicant files; the immigration authority decides.
Before the current status or permit expires.
- Collect the card/decision
- Register address and social number
Renewable together with the contract.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🎓 Study — Slovakia
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
Foreigners’ police
Apply via the institution or the immigration authority.
Before the semester starts.
- Register at the institution and locally
Yearly with continued studies.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
👨👩👧👦 Family reunification — Slovakia
Spouse, children or relatives of a resident or citizen.
Marriage/birth certificates; housing; sponsor income.
- Foreign passport
- Marriage/birth certificate
- Sponsor income proof
- Proof of residence
Foreigners’ police
The sponsor or family files; documents need apostille and translation.
Before the current status expires.
- Collect the family member card
Renewable; a path to permanent residence.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🏢 Self-employment/business — Slovakia
Company or self-employment registration; business plan or contracts.
Registration documents; tax number; funds; housing.
- Foreign passport
- Company/self-employment registration
- Business plan or contracts (optional)
- Proof of residence
Foreigners’ police
Register the business, then apply for residence as an entrepreneur.
Before the current status expires.
- Tax registration and bank account
Tied to the company activity.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🏠 Permanent residence — Slovakia
Usually after 5 years of continuous legal residence.
Stable income; housing; integration/language per national rules.
- Foreign passport
- Income proof
- Proof of residence
- Language/integration certificate (optional)
Foreigners’ police
Apply once the required residence period is met.
After the required residence period is met.
- Obtain permanent resident status
Permanent status; card replaced periodically.
Temporary protection time often counts towards the period (per national rules).
Opportunities: housing, jobs, grants
6 verified programmes: housing support, job portals, business grants, free courses — with direct official links and verification dates. Available with Varta.
Forms & samples (PDF)
FAQ
Do I need to do anything to keep my protection after the current period?
In Slovakia you do not have to do anything to keep temporary refuge (dočasné útočisko): it is extended automatically, with no separate application, no in-person visit and no card replacement — the Interior Ministry has done this every year, most recently on 18 Feb 2026, extending status to 4 March 2027. As of 3 September 2026 Slovakia has NOT yet announced the extension beyond 4 March 2027 (to 4 March 2028); based on previous years the ministry's announcement is expected around February 2027, and until then you can simply verify your status online on the ministry portal. Where: Ministerstvo vnútra SR (Migračný úrad / oddelenie cudzineckej polície PZ). There is no application for an extension — you do not need to file anything. You can check that your status is valid online: portal.minv.sk → Cudzinci → e-služby → «Overenie potvrdenia o tolerovanom pobyte» (https://portal.minv.sk/wps/portal/domov/ecu/ecu_elektronicke_sluzby/ecu-overenie-potvrdenia/); the service is available in Ukrainian. Important: The main risk is not inaction on your part, but the fact that the national step for 2027/2028 has not been taken yet. The last extension relied on the Slovak government resolution of 21.02.2025; there is no new resolution or announcement about the period after 04.03.2027 on the Interior Ministry's website (a search of the «Azyl a migrácia» section for «2028» returns 0 results as of 03.09.2026), and the June amendment to Act No 404/2011 on the residence of foreigners explicitly assumes that refuge will end «v marci 2027», providing only a one-year transition period after which, without an ordinary residence permit (work, study, business, family reunification + security check), you must leave. Source: https://www.minv.sk/?tlacove-spravy-6&sprava=docasne-utocisko-pre-odidencov-z-ukrajiny-na-slovensku-sa-automaticky-predlzuje-do-4-marca-2027 (checked 03.09.2026).
Where is all information in Ukrainian?
UNHCR Slovakia — step-by-step guides, contacts, housing, healthcare in Ukrainian.
Can I work?
Yes, dočasné útočisko grants work rights without extra permits.
Where do I apply for protection?
At the cudzinecká polícia (foreigners’ police) of your region.
Can I travel to Ukraine without losing my protection?
Absence from the country is not among the grounds for ending protection — so a trip in itself does not cost you the status. We give this with a caveat: we could not read the current consolidated text of the act, as the official portals returned an empty page. Indirect confirmation comes from Act 92/2022, which refers to the same provision. Before a long trip, check on ua.gov.sk or in person at the authority. Separately: if you live outside a shelter you must notify this in writing, and the accommodation contribution is paid per night, so you will not receive it while you are away.
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.