Slovakia
Phone Code
+421
Capital
Bratislava
Population
5.5 Million
Native Name
Slovensko
Region
Europe
Eastern Europe
Timezone
Central European Time
UTC+01:00
On This Page
Slovakia is a landlocked Central European country at the heart of the Carpathian arc, bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the south-west and Czechia to the west. The capital Bratislava sits on the Danube only 60 kilometres from Vienna — the closest pair of European Union capitals (followed by Rome and the Vatican) — and a fast-train ride or the Twin City Liner hydrofoil joins the two cities in around an hour. The country runs from the Bratislava lowlands and the Záhorie pine plain in the west, through the rolling Považie and Nitra wine country, the central spas and silver-mining towns of Banská Štiavnica and Banská Bystrica, the dramatic gorges of the Slovak Paradise (Slovenský raj) and the Slovak Karst caves, the medieval Spiš heartland with its UNESCO Spiš Castle and Levoča town, the Slovak Paradise and Low Tatras (Nízke Tatry) ranges, and up to the High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry) — the highest section of the Carpathians, with Gerlachovský štít (2 655 m) as Slovakia's highest peak — sharing the spine with Poland. Slovakia is an EU member (2004), a Schengen member (2007) and a eurozone member (2009 — the euro replaced the Slovak koruna). The country is one of Europe's deepest castle-and-fortress landscapes (more than 180 castles and castle ruins, several of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites — Spiš, Bojnice, Trenčín, Bratislava, Devín, Orava), with eight UNESCO sites overall (Spiš Castle and associated cultural monuments, Banská Štiavnica historic town and technical monuments, Vlkolínec preserved wooden village, Bardejov medieval town, Levoča with its world's-tallest Gothic wooden altar at St. James Church, the Carpathian wooden churches, the Caves of Aggtelek and Slovak Karst, and the Primeval Beech Forests). The official language is Slovak (mutually intelligible with Czech), the currency is the euro (EUR), and English is widely spoken in Bratislava, Košice and the major tourist regions, with German very common in the western Bratislava–Trnava–Trenčín belt because of the close ties to Vienna and Lower Austria.
Slovakia visa system overview
Slovakia is a Schengen Area member and applies the standard Schengen short-stay framework for tourism, business and short courses up to 90 days within any 180-day period, with longer stays — work, study, family reunification and residence — handled separately on a national track. EU and EEA citizens enter freely under free-movement rules with an ID card or passport. Citizens of around sixty visa-exempt third countries — including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Israel and most Latin American and Gulf countries — enter visa-free for short stays, with a passport that meets the Schengen validity rules (issued less than ten years before the date of arrival and valid at least three months beyond the planned departure from the Schengen Area, with at least one blank page). Travellers from countries that require a Schengen visa apply at the Slovak embassy or consulate covering their place of residence, or at any Schengen member state's mission acting on Slovakia's behalf, with the standard Schengen documentation: completed application form, passport-style photographs, a return or onward ticket, accommodation evidence, travel insurance with a minimum of EUR 30 000 in medical cover valid across the Schengen area, evidence of sufficient funds (around EUR 50 per day), and the visa fee. The Schengen-issued visa is valid for the entire Schengen Area, so a Schengen visa held for any other Schengen country also covers travel to Slovakia. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) records biometric data — fingerprints and a facial photograph — at the first Schengen crossing for non-EU short-stay visitors, and the ETIAS travel authorisation, applied for online before travel, is the parallel pre-clearance step for visa-exempt nationalities. Cash declaration above EUR 10 000 is mandatory at entry to and exit from the EU external border. Long-stay categories — National D Visa, Temporary Residence Permit (Pobytová karta) for work, study, family reunification, business, research and EU Blue Card — are filed at Slovak diplomatic missions abroad and finalised in Slovakia at the Foreigners' Police (Cudzinecká polícia). Bratislava M.R. Štefánik International Airport (BTS) is the country's main international gateway alongside Košice (KSC) in the east; Vienna International (VIE) one hour to the west is the largest air gateway used by Slovak travellers and is connected to Bratislava by frequent buses (Slovak Lines, FlixBus, RegioJet) and the EuroCity train.
