The Slovak government approved a mechanism that will allow Ukrainians with temporary protection status (odídenec) to legally stay in the country after it ends. The new rules will take effect on July 15, 2026.
The procedure is based on a simplified transition to standard types of residence permits (pobyt). Below is an explanation of the key steps, deadlines, and conditions.
Key Dates and Transition Period
Currently, the end date for temporary protection in the EU is set for March 4, 2027. Slovakia is implementing a transition period of 1 year – until March 2028. During this year, people with temporary protection will officially be considered "odídenci," and their ID cards will remain valid. During this period, there will be no travel restrictions, so there will be no risk of losing status by leaving the country. However, housing compensation payments will stop, and free access to the labor market may be limited for those who do not manage to get their documents processed.
Conditions for Obtaining a Residence Permit
Instead of a complex initial application process, foreigners are offered a simple application for a new residence card. However, there is a critical requirement: 6 months of activity.
To use the simplified scheme, you must have been continuously engaged in your activity (work, business, study) for at least 6 months before the protection ends. This means if protection ends on March 4, 2027, you must start working or open a business no later than September 4, 2026.
Main Transition Paths
Employment (Zamestnanie)
This is the most popular but also the strictest path. If you lose your job during the transition period, free access to the labor market will disappear. You will have to go through the full procedure via the Labor Office (Úrad práce). Residence permits will be allowed even based on an "agreement" (dohoda), which was previously not possible for a standard work residence permit.
Business (Podnikanie)
If you opened a sole proprietorship (živnosť) or a company before January 15, 2026, you can apply for a residence permit starting from the first day the law takes effect (July 15, 2026).
If the business started after September 2026, the simplified procedure will not be available – only the standard application through the consulate.
Family Reunification (Spájanie rodiny)
With the simplified procedure, the second spouse will get immediate access to the labor market, freeing them from the standard nine-month waiting period for the right to work. The document submission process for children will also become simpler, as with a child having temporary protection, a written notarized consent from the other parent will no longer be required.
Study (Štúdium)
Students will be able to switch to a student residence permit in 60 days instead of the standard 90. There are no fundamental differences in the documents.
Required Documents
To obtain a residence card, you need to submit to the migration police:
An application (special form).
A valid foreign passport.
Proof of purpose: a social security certificate (for employees), an extract from the register (for businesses), or a certificate from a school/university.
A criminal record certificate from Ukraine, with an apostille and translation, no older than 90 days (for persons aged 14 and over).
Proof of accommodation (rental agreement or owner's consent for 6+ months).
Important! The police will only accept complete sets of documents. There will be no possibility to "submit missing documents later" – if there are errors, the application will simply be rejected.
Residence cards will be issued mainly for 2 years. When switching through this procedure, a paid medical examination is not required. The police must make a decision within 60 days, and it will take approximately another 30 days to produce the new card.
