Slovakia
Slovakia
Schengen
Europe
Inland state of Slovakia is located in Central Europe. Its neighboring countries are Ukraine, Hungary, Austria, Czechia and Poland. The official language is Slovak. The mountainous state is dominated by the Western Carpathians, which include the Little Carpathians, Javorníky, High and Low Tatras and the Slovak Ore Mountains. The two large lowlands include the Danube and East Slovak lowlands and the highest mountain is Gerlachovský štít (2,655 m above sea level). Important rivers are the Danube and the Váh. In Slovakia you can admire beautiful nature, picturesque mountain villages and of course nice cities full of interesting historical monuments. You can indulge in a well-deserved rest in one of the thermal swimming pools, of which there are several in Slovakia. There are also beautiful and very popular mountains in Slovakia. Perhaps the most famous of these are the High Tatras, which together with the Alps are the only Central European mountains. Other popular mountains include the Low Tatras and the Great Fatra. The Slovak mountains are an ideal place to spend summer and winter holidays, because where you can spend pleasant alpine tourism in summer, you will find ideal skiing conditions in winter. During your stay in the mountains, you will be surrounded by beautiful nature, home to many animals, including tourists and locals, the dreaded Brown Bear. After a relaxing stay in the mountains, you can return to civilization and visit some of the Slovak towns or beautiful castles and chateaux. Come with us to get to know at least some of the beauties of our nearest neighbor, fascinating Slovakia.
About Slovakia
SLOVAK CUISINE
Slovak cuisine is a specific type of Central European cuisine. It was influenced by Hungarian, Austrian or German cuisine. It mainly uses pork and beef, flour, potatoes, cabbage and dairy products.
The most famous dishes include bryndza dumplings, živánska or cheese like parenica, korbáčik, oštiepok or bryndza. Popular drinks include žinčica, beer, pine, slivovice, but also wine, etc. Slovak cuisine in the northern part of the territory is very different from the southern part. This is due to different climatic conditions. North Slovak cuisine is influenced by the harsh climatic conditions of the mountainous parts of the country that prevail here. Intense winter for at least three months is one of the reasons why smoked meat, potatoes, sauerkraut, dairy products, flour and legumes predominate in this area. Potatoes and fresh and sour milk served as staple foods in the winter. The indispensable sauerkraut, shredded and pickled for fermentation during the autumn, became a very valuable source of vitamin C during the winter. Freshwater fish, lamb, sausages, wilderness or mushrooms and forest fruits were eaten throughout the year. Beekeeping and honey production are also traditional. In the south and the lowlands, the raw material base is more diverse. Compared to the north, the meat supply is richer in beef, goose, duck and cruelty. Various flour products or fresh and dried pasta are common. Compared to the north, there is far greater availability of fruit and fruit products, such as jams or sterilized and dried fruit.
All EEA citizens and Swiss citizens can travel to Slovakia under the visa-free regime. Third-country nationals are required to apply for a visa to travel or live in Slovakia. The visa depends on nationality and purpose.
The documents you need to present to the Slovak border officer are as follows:
Passport validity
You must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe. The document has to be issued within the previous 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU. Beware that EU members such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are not part of the Schengen Area.
Schengen Visa
If you do not know if you need a visa to enter Schengen, click here. Download the Schengen Visa Application Form or visit the Slovak Ministry of European and International Affairs to check the current status regarding the visa and the conditions for issuing it here.
Schengen Insurance
Confirmation that you have travel and health insurance for Slovakia and the whole territory of Schengen, which meets Visa Code (Regulation EC No. 810/2009) conditions for a Schengen visa. Travel health insurance policies for foreigners travelling to Slovakia that fulfil Slovak Visa requirements can be purchased online from schengen.insure and it‘s accepted by Slovak Embassies and Consulates worldwide.