Common Visa Types
Schengen short-stay (visa-free or Schengen visa)
The standard route for tourism, family visits, conferences, contract negotiations, short courses and cultural events up to 90 days within any 180-day period. EU/EEA citizens enter freely with an ID card or passport. Nationals of the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Israel and most Latin American and Gulf countries enter visa-free with a Schengen-compliant passport. Schengen-visa nationalities apply at the Slovak embassy/consulate, or at any other Schengen member state's mission acting on Slovakia's behalf, with the standard Schengen documentation. The Schengen-issued visa covers travel to Slovakia even if it was issued by another Schengen country.
National D Visa (long-stay)
For stays exceeding 90 days that are tied to a specific national purpose — usually paired with a subsequent Temporary Residence Permit. The Slovak National D Visa is the visa that allows entry into Slovakia for the purpose of applying for the residence permit at the Foreigners' Police, and is filed at the Slovak embassy or consulate of residence with the documentation that supports the underlying residence purpose (employment contract, university admission letter, family-relationship certificates, business plan, research grant) plus passport, photographs, the visa fee and the standard Schengen documentation.
Temporary Residence Permit — Employment & EU Blue Card
Required for paid employment in Slovakia. The standard route is the employer-sponsored work-permit-and-residence track at the Slovak Foreigners' Police (Cudzinecká polícia); the EU Blue Card track for highly qualified non-EU professionals against a salary threshold around 1.5× the average Slovak gross wage runs faster and offers easier intra-EU mobility after 18 months. Concentrated employer demand in Bratislava (BMW, Volkswagen, Amazon, Siemens, IBM, Deloitte, ESET — the Slovak antivirus company), the Trnava–Trenčín automotive corridor (Stellantis Trnava, Volkswagen Bratislava, Kia Žilina, Jaguar Land Rover Nitra), Košice in the east (US Steel and the eastern industrial belt), and the IT and shared-service sector in Bratislava and Košice.
Temporary Residence Permit — Study
For full-time studies at Slovak universities and recognised institutions, including Comenius University Bratislava (the country's oldest, founded 1919), the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, the Technical University of Košice, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, the University of Žilina, the University of Economics in Bratislava and several private universities and higher-education institutes. The institution issues the admission letter; the student applies at the Slovak embassy of residence with the admission letter, evidence of fee payment where applicable, financial means at the published level, accommodation evidence, photographs and the visa fee.
Temporary Residence Permit — Family Reunification
For non-EU spouses, registered partners, cohabiting partners and children of Slovak citizens, of EU citizens exercising free-movement rights in Slovakia, or of permit-holding non-EU residents. Filed at the Slovak Foreigners' Police; documentation covers the relationship (marriage, registered partnership, joint cohabitation evidence, birth certificates), accommodation and means-of-support requirements that apply to the sponsor in most categories, and a biometrics appointment at a Slovak embassy or consulate before entry.
Temporary Residence Permit — Business, Research & Self-Employment
Long-stay routes outside the standard work-permit track. The Business and Self-Employment Permit suits founders relocating an existing or new business to Slovakia (business plan, sector experience, capital evidence, market case); the Research Permit is the dedicated route for non-EU researchers at Slovak universities and the Slovak Academy of Sciences institutes against a hosting agreement. Slovakia's Investment Aid scheme (since 2017) and the Trnava–Žilina–Košice industrial corridor make this route active for foreign investors in automotive, IT and shared services.
