National visa type D for the purpose of research and development  – third-country national  (Researcher)

General information about visas:

• do you need a visa to enter Slovakia? – check on the website: here or here
• if the researcher falls under a visa-free regime or has been granted and holds a valid residence permit in another EU Member State, proceed to “AFTER ARRIVAL”
• researcher apply for National visa type D for the purpose of research and development
• visa is required if the planned stay in the Slovak Republic exceeds 90 days
• visas are issued for a period of 120 days, in connection with the submission of a residence permit application
• the Embassy/Consulate Office has 30 days to make a decision from the date the application is received
• more information is available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic
• it is important to communicate and co-operate with the relevant SAS institute to which the applicant was admitted (with the coordinator of the institute), where the candidate was accepted and also with the Euraxess Point SAS.

National visa- appointment process:

• researcher must apply for the visa at Slovak Embassy/Consulate Office located in their country of citizenship or in a country where they hold legal residence
• list of Slovak Embassies/Consulate Offices
• researcher must contact the relevant Slovak embassy directly, arrange an appointment (typically via email), and follow the instructions provided by the mission
• all required documents must be prepared in advance – including those that will be submitted later as part of the temporary residence application for the purpose of research and development at the Foreign Police Department in Slovakia.

Required documents:

• application for national visa– completely filled in Slovak and signed by the applicant
• application for temporary residence permit – completely filled in Slovak and signed by the applicant
• 2 recent full-face colour photograph – 3 x 3,5 cm
• valid passport – please note, the passport must be valid for at least three months after the expected expiry of the visa, the applicant applied for, the passport must be issued in the last 10 years
• document proving the purpose of stay – Hosting agreement – in Slovak or bilingual, original document with signature and stamp

• travel insurance covering the expenses for medical treatment in case of illness or injury – min € 30,000 insurance coverage
• booked flying ticket
• it is not necessary to submit documents on accommodation
• Criminal Record Extract from the country where the applicant resided for the longest period in the last ten years – superlegalised/apostilled and translated to Slovak language by official.

All documents must be in the same format as for applying for a temporary residence permit at Foreign Police in SR, i.e.:

• superlegalized/Apostilled – information here and please see The Hague Convention Members and Competent authorities in member states
• officially translated to Slovak language by certified translator included in The List of Experts, Translators and Interpreters registered with the Ministry of Justice of SR or by the Slovak Embassy or Consulate (if there is a capacity to provide this service). Documents in Czech language do not need to be translated into Slovak language.

Ensuring translation into Slovak language – Criminal record extract (CRE):

• recommended procedure for performing a translation in the Slovak Republic – researcher sends a scan of the CRE to coordinator at the SAS institute and at the same time sends the original of CRE to the coordinator by courier company. The coordinator will ensure translation of the CRE scan into Slovak and when the original arrives in the Slovak Republic, coordinator will manage the bind of the original CRE with the translation and send it back to the foreigner by courier service (together with Hosting agreement).

Fee:

90€ – Administrative fee for granting visa

Important information:

• national visa entitles its holder to stay in the territory of the Slovak Republic for the period for which it was issued. In the territory of other Member States, the holder of a valid national visa may stay for up to three months within any 180-day period under the same conditions as the holder of a residence permit issued by one of the Schengen Area Member States
• the diplomatic mission will enter the purpose of the temporary residence, which the visa holder will apply for at the Foreign Police, into the national visa granted in connection with the application for residence
• to enter into hosting agreements, an organization must hold authorization to accept foreign nationals for activities in research and development
• this authorization is granted by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic
• list of organizations authorized to host foreign nationals.

Advantages That Help Streamline the Temporary Residence Application Process for Research and Development (Hosting agreement)

• simplifies the administrative process – for example, when applying for temporary residence, an extract from the criminal record is sufficient only from the country where the applicant has resided for the longest time in the last 10 years (not from each country where he/she has resided)
• the opportunity to be employed immediately, regardless of the situation on the labor market and without obtaining a work permit
• the possibility to work on the basis of an employment contract, a work performance agreements, an employment agreement
• possibility to teach
• simplified mobility within the EU
• the possibility to renew your temporary residence permit for another 9 months in order to look for a job or business
• a researcher’s family member may apply for a temporary residence for the purpose of family reunion and may be employed immediately (without obtaining a work permit)