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You will need the following documents:
1. filled in and signed application form;
2. one passport size color photo (3 x 3.5 cm);
3. passport, valid for at least 3 months after the expiration date of the visa;
4. documents proving the purpose and the conditions of the planned trip, such as
– organized/individual tourism: a travel voucher, or an invitation letter from the person who is inviting you to stay or an invitation verified by the Foreign Police Department;
– business trips: an invitation letter issued by the business partner or institution, or invitation verified by the Foreign Police Department; for repeated business trips submit a contract of cooperation with the Slovak company;
– international conferences, seminars, symposiums, cultural and sports events: an invitation letter issued by the event organizer, or an official letter from the sending organization requesting a visa for its employee, or entry tickets to trade fairs, congresses or other events;
– other purposes: other documents confirming the purpose of the trip and residence in Slovakia.
5. travel ticket or other documents: a round trip ticket (flight ticket, bus/train ticket, must not be an open ticket!), if travelling by car, submitting a driver‘s license and vehicle registration certificate, a green card (third party liability insurance);
6. proof of accommodation (if accommodated with the inviting person, it should be explicitly stated in the invitation letter);
7. proof of financial means in the amount of at least EUR 56 for each day of residence:
– cash in convertible currency;
– traveller’s cheques;
– bank account statement confirming regular income (salary, retirement pension) for the period of the past 6–12 months;
– other documents guaranteeing financial means in convertible currency.
Applicants are advised to carry the document proving sufficient financial means for the period of their residence stated in the visa, as it might be requested at the border in the Slovak Republic.
8. international travel health insurance policy – must cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention or emergency hospital treatment. The insurance must be valid in all Schengen Member States. Minimum coverage must be EUR 30 000;
9. other documents – for the purpose of granting a visa, the embassy is entitled to require any other document with the aim to verify the declared purpose of the journey and the intention to return back to the country of residence;
10. the visa fee – EUR 80.
The visa application processing time is 15 calendar days. This period can be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days, particularly if further assessment of the application is needed.
The simplified visa issuing process applies to the nationals of the Russian Federation. In this case, the visa application proceeding time is 10 calendar days and the fee is 35 EUR. Citizens of Serbia, Ukraine, Montenegro, Albania, Moldova, and Georgia need a biometric passport for visa-free entry into the Schengen area.
Visa is granted into the passport in the form of a sticker. After receiving the visa, a foreign national is allowed to stay in the Schengen area for the duration of the visa. The visa is not legally enforceable. The Embassy is entitled to define a border crossing in order to enter the country, which shall be recorded in the Schengen visa.
About Slovakia
SLOVAK CUISINE
Slovak cuisine is a specific type of Central European cuisine. It was influenced by Hungarian, Austrian or German cuisine. It mainly uses pork and beef, flour, potatoes, cabbage and dairy products.
The most famous dishes include bryndza dumplings, živánska or cheese like parenica, korbáčik, oštiepok or bryndza. Popular drinks include žinčica, beer, pine, slivovice, but also wine, etc. Slovak cuisine in the northern part of the territory is very different from the southern part. This is due to different climatic conditions. North Slovak cuisine is influenced by the harsh climatic conditions of the mountainous parts of the country that prevail here. Intense winter for at least three months is one of the reasons why smoked meat, potatoes, sauerkraut, dairy products, flour and legumes predominate in this area. Potatoes and fresh and sour milk served as staple foods in the winter. The indispensable sauerkraut, shredded and pickled for fermentation during the autumn, became a very valuable source of vitamin C during the winter. Freshwater fish, lamb, sausages, wilderness or mushrooms and forest fruits were eaten throughout the year. Beekeeping and honey production are also traditional. In the south and the lowlands, the raw material base is more diverse. Compared to the north, the meat supply is richer in beef, goose, duck and cruelty. Various flour products or fresh and dried pasta are common. Compared to the north, there is far greater availability of fruit and fruit products, such as jams or sterilized and dried fruit.