Practical information for Slovakia travel
Travel Guide
Slovakia rewards travellers who combine Bratislava with the High Tatras and one or two of the cultural belts in between. Most visitors arrive at Vienna International (VIE) one hour west of Bratislava (frequent Slovak Lines, FlixBus and RegioJet buses, the EuroCity train, or the Twin City Liner hydrofoil down the Danube from Vienna in 75 minutes) or directly at Bratislava M.R. Štefánik International (BTS) on Ryanair, Wizz Air, Smartwings, Eurowings and a handful of other carriers; Košice (KSC) in the east is served by direct flights from Vienna, Prague, London, Düsseldorf, Istanbul and several seasonal connections. Bratislava itself is the centrepiece — the Old Town (Staré Mesto) with the pedestrianised Hlavné námestie around the Old Town Hall, the cluster of small statues (Čumil the «Watcher» peeking out of a manhole, the Napoleon's Soldier leaning on a bench, the Schöne Náci dandy in top hat), the Michael's Gate (the only surviving medieval city gate), St. Martin's Cathedral (Gothic, with a 85-metre spire and a green-copper crown on top), Bratislava Castle on the Danube cliff above the city, the Devín Castle ruins where the Morava joins the Danube ten kilometres west, and the UFO Bridge observation deck for the panoramic city-and-Danube view. The High Tatras are the country's nature signature — a compact alpine range (26 km long, 17 km wide) rising directly from the Carpathian foothills to the country's highest peak Gerlachovský štít at 2 655 m; the resorts of Štrbské Pleso, Tatranská Lomnica and Starý Smokovec hold the cable cars (the Lomnický štít cable car at 2 634 m is one of the most dramatic in central Europe), the alpine lakes and tarns, the year-round hiking trails (some via-ferrata-rated and requiring guides) and the winter ski season from December to March. The Slovak Paradise (Slovenský raj) and the Low Tatras (Nízke Tatry) round out the mountain map — the Slovak Paradise is famous for its gorge-hiking trails with metal ladders, chains and wooden walkways bolted to the rock face, a uniquely Slovak adventure-hiking experience. The cultural belt south of the Tatras carries the medieval town of Levoča (UNESCO, with the world's tallest Gothic wooden altar by Master Pavol of Levoča at 18.6 m in St. James's Church), the great UNESCO Spiš Castle ruins, the wooden churches of the Carpathian arc (eight of them on the UNESCO list), Bardejov, Banská Štiavnica (the silver-mining town with the great UNESCO technical monuments), Banská Bystrica, the Bojnice fairytale castle in central Slovakia, the Trenčín and Orava cliff-castles, the Vlkolínec preserved wooden village, the Slovak Karst caves and the spa towns of Piešťany, Trenčianske Teplice and Bardejovské Kúpele. Slovakia is one of central Europe's most affordable destinations and one of its least crowded — Bratislava handles a fraction of the visitors of Vienna, Prague or Budapest in spite of being a one-hour ride from any of them.
Ways to Experience This Destination
The Slovak capital sits on the Danube only sixty kilometres from Vienna, the closest pair of European Union capitals (followed by Rome and the Vatican). The Old Town (Staré Mesto) clusters around Hlavné námestie with the Old Town Hall (now the City Museum), the eighteenth-century Roland Fountain and the cluster of small bronze statues that have become the city's signature — Čumil the «Watcher» peeking out of a manhole, the Napoleon's Soldier leaning on a bench, the Schöne Náci dandy in top hat, the Paparazzi photographer. Michael's Gate (Michalská brána) on the north edge of the Old Town is the only surviving medieval city gate, with a small weapons museum and tower view. St. Martin's Cathedral (Gothic, fourteenth-century origins) is topped by a distinctive green-copper crown; the green-roof tower is one of the city's most photographed silhouettes. Bratislava Castle (Bratislavský hrad) on the Danube cliff above the city houses the Slovak National Museum and offers panoramic views over the Danube to Austria and Hungary. Devín Castle ten kilometres west, on a cliff above the Morava-Danube confluence, is the romantic ruin of the early Slavic Great Moravian state. The UFO Bridge observation deck (Most SNP, 95 m above the Danube) gives the city's headline panorama.
