“Drivers, be careful: July 1, 2027, is approaching, and with it — potential changes that may affect thousands of Ukrainians in Slovakia,” warn Slovak deputies. Three deputies from the ruling coalition representing the SNS party have submitted a bill to parliament that could significantly complicate life for owners of cars with foreign license plates. If adopted, there will be only 90 days to re-register the car, and significant fines will be imposed for violations.
Who do the changes affect?
The bill applies to all cars registered outside the European Union, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland. This means it covers cars from so-called “third countries,” including Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian, Moldovan, as well as British and American license plates.
It is important that the rules will apply not only to owners but also to those who use the car. If you are a citizen officially residing in Slovakia (for example, you have dočasné útočisko (temporary shelter), VNZ (residence permit), or PMZ (permanent residence), or your company or IP (individual entrepreneur) is registered in Slovakia), then the 90-day deadline for re-registration automatically applies to your car.
New deadlines and fines
After entering Slovakia (and effectively the EU), you will have only 90 days to re-register the car. Trying to export and then re-import the car into the EU will not help avoid these rules, as the deadline will be counted from the moment of the vehicle’s “first entry.”
Fines for violations are significant: up to 2,500 euros for individuals and up to 7,000 euros for legal entities. In addition, license plates may be confiscated on the spot of the violation.
How to avoid punishment?
You can avoid re-registration and fines if you prove that the car is mainly used abroad and enters Slovakia only temporarily, for example, for transporting goods or passengers.
For those whose cars have already been in Slovakia for a long time without local registration, the bill’s authors also provided a transition period. They will be given the same three months to re-register from the moment the new rules come into force.
When will the law take effect?
If the parliament and president approve this bill, it will take effect on July 1, 2027. It is worth noting that Slovakia already has a rule requiring mandatory re-registration of cars imported from outside the EU, which allows 180 days for this procedure. However, currently, no penalties are provided for violating this rule, allowing many foreigners to use cars with “native” license plates without obstacles.
Note that the car registration process in Slovakia requires a residence permit and appropriate documents proving ownership. For detailed information about the registration procedure and necessary documents, you can contact the local Dopravný inšpektorát (traffic inspectorate).
