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Act No. 223/2011 Coll. came into effect on July 20, 2011, amending among others the Act No. 48/2002 Coll. on Residence of Foreigners and introduces Blue Cards to Slovak legislation.

The Blue Card is a new type of temporary residence, which third country nationals may obtain for the purpose of highly qualified employment in Slovakia. The basic requirement for acquiring the Blue Card is higher professional qualification in the form of university education or proof of at least a 5-year professional experience, which must be recognized by the Ministry of Education of the SR. Another condition is a contract of employment or written promise of the employer confirming his will to hire the foreign national, in the duration of at least 1 year. The agreed salary must not be lower than 1.5 multiple of the wage in national economy in the relevant field. The Blue Card entitles a foreign national to enter, reside and work in Slovakia, to travel abroad and back.

An application for the Blue Card must be submitted in person on an official form, in Slovak language, along with all required documents. The application is to be submitted to the Embassy of the SR in the foreigner’s country of citizenship or country of residence. In case of legal residence in the SR, the application may be submitted at the Alien Police Department competent according to the place of residence in Slovakia. The authorities will issue a decision within 30 days from the date of submitting a complete application. The Blue Card is granted for a maximum of 3 years and may be repeatedly renewed.

If a foreign national holds a Blue Card issued by another EU Member State, he may apply for the Blue Card in Slovakia within 30 days from entry into the territory of the SR. However, the Blue Card granted in Slovakia expires, if the foreign national acquires a Blue Card in another EU Member State.