eID for foreigners in Slovakia: login, signing and the mailbox

Three separate steps for electronic services

A foreign national uses a compatible chipped residence card. Distinguish BOK login, qualified electronic signing (KEP), and activating the mailbox for official delivery. Successful login does not mean signing is configured or the mailbox is active for decisions.

BOK and the first computer login

BOK is the six-digit card-access code. Under Section 73a, a third-country national over 15 chooses it when applying for the card. It is not the signing PIN. Five consecutive wrong attempts block BOK; contact the police to restore access rather than continuing to guess.

Install the current eID klient and required drivers from the official portal, connect a compatible reader and insert the card. Select card login on slovensko.sk and enter BOK in the application. If a technical error occurs, check the reader, software versions and card type before retrying.

Configuring qualified electronic signing

KEP requires a valid qualified certificate on a compatible card, a separate KEP PIN and signing software. Certificates can be obtained at the police when collecting the card or later; supported cards allow free remote issuance. Check compatibility and certificate status in eID klient.

Before an important filing, confirm that the service accepts your signing method, the certificate is valid and the signed file verifies successfully. Keep the submission receipt: a completed form saved on your computer is not yet a filed application.

Older cards: the September 2026 certificate change

KEP certificates on affected CardOS 5.4 cards issued from 21 June 2021 to 30 November 2022 expired on 28 September 2026. BOK login still works. Foreign holders need a replacement card at the competent police department for ordinary qualified signing.

An interim certificate works only with services that accept it. A €7 fee mentioned for Slovak citizen identity cards is not the foreign residence-card fee.

The mailbox and mobile login

Check mailbox availability after login. A foreign individual requests activation for official delivery; card issuance does not activate it automatically. The requested activation date cannot be earlier than the third working day after receipt of the request. Check delivered messages regularly once active.

Slovensko v mobile supports subsequent login without a reader after initial pairing using the card, BOK and a computer. Pairing the phone does not issue signing certificates or activate the mailbox. Use official slovensko.sk instructions and support.