Business residence in Slovakia: applications and renewals in 2026

Who can use business residence

Business temporary residence under Section 22 is for third-country nationals who are self-employed or act for a company or cooperative without an employment relationship with it. Registering a živnosť or s.r.o. does not itself grant residence. Employment under a labour contract requires checking a different residence basis.

Where to make an initial application

Ordinary initial business applications are submitted in person at the competent Slovak embassy abroad. Domestic police-filing exceptions available for some other permits do not automatically apply to business. Renewal, an eligible change of purpose and the special temporary-protection route are distinct procedures.

Regulation 182/2025 sets a yearly embassy intake of 700 business applications, allocated between missions. This is an intake cap, not guaranteed permits or available appointments. Changing purpose to business inside Slovakia is restricted, including where the current temporary residence has been held for less than two years.

Documents and business-plan assessment

Prepare a valid passport, application, evidence of the business purpose, criminal record, personal and business funds, and accommodation as applicable. Many supporting documents must be no more than 90 days old, subject to document- and status-specific exceptions. Foreign documents require the applicable authentication and official translation.

Use the Ministry of Economy business-plan template and substantiate the project’s feasibility and sustainability. The police consider the ministry’s opinion. The opinion period is 60 days and the ordinary police decision period is 90 days; suspensions, additional documents and appointments affect actual timing. An initial business residence grant is for three years.

Financial evidence for an initial grant

From 1 July 2026, the monthly subsistence minimum for one adult is €295.22. Annual personal funds are 12 times this amount: €3,542.64. Business funds must be evidenced in a bank account separate from the personal account.

Self-employed applicants need 20 times the minimum (€5,904.40); company representatives need 100 times (€29,522); a qualifying innovative project needs 40 times (€11,808.80). These are initial-grant funds, not renewal income targets. The law provides for balance evidence, not a universal three-month statement requirement.

Renewal: revised financial criteria

Following the changes effective 15 July 2026, the old general formulas of 20 subsistence minima in sole-trader net profit and 60 in company profit should not be used. A self-employed applicant’s taxable business income for the preceding tax year must exceed the tax-return threshold under Section 32(1) of the Income Tax Act. For 2025 the threshold is €2,876.90; equality is insufficient.

Company representatives must demonstrate tax paid of at least the minimum corporate tax under Section 46b(2). The minimum depends on the company’s taxable revenue: €340 is not universal. Apply the relevant rules for partial periods and company circumstances rather than an old article’s proportional calculation.

Renewal timing, arrears and fees

Apply in person at the police or through the designated electronic service by the last day of the current permit. Missing attachments to an in-person application can normally be supplied within 30 days, with a justified additional 15 days; electronic applications must be complete on filing. Timely filing preserves lawful stay in Slovakia pending the decision but does not itself guarantee travel and re-entry. Renewal can be granted for up to three years.

Monitor tax, customs and insurance arrears, including those of companies you represent. New duties and cancellation grounds are subject to Section 131n transitional provisions, rather than automatic cancellation for any historic debt. Proceedings started before 15 July 2026 also have transitional rules.

The initial application fee is €330 and renewal is €200. Card issuance is separate: €10 or €39 expedited. An applicable electronic-filing reduction is capped at €50, so a €200 fee becomes €150, not €100.