The High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry) are the highest section of the Carpathians and the headline natural attraction of Slovakia — a compact alpine range only 26 km long and 17 km wide, with the entire spine forming the border with Poland. Gerlachovský štít (2 655 m) is Slovakia's highest peak, climbed only with a registered mountain guide via the Velická dolina ridge. The three main resorts — Štrbské Pleso (the alpine lake at 1 350 m, the iconic ski-jump complex from the 1970 World Championships, the year-round hiking-and-skiing base), Tatranská Lomnica (the great cable car to Lomnický štít at 2 634 m, one of the most dramatic in central Europe, summit observatory open in summer) and Starý Smokovec (the family-friendly base lower down) — connect by the electric Tatra Railway (Tatranské elektrické železnice, TEŽ) that has run since 1908. Glacial lakes (Štrbské Pleso, Popradské pleso, Skalnaté pleso, the Five Spiš Lakes) sit in mountain cirques above the treeline. The Belianske Tatry sub-range north-east holds the Belianska Cave (limestone karst, open to visitors). Wildlife: chamois, marmots, golden eagles, brown bears (rarely seen but present). Best windows: December–March for skiing, June–September for hiking when the high passes are snow-free.
The Spiš (Zips) region in eastern Slovakia is one of central Europe's deepest medieval landscapes. Spišský hrad (Spiš Castle, UNESCO World Heritage Site) is one of the largest castle complexes in Europe — a sprawling hilltop ruin of about 4 hectares with twelfth-century origins under the Hungarian Kingdom; the Romanesque palace, the Gothic cathedral, the curtain walls and bastions are all visitable, and the panoramic view stretches across the Spiš plain to the High Tatras on the horizon. Spišská Kapitula immediately below — a fortified ecclesiastical town within its own walls — is the second part of the UNESCO listing. Levoča (UNESCO) is the great medieval walled town of the Spiš region, with the Renaissance Town Hall, the Cage of Shame, and the headline of central European late-Gothic art: Master Pavol of Levoča's wooden altarpiece in St. James's Church (1517), at 18.6 metres the tallest Gothic wooden altar in the world. Bardejov in the north-east (UNESCO) is the second-best-preserved medieval town in Slovakia, with the central square's burgher houses and the city walls almost complete. The Spiš region also carries the surrounding wooden churches (eight of them on the UNESCO Carpathian Wooden Churches list at Hervartov, Tvrdošín, Kežmarok, Leštiny, Hronsek, Bodružal, Ladomirová and Ruská Bystrá).
The Slovak Paradise (Slovenský raj) National Park in the eastern centre of the country is unique in central Europe for its gorge-hiking trails — narrow limestone canyons climbed via metal ladders, chains and wooden walkways bolted to the rock face, alongside cascade-and-waterfall sequences. The headline trails are the Suchá Belá gorge (3-hour loop with seven ladders and dramatic waterfall sections), the Piecky canyon (shorter, fewer crowds), the Veľký Sokol (the longest gorge), the Prielom Hornádu (the river-edge hike along the Hornád) and the Tomášovský výhľad viewpoint above the gorges. The standard bases are Čingov, Podlesok and Hrabušice. The Low Tatras (Nízke Tatry) further west are the longest mountain range in Slovakia (over 80 km) — Ďumbier (2 043 m) is the highest peak, Demänovská Cave (open to visitors) and the Demänovská Valley ski resort (Jasná, the country's largest) are the headline visits. The Slovak Karst (Slovenský kras) on the Hungarian border holds the Aggtelek Karst caves — UNESCO-listed underground systems including the Domica and Gombasecká caves, both open as guided visits with stunning calcite formations.
Slovakia has more than 180 castles and castle ruins — one of Europe's deepest castle landscapes, a result of the country's strategic position on Hungarian-Polish-Bohemian trade and military routes. Bojnice Castle in central Slovakia is the country's fairytale castle: a Romantic reconstruction (1888–1910) on Romanesque-Gothic-Renaissance foundations, the most-visited castle in Slovakia and the seat of the annual International Festival of Ghosts and Spirits each May. Trenčín Castle dominates the Považie valley north of Bratislava on a high rock above the Váh river — the donjon (Matúš Tower) is one of the symbols of Slovak medieval architecture, and the Roman inscription of Laugaricio (179 AD) at the foot of the rock is the northernmost surviving Roman inscription in central Europe. Orava Castle on the Polish border (cliff-top, the standard cinematic Dracula filming location since the 1922 «Nosferatu»), Beckov, Spiš (UNESCO), Devín, Bratislava and Krásna Hôrka complete the headline circuit. Several smaller castles — Strečno, Likava, Šariš, Slanský — are open as ruins. Vlkolínec (UNESCO) is not a castle but the country's best-preserved traditional wooden mountain village, with 45 brightly painted log houses on a forested hillside above Ružomberok.
