First steps in Slovakia — what to do in the first days, week, and month

The first thing the state expects from a newcomer is to report the start of stay within three working days of entry. The rest of the route depends on the status: without a document about it, you cannot open a bank account, register with the insurance, get official employment, or submit an application to school. Next — what to manage in the first three days, the first week, and the first month.

What to do in the first three days?

Three working days is the legal deadline, counted from the day of entry. During this time, the start of stay must be registered: submit hlásenie pobytu (notification of stay) to the cudzinecká polícia (police for foreigners) department or send it by mail, preferably by registered letter.

One detail that almost everyone stumbles on. A sent hlásenie pobytu is not an application for either temporary protection or residence. It is only a record that you are in the country — you must apply separately for the status.

At the same time, the main question is resolved: what exactly is your status. A citizen of Ukraine with a biometric passport stays in Slovakia without a visa for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period — this is enough to look around but not to stay. What each option gives and who it suits is explained in the overview of residence options.

Next — registration at the cudzinecká polícia (police for foreigners). Applications for temporary protection are accepted only by prior appointment and only twice a week, so it is worth booking the system on the first day: how to catch an appointment — a separate skill. Since January 2, 2026, another workplace of the Michalovce department operates at Sniná, Partizánska 1057/21, first floor — there they only do temporary protection registration and issue stay documents.

Where to go at each step and what to bring?

The route seems complicated until you break it down by institutions. There are only seven points: police, municipality, insurance, clinic, bank, school, and úrad práce (labor, social affairs, and family office). Here is the full map — it is convenient to keep it open on your phone.

What to manage in the first week?

The week is spent on what opens everything else: address registration at the municipality, application for the plastic document, bank account, and Slovak SIM card.

Address. You report moving in at the municipality (obec) or city office at your place of residence. You do not need to go to the cudzinecká polícia (police for foreigners) for this — it saves half a day of waiting. Bring: confirmation of temporary protection and new housing confirmation — for example, čestné vyhlásenie (sworn statement) from the owner about providing shelter. The municipality will either update the information system and issue a new printed document or enter the new address in the document you already have.

The printed paper works inside the country but cannot be used to cross the border. The plastic residence card “Dočasné útočisko” is valid for three years, and those who received status after December 15, 2024, must apply for it within 90 days — deadlines, fees, and renewal procedures are explained in a separate analysis about temporary protection and odídenec (Odídenec, a special status for displaced persons). One detail missing from general instructions: eKolok is purchased at a payment kiosk right in the police department, online with a printout, via a mobile app, or at the post office, and the receipt from the kiosk, website, or app is valid for 30 days, while the one bought at Slovenská pošta (Slovak Post) is valid for two years.

The bank will ask for a passport and status document; where Ukrainians can open an account and under what conditions is explained in our analysis about bank accounts. Slovak SIM cards are issued with a passport, and without a local number, bank confirmation codes will not arrive. Every second form will ask for rodné číslo (birth number) — a personal identifier recognized by Slovak systems.

Who and how much pays for your housing in the first 60 days?

This is where most misunderstandings occur. The payment for accommodation goes to the housing owner, not the displaced person. The state pays through the municipality to the person who provided shelter free of charge.

For apartment or house owners, there is also a monthly ceiling based on the number of rooms: one room — maximum 390 euros per calendar month, two — 540, three — 720, four or more — 900. The amounts are set by government decree No. 151/2024 Z. z., the right to the contribution is established by law No. 69/2026 Z. z. on international protection, and the calculation and payment procedure is described on the Slovak Ministry of Interior website. Hotels and dormitories providing housing as a business do not receive contributions from July 1, 2024. Conditions and exceptions for vulnerable persons are in the rules for odídenec (Odídenec) accommodation.

The obligation also lies with you. An odídenec (Odídenec), who was given shelter free of charge under this scheme, personally notifies the municipality about the provided housing: within three working days from the start of residence and then twice a month, with an interval of at least 14 days between notifications. The only exception: if housing is provided for less than 14 days, you do not need to report twice. If you miss this, the owner loses the contribution, and you risk losing the housing agreement.

Accommodation in a state asylum facility is limited to 60 days from the first granting of temporary protection. Exceptions are vulnerable persons: people aged 65 and over, a single father or mother with a child under five years old, and the child under five years old. For them, the period is up to six months, and can be renewed, but a written application for extension must be submitted no later than 15 days before the end of the period.

Long-term housing is searched on reality.sk, nehnutelnosti.sk, topreality.sk, byty.sk, remax-slovakia.sk, and avizo.sk. Through an agency, the commission can equal one month’s rent — the amount is agreed in advance and written in the contract. How to check the owner and what should be in the contract is in the guide on how to find housing.

How to arrange medical insurance and see a doctor?

Adults with temporary protection have state medical insurance from September 1, 2023. Coverage includes preventive check-ups, emergency care, and medical procedures under §§ 2 and 3 of Law No. 577/2004 Z. z. Children from birth to 18 years and 364 days have the same coverage guaranteed from January 1, 2023.

