CURRENT HIRING FOR SLOVAKIA

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The Slovak Republic is part of the Schengen Area. This means that foreign nationals from nonvisa-exempt countries will need a Schengen visa to enter Slovakia. Several categories of Schengen visas are available, but the three most common types are the:

• Airport transit visa: This visa allows foreign nationals to travel through Slovakia on their way to another destination.

• Entry visa: An entry visa allows foreign nationals to enter the Slovak Republic for short-term purposes.

• Long-stay visa: A long-stay visa allows foreign nationals to remain in the Slovak Republic for an extended period of time.

• National visa: A national visa allows highly-skilled foreign nationals to live and work in the Slovak Republic for up to one year.

Foreign nationals who intend to work in Slovakia will need to obtain a Slovak work permit as well as a residence permit.

Foreign nationals will need the following documents to apply for a Slovakian Schengen visa:

• A completed application form

• A valid passport containing at least two blank pages

• Two recent passport photographs

• Proof of sufficient financial means

• Proof that the applicant has travel medical insurance coverage for their stay in Slovakia

• An employment contract with a company based in the Slovak Republic

To apply for a permit to work in the Slovak Republic, foreign nationals should be prepared to submit the following documents:

• A valid passport

• A signed application form completed in the Slovak language

• An employment contract or official job offer from an employer based in Slovakia

• Officially translated documents that support the applicant’s professional and educational qualifications for the position

The Slovakian Labour Office may require additional documents on a case-by-case basis.

Fixed-term contracts are permitted and may be agreed upon for at most two years. If the fixed-term employment is agreed upon for a shorter period, it can further be extended or renewed not more than twice within the two years for no longer than two years in duration.

A further extension or renewal of the fixed-term employment relationship to two years or over two years can be agreed upon only for specific reasons. Where the contract needs to end prior to the expiry of the fixed-term contract, it can only be ended via a mutual agreement between parties.

It is legally required to put a strong employment contract in place in the Slovak Republic, in the local language, which spells out the terms of the employee’s compensation, benefits, and termination requirements. An offer letter and employment contract in the Slovak Republic should always state the salary and any compensation amounts in euros rather than a foreign currency.

Slovaks work a 40 hour week, and overtime should not bring the total to more than 52 hours per week. 

 Slovakia celebrates 14 national holidays:

• Emergence of Slovakia

• Feast of the Epiphany

• Good Friday

• Easter Monday

• International Workers’ Day

• End of World War II

• Memory of St. Cyril and St. Methodius

• Slovak National Uprising

• Day of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic

• Day of Our Lady of Sorrows

• All Sants’ Day

• Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day

• Christmas Eve

• Christmas Day

Employees are generally entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave. Typically, one week is taken in the winter and three in the summer.

The paid holiday of an employee who at the end of the relevant calendar year is at least 33 years or is permanently caring for a child is at least five weeks.

Employees are eligible for paid sick leave as follows:

• First three days: 25% of normal wage, paid by the employer

• Days four through 10: 55% of normal wage, paid by the employer

• 11+ days: 55% of normal wage, paid by the Social Insurance Agency

Female employees are generally entitled to 34 weeks of paid leave. Single employees are entitled to 37 weeks. Leave generally begins six weeks before the due date, but may begin eight weeks prior. Women must take at least 14 weeks of leave, six of which must occur after the birth.

Fathers are generally entitled to paternity leave from the birth of the child until the end of the mother’s leave.

Parents may request parental leave until the child turns three.

If the female employee has had sickness insurance for a minimum of 270 days of the two years prior to the due date, she is entitled to a maternity benefit of 65% of her daily assessment base.

If an insured person, other than the mother takes care of a child, that person is entitled to 28 weeks of maternity benefit from the day that child care began at the same rate as above.

Only one insured person can receive a maternity benefit at a time.

The Slovak Republic has guaranteed healthcare. Private health insurance exists, but is not widely used.

Common employee benefits include:

• Company car

• Meal allowance

• Transportation allowance

• Education allowance

• Mobile phone

• Flex time

Annual bonuses are common in the Slovak Republic.

Probationary periods of up to three months are permitted.  Some senior managerial positions can have a six month probationary period.

Employees may be terminated in writing by:

• agreement
• notice of termination
• immediate dismissal or termination
• notice of termination during a probationary period

The general length of the notice period for a Slovak labor contract is:

• 1 month – statutory minimum notice period, unless a longer notice is stipulated by the Labour Code

• 2 months – if the employee was employed for at least 1 year but less than 5 years

• 3 months – if the employee was employed for at least 5 years

Employees are generally entitled to severance pay if they have been terminated because:

• the company dissolved or moved and the employee does not want to move

• the employee is made redundant

• the employee is no longer able to perform the job for health reasons

If the employee received notice, his/her severance pay should be at least one to four times the employee’s average monthly earnings, depending on the number of years of employment.

If the employee was terminated by agreement, he/she is entitled to one to five times his/her average monthly earnings, depending on the length of service.

If the employer terminates an employee’s contract either by notice or agreement because the employee cannot perform the job due to an occupational accident, occupational disease, or the risk of such a disease, the employee is entitled to at least 10 times his/her average monthly earnings.

Employers must contribute 35.2% of each employee’s gross salary to social security, subject to a cap.

Employees contribute 13.4% of salary to social security, also subject to a cap.

Social security includes the following funds:

• Retirement insurance

• Disability insurance

• Sick leave insurance

• Unemployment insurance

• Contribution into Reserve fund of the SIC

• Guaranty Insurance

• Injury Insurance

• Health care insurance

Before a foreign employee can apply for a Slovakian work permit, the employer must report the job opening to the Labour Office. Their doing so provides an opportunity for the Labour Office to find an eligible Slovakian citizen to fill the position. After 15 business days, the employee can move forward with the work permit application process.

Foreign nationals can begin the application process at the Slovakian embassy or consulate in their country of residence. However, it’s more common for the employer to initiate the application on behalf of the employee. Employers can submit the work permit application directly to the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, and Family in the Slovak Republic.

In addition to a work permit, foreign nationals will require a residence permit. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs is responsible for the issuance of residence permits for foreign nationals who intend to live and work in Slovakia. Like with the work permit, foreign employees should lodge this application before leaving their country of residence for Slovakia.

Slovakia is a full member of the European Union (EU). Therefore, citizens of other EU member states or countries within the European Economic Area (EEA) are exempt from work permit and visa requirements. However, the employer will still need to register their arrival with the appropriate authorities within a week of the start of employment. EU and EEA nationals will also need to provide a confirmed address in Slovakia for tax purposes.