Slovakia's UNESCO list runs deep into the country's small-town and rural heritage. Banská Štiavnica (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is one of the most evocative former mining towns in central Europe — a UNESCO inscription that covers both the historic centre and the technical mining monuments (the Open-Air Mining Museum, the New and Old Castles, the Calvary, the Klingerhof). The town was Europe's most productive silver-mining centre between the thirteenth and the eighteenth centuries and the seat of the world's first mining academy (1762, predecessor of the École des Mines in Paris and the Bergakademie Freiberg). The eight Carpathian Wooden Churches inscribed by UNESCO — three Roman Catholic at Hervartov, Tvrdošín and Kežmarok, two Protestant articular churches at Leštiny and Hronsek, and three Greek Catholic Eastern-rite at Bodružal, Ladomirová and Ruská Bystrá — represent one of the most distinctive surviving architectural types in eastern central Europe. Bardejov (UNESCO) and Žilina, Prešov and Trnava complete the small-town circuit. The Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art in Medzilaborce honours the artist whose parents emigrated to Pittsburgh from the small Rusyn village of Miková nearby.
Slovak cuisine is the central-European hearty tradition — bryndzové halušky (potato dumplings with sheep cheese and crispy bacon, the unofficial national dish), kapustnica (sauerkraut soup with smoked sausage, traditional at Christmas Eve), pirohy (filled dumplings), guláš (the Hungarian-influenced beef stew), and the long Slovak sausage tradition (klobása in many regional variants). Slovak wine is one of the country's quiet pleasures: the small wine regions of the Lesser Carpathians (Modra, Pezinok, Svätý Jur — the Carpathian Wine Route runs from Bratislava through these towns), Tokaj (the small Slovak side of the famous Hungarian-Slovak shared region; the Slovak Tokaj villages produce sweet aszu wines on the same volcanic Tokaj terroir), Nitra and the Eastern Slovak Lowlands. Slovak beer is dominated by Šariš, Zlatý Bažant and Topvar, and the Bratislava microbrewery scene has grown strongly. Spa culture is woven into the country's life — the great spa towns of Piešťany (the standard spa-resort with Roman baths origins, the iconic crutch-breaking statue), Trenčianske Teplice (the Hammam Building of 1888 in Moorish style), Bardejovské Kúpele, Sliač and Korytnica are all open to visitors, with the standard Habsburg-era treatments alongside modern wellness.
Money & Currency
Euro (EUR)
Currency code: EUR
Practical Money Tips
Euro — Slovakia Is in the Eurozone
Slovakia adopted the euro in 2009. There is no currency exchange needed for visitors from other eurozone countries. Visitors from the UK, US, or other non-euro countries can exchange at banks, post offices, or official bureaux de change in Bratislava and other cities. Avoid dynamic exchange kiosks on the main tourist streets.
ATMs Everywhere — No Issues
Slovenská sporiteľňa, VÚB, Tatra banka, and Raiffeisen have extensive ATM networks across the country, including in smaller towns and villages. ATM coverage is reliable even off the beaten track.
Cards and Contactless Widely Accepted
Visa and Mastercard are accepted at virtually all businesses. Apple Pay and Google Pay have broad acceptance, particularly in Bratislava and Košice. Contactless payments are the norm. Remote rural guesthouses and farm stays may prefer cash.
Some Cash Useful for Rural and Market Spending
City spending is nearly fully card-based, but rural inns, local markets, toll facilities, and some transport may require cash. Keeping EUR 20–30 on hand is generally sufficient for daily incidentals.
Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.
Cities with missions
Where this country maintains embassies or consulates
Explore different regions and their cities.
Embassies in Slovakia
These foreign embassies and consulates are based here. Choose a mission to open its in-depth guide and contact details.
Key origin countries
All countries by continent
Accredited missions for Slovakia
Need help checking visa requirements or applying for your Slovakia visa or residence permit?
Apply for Slovakia visa