New amendments to the Act on the Residence of Foreigners: what exactly will change for Ukrainians

The Ministry of Interior of Slovakia has prepared a large package of changes to Law No. 404/2011 "On the Residence of Foreigners". The law will take effect on May 21, 2026.

Stricter Border Control

• The police will have broader powers to confiscate fake, altered, invalid documents, as well as documents issued to another person or "pseudo-documents" (e.g., passports from fictional countries).
• Confiscation is possible not only from presented documents but also during personal searches, searches of belongings, or vehicles.
• A written confirmation will always be issued for the confiscation.

National Visas Type D

• The validity period of visa D (issued for entry with the purpose of obtaining a residence permit) will be extended from 90 to 120 days.
• It will be clearly stated which documents must be used to confirm the purpose of the trip.
• The grounds for refusing or revoking a visa will be clarified and partially expanded (false data, suspicion of non-compliance with the purpose, threat to security, etc.).

Applying for the First Work Residence Permit

• If the document package is incomplete, you will have 15 days to complete it (an additional 15 days may be granted in justified cases).

Online Application for Extension of Any Residence Permit and Permanent Residence

• You must submit the complete package of documents immediately through electronic services.
• If anything is missing, the application will simply not be accepted for review (it is still possible to submit missing documents in person on paper).

Job Loss (Only for those working based on confirmation from the Labor Office)

• If the work residence permit was obtained less than 2 years ago, you will have 3 months to find a new job (it is enough time for the employer to apply for a new confirmation).
• If it was obtained more than 2 years ago, you will have 6 months under the same conditions.
• New obligation: You must inform the police about the start and end of unemployment within 5 working days.

Business Residence Permit (živnosť and s.r.o.)

• Very strict rule: entrepreneurs and their companies cannot have any outstanding payments for taxes, social security, or health insurance at any time (not just at the time of application). The discovery of a debt can be grounds for revoking the residence permit.

Language Exam for Permanent Residence (trvalý/dlhodobý pobyt)

• There are no stricter changes. On the contrary:
  • New categories of exemption are added (schoolchildren who have studied for ≥2 years in a Slovak school; severely ill individuals; university certificates are also accepted);
  • the certificate can be older than 90 days.

Transition from Temporary Protection (ODIDENEC → Residence Permit)

• After the temporary protection status ends, Ukrainians will receive a transition period of 1 year.
• During this year, you must apply for a new residence card (for work, business, family reunification, etc.).
• The residence permit obtained in this way will be valid for the duration of the employment contract or for 2 years (if the contract is indefinite).
• Important: traveling abroad (even to Ukraine or Poland) during this transition year will terminate the transitional status.

The new rules bring both stricter and more lenient changes. The most difficult aspects are the complete intolerance to any business debts and the requirement to submit a complete package of documents online immediately. The most pleasant for Ukrainians is the "transition bridge" from temporary protection to a regular residence permit and more exceptions from the language exam.

The law will take effect on May 21, 2026. Until then, Ukrainians have another year and a half to prepare without rush and stress.