Crossing the border to Slovakia
I have Ukrainian citizenship
Neither you nor your family members will need a visa to enter Slovakia through the border crossings with Ukraine. All you need is a passport with biometric data.
If you are fleeing war zones, you may be granted an exception and allowed to cross the border with another form of identification, such as a Ukrainian ID card.
You can legally stay in Slovakia as well as other countries Schengen Area for 90 days within every 180 days with a valid biometric passport. To find out the number of remaining days use Schengen visa calculator. The validity of the passport must be at least three months longer than the intended date of departure from the territory of the member states and must have been issued within the last 10 years.
I have citizenship of another country
Before crossing the border, check whether the visa-free regime of entry into the territory of the Slovak Republic applies to persons with the citizenship of your country.
If you do not have the travel documents that are required of citizens of your home country (visa, passport with biometric data, etc.), you can only be allowed to enter the territory of Slovakia from Ukraine based on a humanitarian exception. Take any other identity documents, proof of residence in Ukraine (even after the expiration date) or the child’s birth certificate, if any. Your request for entry will be assessed individually by the border control staff on the Slovak side.
COVID-19
Neither a COVID test nor a vaccine is required to enter Slovakia.
Special conditions for crossing the Ukrainian border
Not all Ukrainian citizens are currently allowed to leave the territory of Ukraine.
Men at the age of 18 – 60
Due to the declaration of general mobilization, men at the age of 18 – 60 cannot leave the territory of Ukraine.
You can only leave Ukraine if you meet at least one of the listed exceptions, for example:
- You have an official certificate of disability, pension, or social assistance certificate (the document must be issued in Ukraine).
- You take care of three or more children under the age of 18.
- You are a single parent and take care of at least one child under the age of 18.
- As a single person, you provide daily care to a person in need.
- You need to be provided health care abroad.
- You study at a university abroad.
- You have a permanent residence outside the territory of Ukraine (read more HERE).
- In accordance with the decision of the Ukrainian government, you have a written decision on the postponement of conscription into the army.
- As a volunteer, you provide humanitarian aid in Ukraine, including the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- You help a women that is at least 35 weeks pregnant.
- If you work in critical infrastructure, traveling out of Ukraine is subject to special rules. Your employer will provide you with more information.
You can find more information about exceptions at Visitukraine.today.
Women above the age of 18
Due to the declaration of general mobilization, women who are employed in specified work areas cannot leave the territory of Ukraine.
You are not allowed to leave the territory of Ukraine if you work for the army, government authorities or you are a member of the state or regional administration. You can travel from Ukraine only with a written authorization for a business trip or in case of one of the following exceptions:
- Visiting children who live abroad.
- Accompanying children on their travel across the Ukrainian border.
- You need to be provided health care abroad.
- Based on a decision of the head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
- In case of death of a family member abroad.
Children and young people under the age of 18
Children and young people under the age of 18 can cross the border into Slovakia in the following cases:
- The child crosses the border accompanied by at least one parent.
- The child crosses the border accompanied by a family member. The family member can prove the relationship to the child (e.g., birth certificate, marriage certificate) or has a notarized parental consent to travel abroad.
- The child crosses the border accompanied by another person who is not a family member. The accompanying person has a notarized consent from both parents or from one parent with a verified consent from an institution authorized in Ukraine to grant consent for accompanying a child abroad.
- The child crosses the border on his/her own, with one adult family member accompanying him/her to the Ukrainian side of the border and another adult family member taking him/her over on the Slovak side. Both family members must prove the relationship to the child with the necessary documents, e.g. birth certificates, marriage certificates or notarized consent of the child´s parent(s) to travel abroad.
- The child crosses the border on his/her own and no one is waiting for him/her on the Slovak side of the border. In this case, the child will be taken over by social workers at the border crossing and placed in the care of one of the children’s homes in Slovakia.
The law does not allow crossing the Slovak border, picking up and taking care of other people´s child without the notarized consent of his/her parents or guardians. You need to get this consent in advance.
Taking care of other people´s children
If you are taking a child into your care from his/her parents (e.g., the parents remain outside the territory of Slovakia or no longer live), we recommend that you contact the nearest Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.
The staff of the Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family will provide you with advice regarding the legal residence of children in Slovakia and the granting of guardianship.
Pets
In order to be able to bring a companion animal (dog, cat, ferret, rabbit or rodent) to Slovakia, you must meet the following conditions. The same rules apply to citizens of Ukraine as to citizens of other states.
One person is allowed to transport a maximum of 5 animals.
You will be asked to fill out the entry form and show all the following documents during customs control:
- Marking the animal with a microchip.
- Valid vaccination against rabies.
- A valid rabies titre test with a satisfactory result.
- Accompanying document in the form of a prescribed health certificate confirmed by an official veterinarian.
- Declaration of the owner about the non-commercial intention of moving the animals (the declaration must be submitted in Slovak and in English; more information will be provided by the veterinarian or you can download a sample declaration from EUR-Lex).
Conditions of valid vaccination
- The vaccine was administered by an authorized veterinarian, who entered the date of vaccine administration in the veterinary document.
- The animal was at least 12 weeks old at the time of vaccination.
- In case of primary vaccination of the animal, the validity period begins 21 days after the vaccination (the next subsequent administration of the vaccine is considered a primary vaccination if it was not carried out within the validity period of the previous vaccination).
- The validity of the vaccination lasts until the end of the period of protective immunity, as stated in the technical specification of the vaccine, and which was entered by the veterinarian in the veterinary document.
I want to live in Slovakia
In order to be able to stay in Slovakia for a long time, you will have to make your stay legal in one of the following ways:
- Temporary protection (for persons with Ukrainian citizenship)
- Other forms of legal residence
External links
- https://www.minv.sk/?bezvizovy-rezim [visa-sk]
- https://www-minv-sk.translate.goog/?bezvizovy-rezim&_x_tr_sl=sk&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp [visa-en]
- https://www.visa-calculator.com/en/ [visa-calculator-en]
- https://www.visa-calculator.com/ru/ [visa-calculator-ru]
- https://visitukraine.today/blog/1385/vyezd-muzcin-za-granicu-v-2023-cto-izmenilos-dlya-voennoobyazannyx [visit-ukraine]
- https://mapujpomoc.pl/en/men-crossing-the-ukrainian-border/ [mapuj-pomoc]
- https://www.kmu.gov.ua/news/derzhprikordonsluzhba-shchodo-viyizdu-za-kordon-cholovikiv-yaki-postijno-prozhivayut-za-mezhami-ukrayini-zabronovanih-osib-ta-deyakih-inshih-kategorij [living-abroad]
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02013R0577-20210101 [eur-lex]
- https://www.upsvr.gov.sk/urady-psvr/kontakty-a-uradne-hodiny-uradov-prace-socialnych-veci-a-rodiny.html?page_id=112524 [upsvar]