Until insurance is arranged, the doctor is obliged to provide only emergency care. For those who lived in Ukraine, it is valid until the application for protection is submitted, but no longer than 30 days from the day of entry into Slovakia.

Practically, this is two visits. The first — to the zdravotná poisťovňa (medical insurance company) for the preukaz poistenca (insurance card); without it, you simply will not be found in the registration system. The second — to the praktický lekár (family doctor) at your place of residence, and for a child, to a pediatrician. Pediatrician spots fill up quickly. How the system works overall, with whom and for what you pay, is explained in the Slovak medical system guide.

When does a child need to go to school or kindergarten and how to apply?

From September 1, 2025, schooling in Slovakia is mandatory for foreign children, including children who received odídenec (Odídenec) status. The application deadline depends on the arrival date: those who arrived after September 1, 2025, have three months; those who arrived between January 1 and August 31, 2025, had to apply by December 1, 2025. This is described by the school admission process of the Slovak Ministry of Education.

Steps:

1. Get your status — without a temporary protection document or confirmation of the start of proceedings, the school will not accept the application.

2. Find a school at your place of residence; the municipality will tell you about school districts, and in difficult cases, the regional school administration office will help.

3. Gather documents: status, passport, child’s birth certificate, latest report card, sometimes a rental agreement.

4. Submit the application to the principal of the chosen school — for kindergarten, this is an application for pre-primary education; for school, a form for basic education.

The ministry issues forms in a bilingual Slovak-Ukrainian version — you won’t have to fill them blindly. The school will check the knowledge level and Slovak language skills, place the child in the appropriate class, and teach languages in parallel. Step-by-step with live examples, this is explained in our guide for parents.

Where to start looking for legal work?

With temporary protection status, a separate work permit is not required. You can work under an employment contract or a dohoda (agreement on work outside employment relations) — both options are legal.

The formality lies with the employer: they notify the employment center about your employment using the Informačná karta (information card) form within seven working days. If your new boss says you don’t need to submit anything, that is a reason to be cautious.

Start searching on portals: Profesia.sk with free registration, ISTP.sk, Kariera.sk, and the state sluzbyzamestnanosti.gov.sk. Our job catalog filters offers by city and field — convenient when you need to filter everything except your region.

Where to get free help?

The main free consultant for foreigners is the Migračné informačné centrum (Migration Information Center) of IOM. Phone from Slovakia territory 0850 211 478, from abroad +421 2 5263 0023. Consultations in Ukrainian and Russian are conducted on Telegram and Signal at +421 908 767 853, voice calls only.

Offices are in two cities: Bratislava, Grösslingová 35 and Košice, Floriánska 19. The center operates Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00; closed Wednesday and Friday.

Before going, call the number. Until further notice, the center provides services exclusively by phone and email, and personal consultations only to those who have arranged them in advance. What questions they handle and what they actually do is described in the article about IOM Centrum.

Besides IOM, the Ministry of Interior helpline 0800 222 222 operates. UNHCR maintains a map of services for those who arrived from Ukraine: legal aid, social counseling, psychological support, separate services for children and people with disabilities.

Language, transport, and everyday life — what is the priority?

Language is the most urgent because every next step depends on it. IOM conducts free online Slovak language and sociocultural orientation courses for foreigners with residence permits, including applicants for temporary protection and odídenec (Odídenec): 100 training hours in about four months, levels from A1 to B2, groups of 15 people, separate groups for native Ukrainian speakers. A certificate of participation is given for attendance of at least 50%.

Now the bad news. Enrollment for these courses is closed due to full capacity, and there is no right to a place in the group — so a backup plan is needed immediately. Free and without queues operate the Slovake.eu portal with interface in 13 languages and levels A1–B2, e-slovak.sk from Studio Academica Slovaca, the “Učíme (sa) slovenčinu” platform with short videos and exercises, the SlovakforU.sk podcast with Ukrainian transcripts, and the “Prvá pomoc po slovensky” brochure in Slovak-Ukrainian version.

A city transport pass and a monthly mobile operator tariff are everyday matters. They can wait until the second or third week when a permanent address appears: in most cities, the pass is linked to a personal card, and you don’t want to make it twice.

What can be postponed?

Not everything on the long list is urgent. With temporary protection status, you can drive a car with Ukrainian driver’s licenses. You do not need to exchange them for Slovak ones. For residence permit holders, the rule is different: for the first 185 days, driving with the country of origin’s license is allowed, and then there are 60 days to exchange it — after that, the Ukrainian license is considered invalid here.

Trips abroad, including trips to Ukraine, do not cancel the status — Slovak law does not impose such restrictions. To cross the border, you need a valid foreign passport and a valid plastic residence document; with a printed paper, it is better to check entry conditions in advance at the destination country’s representation.

Nostrifikácia (Nostrifikácia, diploma recognition), car re-registration, and license exchange are tasks for the second month. But put a reminder on the 90th day from receiving status in your calendar today: this is the deadline for the plastic card application, without which you will not cross the border.