Travel Documents and Entry Requirements for non-EU Nationals
All EEA citizens and Swiss citizens can travel to Slovakia under the visa-free regime. Third-country nationals are required to apply for a visa to travel or live in Slovakia. The visa depends on nationality and purpose.The documents you need to present to the Slovak border officer are as follows:
Passport validity
You must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe. The document has to be issued within the previous 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU. Beware that EU members such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are not part of the Schengen Area.
Schengen Visa
If you do not know if you need a visa to enter Schengen, click here. Download the Schengen Visa Application Form or visit the Slovak Ministry of European and International Affairs to check the current status regarding the visa and the conditions for issuing it here.
Schengen Insurance
Confirmation that you have travel and health insurance for Slovakia and the whole territory of Schengen, which meets Visa Code (Regulation EC No. 810/2009) conditions for a Schengen visa. Travel health insurance policies for foreigners travelling to Slovakia that fulfil Slovak Visa requirements can be purchased online from schengen.insure and it‘s accepted by Slovak Embassies and Consulates worldwide.
How to apply for Slovak Visa?
The visa application is submitted on an official application form at the Diplomatic Mission (Embassy or Consulate) of the Slovakia accredited for the country where the applicant resides or the country of his citizenship. The visa application must be submitted in person, not earlier than six months prior to the planned trip to Slovakia.You will need the following documents:
1. filled in and signed application form;
2. one passport size color photo (3 x 3.5 cm);
3. passport, valid for at least 3 months after the expiration date of the visa;
4. documents proving the purpose and the conditions of the planned trip, such as
– organized/individual tourism: a travel voucher, or an invitation letter from the person who is inviting you to stay or an invitation verified by the Foreign Police Department;
– business trips: an invitation letter issued by the business partner or institution, or invitation verified by the Foreign Police Department; for repeated business trips submit a contract of cooperation with the Slovak company;
– international conferences, seminars, symposiums, cultural and sports events: an invitation letter issued by the event organizer, or an official letter from the sending organization requesting a visa for its employee, or entry tickets to trade fairs, congresses or other events;
– other purposes: other documents confirming the purpose of the trip and residence in Slovakia.
5. travel ticket or other documents: a round trip ticket (flight ticket, bus/train ticket, must not be an open ticket!), if travelling by car, submitting a driver‘s license and vehicle registration certificate, a green card (third party liability insurance);
6. proof of accommodation (if accommodated with the inviting person, it should be explicitly stated in the invitation letter);
7. proof of financial means in the amount of at least EUR 56 for each day of residence:
– cash in convertible currency;
– traveller’s cheques;
– bank account statement confirming regular income (salary, retirement pension) for the period of the past 6–12 months;
– other documents guaranteeing financial means in convertible currency.
Applicants are advised to carry the document proving sufficient financial means for the period of their residence stated in the visa, as it might be requested at the border in the Slovak Republic.
8. international travel health insurance policy – must cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention or emergency hospital treatment. The insurance must be valid in all Schengen Member States. Minimum coverage must be EUR 30 000;
9. other documents – for the purpose of granting a visa, the embassy is entitled to require any other document with the aim to verify the declared purpose of the journey and the intention to return back to the country of residence;
10. the visa fee – EUR 80.
The visa application processing time is 15 calendar days. This period can be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days, particularly if further assessment of the application is needed.
The simplified visa issuing process applies to the nationals of the Russian Federation. In this case, the visa application proceeding time is 10 calendar days and the fee is 35 EUR. Citizens of Serbia, Ukraine, Montenegro, Albania, Moldova, and Georgia need a biometric passport for visa-free entry into the Schengen area.
Visa is granted into the passport in the form of a sticker. After receiving the visa, a foreign national is allowed to stay in the Schengen area for the duration of the visa. The visa is not legally enforceable. The Embassy is entitled to define a border crossing in order to enter the country, which shall be recorded in the Schengen visa.