Anyone who has ever arranged documents through the police for foreigners' affairs knows this ritual: refreshing the reservation system page, catching a free slot, and then standing in line with a folder of papers. Now a new rule has been added here, and it is better to know about it before clicking the "book" button.
The Slovak police corps officially warned Ukrainians with temporary protection (dočasné útočisko) about this: from July 15, 2026, a simplified procedure for switching to temporary residence permit (prechodný pobyt) is in effect, but booking for it works under new, quite strict rules. The main one: if you choose the wrong service when booking, the application will simply not be accepted, and the visit to the police will be useless.
What exactly has changed
Since mid-July, an amendment to Act No. 404/2011 Z. z. "On the Residence of Foreigners" came into force, specifically a new paragraph § 131o. It allows people with the status dočasné útočisko (temporary protection) to switch to prechodný pobyt (temporary residence permit) through a simplified procedure, without leaving the country and without submitting an application through a consulate.
For many Ukrainians who have lived here for more than a year, this is an important step: the residence permit gives a more stable status than temporary protection and opens simpler conditions for work, business, and further legalization. If Slovak bureaucratic terms are still confusing, our Slovak vocabulary glossary will help.
But along with this opportunity, a new booking procedure appeared, and the police emphasize it, reports SITA.
How to book correctly: step by step
You can submit an application only in person at the police department for foreigners' affairs, and only after a prior booking through the Ministry of Interior's reservation system. No "live queues" are provided for this service.
The procedure is as follows:
Go to the online reservation system of the Slovak Ministry of Interior and select the required police department for foreigners' affairs.
In the life situation categories, select dočasné útočisko (temporary protection).
Then select the specific service: žiadosť o vydanie dokladu dočasné útočisko/prechod z dočasného útočiska na pobyt — this covers both issuing the protection document and the transition to residence.
Choose the date and time. The system opens available slots up to 21 days in advance, so planning a visit beyond three weeks is not possible.
Service mistake — refusal without discussion
This is the point the police stated separately and very clearly. If you booked any other service — for example, a general residence application or another category — the application for the transition from temporary protection will not be accepted, even if you come on time with a full set of documents.
"For effective application processing, we recommend paying special attention to choosing the correct service in the reservation system," emphasized the spokesperson of the Police Presidium Roman Hájek, reports TASR.
The reason for such strictness is simple: the departments are overloaded, and the new procedure aims to make the flow of applications predictable and save people from unnecessary trips. So the rule is strict, but it makes sense.
What to do now
If you plan to switch from temporary protection to a residence permit, do not delay familiarizing yourself with the reservation system: check how the schedule of available slots looks in your city and remember the exact name of the service. Available dates open gradually, so if there are no slots today, check the system regularly — new dates appear daily within the 21-day window.
And most importantly: before confirming the booking, double-check the service name letter by letter. One mistake in the dropdown menu — and you will have to start all over, and queues at the police departments for foreigners' affairs, as you know, wait for no one.
