Online System for Residence-Related Processes Implemented

At a Glance

• The Slovak Foreign Police launched an online system for foreign nationals to schedule Residence Permit appointments and register their residency.
• The new system streamlines the residency process as foreign nationals were previously required to queue early in the morning to obtain an appointment.

The situation

To address long queuing times at the Slovak Foreign Police, the Slovak government has launched an online system for foreign nationals to schedule appointments in advance to obtain Residence Permits and register their residency.

A closer look

Details of the new online system include the following:

• Application process. Foreign nationals can apply for an appointment by completing an online form to choose a Foreign Police Office correlating to their place of residence in Slovakia. After submitting the completed form, applicants will receive an email confirming the appointment date and time as assigned by the Foreign Police. An appointment is scheduled within 30 days of the date of application.
• Previous system. Previously, foreign nationals had to queue at the Foreign Police, which resulted in extremely long wait times.
• Issues under new process. Foreign nationals should be aware that:
  
  • If there are no appointments available over the next 30 days, the applicant can visit the Foreign Police under the previous queuing system. However, applicants with scheduled appointments will be given priority.
  • Foreign nationals who do not receive an email confirming their appointment within 14 days of the online form submission should submit a new appointment request.
• Fragomen assistance. Fragomen will schedule online appointments for clients and will inform assignees of the details.

Impact

Foreign nationals will save time as they do not have to queue at the Foreign Police in order to complete required immigration processes.

Background

• Recent changes in Slovakia. This system is in line with a package of changes recently implemented in Slovakia that seeks to streamline many immigration processes, including faster processing of work authorization applications for shortage occupations and relaxed document requirements for many work authorization applicants.
• Use of online application systems globally. Many countries are implementing digitized immigration systems to streamline the process and attract foreign talent.

Looking ahead

Since the application system is new, website malfunctions and errors may occur while the Ministry of Interior Affairs improves the system. Fragomen will report on issues on the system and other relevant developments.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to emea@fragomen.com.