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4 ways to enter

Slovakia visas

Slovakia student visa

Study visits can use the Schengen visa route, with a visa fee exemption. Some school groups can enter without a visa. Longer study generally needs a long-stay visa or residence permit.

Ways to get a Slovakia student visa

  1. Schengen visa for study or educational training

    Visa needed

    Travellers who need a Schengen visa and are visiting for study or educational training.

    Stay
    Up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
    Entries
    One, two or multiple entries.
    Fee
    Visa application fee waived.
    Processing
    15 calendar days after an admissible application is lodged, if there are no issues.
    1. Apply to the embassy or consulate for your main destination, no earlier than six months before entry.
    2. Provide the relevant supporting documents.
    3. Attend the first-application interview and provide fingerprints and a digital photo if required.

  2. Visa-free school group from the European Union single market

    No visa needed

    Pupils who are not citizens of a European Union single market country but legally live there and travel with a general education school group and its teacher.

    Stay
    Short stay or transit.
    1. Travel as part of a school group accompanied by a teacher from the school.
    2. Have the teacher carry a List of Travellers form identifying the pupils and explaining the trip.

  3. Visa-free school group from a visa-waiver country

    No visa needed

    Pupils who live in a listed visa-waiver country or territory but hold a nationality that normally requires a visa, travelling on a school excursion with their school group and teacher.

  4. Long-stay study permission

    Other permit

    Students from outside the European Union single market staying beyond the short-stay limit, subject to the applicable long-stay rules.

    Stay
    Generally, a long-stay visa for stays of less than a year, or a residence permit for longer periods.

Who needs it

Students who do not qualify for an entry exemption need the permission required for their stay. Longer stays generally need a long-stay visa or residence permit.

Who doesn't

Certain school groups resident in European Union single market countries or visa-waiver countries can enter Slovakia without a visa.

How to apply

  1. For a Schengen study visit, apply to the embassy or consulate for your main destination no earlier than six months before entry.
  2. Submit the relevant supporting documents.
  3. Attend in person for a first application and interview. Provide fingerprints and a digital photo if required.

What to bring

  • Relevant supporting documents for study or educational training.
  • Travel document.
  • Fingerprints and a digital photograph for a Schengen visa application, if required.

Good to know

  • A fee exemption does not remove the requirement to apply for a visa when one is needed.
  • School-group exemptions require travel with a teacher from the school.
  • The detailed requirements for a Slovak long-stay study visa are not specified.

Questions

Do I need a student visa for Slovakia?

Students who do not qualify for an entry exemption need the permission required for their stay. Longer stays generally need a long-stay visa or residence permit. Certain school groups resident in European Union single market countries or visa-waiver countries can enter Slovakia without a visa.

What are the ways to get a student visa for Slovakia?

There are 4 options: Schengen visa for study or educational training (a visa from an embassy); Visa-free school group from the European Union single market (no visa at all); Visa-free school group from a visa-waiver country (no visa at all); Long-stay study permission (a special permit).

Who can go to Slovakia without a student visa?

Pupils who are not citizens of a European Union single market country but legally live there and travel with a general education school group and its teacher. Pupils who live in a listed visa-waiver country or territory but hold a nationality that normally requires a visa, travelling on a school excursion with their school group and teacher.

How long can I stay on a Slovakia student visa?

Short stays: up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Longer study requires separate permission.

How much does a Slovakia student visa cost?

Schengen visa application fee waived for study or educational training.

How long does a Slovakia student visa take?

For an admissible Schengen visa application with no issues: 15 calendar days.

What documents do I need for a Slovakia student visa?

Relevant supporting documents for study or educational training.; Travel document.; Fingerprints and a digital photograph for a Schengen visa application, if required..

How do I apply for a Slovakia student visa?

1. 1. For a Schengen study visit, apply to the embassy or consulate for your main destination no earlier than six months before entry. 2. 2. Submit the relevant supporting documents. 3. 3. Attend in person for a first application and interview. Provide fingerprints and a digital photo if required.

What rules do I have to follow on a Slovakia student visa?

A fee exemption does not remove the requirement to apply for a visa when one is needed. School-group exemptions require travel with a teacher from the school.

Does my passport change whether I need a student visa for Slovakia?

Yes. Rules depend on the country that issued your passport. Open the Slovakia visa page and choose your passport for a plain answer.

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