Self-employment / Freelance in Slovakia
One documented route of this kind in Slovakia, with its conditions, documents, official government fees and process.
Temporary Residence for Business (Trade Licence / Company Director)
Effective 1 July 2025 (Act No. 404/2011 as amended by Government Regulation 182/2025): (1) All initial applications must be submitted exclusively at a Slovak diplomatic mission abroad — no domestic Foreign Police applications permitted. (2) An annual quota of 700 approved applications applies across all Slovak diplomatic missions worldwide; individual embassy allocations vary. (3) A business plan is mandatory for all applicants; the Ministry of Economy (economy.gov.sk) provides an advisory opinion on economic benefit to Slovakia. (4) Financial coverage must be demonstrated via two separate bank account balance confirmations: a personal account showing at least 12x the subsistence minimum (EUR 3,409.56 as of 1 July 2025, based on the EUR 284.13 monthly minimum) and a separate business-purpose account. (5) Applicants holding temporary residence for a non-business purpose may change to business residence only after accumulating at least 24 months of continuous lawful residence under their current permit. (6) Permit validity is now fixed at 3 years on initial grant.
- Processing time
- 90 days standard (30 days for business-service/technology-centre staff and significant-investor staff)
- Validity
- 3 years
- Language requirement
- None for the permit itself
- Permanent residence
- EU long-term residence after 5 years of continuous legal residence
- Citizenship
- Naturalisation generally after 8 years of permanent residence
Requirements
- Hold a Slovak trade licence (zivnost) OR be the authorised representative (konatel) of an s.r.o. (a mere shareholder does not qualify)
- Business plan (template on the Ministry of Economy site) plus feasibility/sustainability document
- Financial coverage proven by bank-balance confirmations from two separate accounts: 20x subsistence minimum (sole trader, EUR 5,682.60) or 100x subsistence minimum (company statutory representative, EUR 28,413)
- Valid passport
- Clean criminal record (not older than 90 days)
- Proof of accommodation (not older than 90 days)
- Filed only at a Slovak diplomatic mission abroad within the annual quota (Gov. Regulation 182/2025)
Required Documents
- Official application form required
- Valid passport required
- Trade licence (zivnost) or proof of being the s.r.o. authorised representative required
- Business plan plus feasibility/sustainability document required
- Bank-balance confirmations from two separate accounts proving financial coverage of stay and business required
- Criminal-record extract (apostilled, Slovak translation, not older than 90 days) required
- Accommodation document (not older than 90 days) required
- Medical report (within 30 days of collecting the card) required
Official fees
- Business residence application fee (embassy) 350 EUR
- Business residence application fee (Foreign Police, change of purpose only) 330 EUR
- Trade licence (unregulated trade) 7 EUR
- Trade licence (regulated/craft trade) 22 EUR
- Residence card issuance 10 EUR
Process Steps
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1
Obtain a trade licence or set up a company
Apply for a trade licence (zivnost) at the Trade Licensing Office (fee EUR 7 unregulated / EUR 22 regulated; issued within 3 working days) or establish an s.r.o. (registered capital >= EUR 5,000; minimum member contribution EUR 750) and become its konatel.
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2
Prepare the business plan and financial proof
Draft a business plan using the Ministry of Economy template and gather bank-balance confirmations from two separate accounts (20x or 100x subsistence minimum).
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3
File at a Slovak embassy within the quota
File the business residence application in person at a Slovak diplomatic mission abroad within the annual quota (no longer accepted at the Foreign Police except for change of purpose). Fee EUR 350.
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4
Renew with proof of taxed income
On renewal, sole traders must prove taxed income (tax base minus tax) of at least 20x subsistence minimum for the prior fiscal period.