Slovakia

⇑Universities

According to SAIA, the agency that runs the official Study in Slovakia portal, Slovakia has three groups of higher education institutions:

• 20 public institutions (verejné vysoké školy) – 9 classical universities, 5 universities of technology, 3 arts and music academies, a university of economics, a university of veterinary medicine and pharmacy, and an agricultural university,
• 3 state institutions (štátne vysoké školy) – military, police and medical,
• 11 private institutions (súkromné vysoké školy) – operating with government approval.

You will find all programmes (more than 5,000) on the Ministry of Education's portal portalvs.sk.

Universities in Slovakia – profiles

⇑Study system

Slovak higher education has three cycles:

• Bachelor (bakalárske) – usually 3–4 years,
• Master (magisterské; in technical fields inžinierske) – usually 1–2 years after a bachelor's degree,
• Doctorate (PhD) – usually 3–4 years.

Some programmes, such as medicine, are single-cycle. The academic year is split into a winter and a summer semester.

Slovakia – bachelor's programmes
Slovakia – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Slovakia – master's programmes
Slovakia – doctoral programmes

⇑Admission

You apply directly to the university or faculty of your choice – each sets its own requirements and deadlines. You can also apply online through portalvs.sk.

• application deadline – for most programmes usually the end of February or March; for arts institutions usually the end of November,
• entrance exams – usually between June and September; at arts institutions earlier (in January),
• application fee – set by the university or faculty.

A school leaving certificate from abroad must be recognised in Slovakia. You apply for recognition of your secondary school certificate to the Ministry of Education (minedu.sk), online or by post. Also ask the faculty which documents it needs from applicants with a foreign certificate.

If you come from outside the EU, apply early: you need your admission letter to apply for temporary residence (see: Residence and formalities).

⇑Entrance exams

The faculty decides on admission. For many programmes you take an entrance exam; at arts institutions, an aptitude exam.

Some faculties in Slovakia and Czechia replace or supplement their own exams with the National Comparative Exams (NSZ), run by the company Scio. They take place seven times a year, also online. The faculty's admission conditions tell you whether it accepts them.

⇑Language

Programmes are usually taught in Slovak. Universities also offer programmes in other languages – most often in English, sometimes in Hungarian, French, German or Russian. SAIA publishes a list of programmes taught in foreign languages in its brochure “Study in Slovakia: Study Programmes Offered in Foreign Languages”.

If you speak another Slavic language, Slovak will come more easily, but the faculty may ask you to prove your Slovak – check before you apply. For programmes in English you will usually need IELTS or TOEFL; the university sets the required score.

⇑Residence and formalities

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a visa and study under the same conditions as Slovak citizens. You do, however, have two obligations towards the Foreign Police (cudzinecká polícia):

• reporting the start of your stay – within 10 working days of arrival,
• registering your residence – if you stay longer than three months: you apply in person within 30 days after three months have passed since your arrival. As a student you attach confirmation of your studies and a statement that you have enough money to support yourself. Registration is free; the residence document costs €10 (issued within 30 days) or €39 (express, within 2 working days).

Students from outside the EU/EEA need temporary residence for the purpose of study. It is best to apply at the Slovak embassy in your country of citizenship or residence; if you are already legally in Slovakia, you can apply to the Foreign Police. The police decide within 30 days of receiving a complete application. Residence is granted for the expected length of your studies, for a maximum of six years. You will need, among other things, your passport, confirmation of admission, criminal record extracts (from your home country and any country where you have lived for 90 days or more in the last three years) and proof of funds – for example a bank statement for the last three months, confirmation of a scholarship or a sworn statement from a person who will support you. The official pages do not give a fixed amount, so ask the embassy. Financial documents must not be older than 90 days. Within 3 working days of collecting your residence card you must take out health insurance, and within 30 days submit a medical report.

Health insurance: if you are insured in another EU country, bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

⇑Tuition fees

Full-time programmes taught in Slovak at public universities are free – whatever your nationality – as long as you don't exceed the standard length of study.

You will have to pay if you:

• study in a foreign language – according to SAIA, tuition ranges from €500 to €12,200 per academic year,
• exceed the standard length of study,
• choose a private institution – it sets its own fees.

The application fee is paid separately; the university or faculty sets the amount.

⇑Accommodation and living costs

Slovakia is one of the cheaper countries to study in. According to the Study in Europe portal, the minimum budget is around €350 a month, and a comfortable one €500–700. Together with tuition for a programme in English, your annual budget can reach €7,000–15,000.

You can choose between student residences (študentské domovy) and private accommodation. Ask your university about a room in a residence as soon as you are admitted – it is usually the cheapest option. Student canteens (jedáleň) are also a cheap way to eat. Remember that on programmes in English you pay tuition on top of your living costs.

⇑Scholarships

The main opportunities for international students are:

• National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic (Národný štipendijný program) – supports study, research and teaching stays; international students, doctoral candidates and researchers can apply. It is run by SAIA,
• scholarships under bilateral agreements between countries,
• Erasmus+ – a semester or year in Slovakia as part of an exchange with your home university.

You will find the offers in one place in the scholarships.sk database.

⇑Working while studying

EU/EEA citizens can work in Slovakia under the same conditions as Slovak citizens – you don't need a work permit or any other authorisation.

Students from outside the EU/EEA with temporary residence for the purpose of study can work up to 80 hours a month without a work permit. If you want to work more, you have to change the purpose of your residence to employment. Note: the 80-hour monthly limit comes from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, while the EU Immigration Portal still says 20 hours a week – check the current limit with the Foreign Police or your university before you start work.

Start with your university's careers office and the job notices for students at your faculty. For casual jobs, Slovak helps.

Slovakia – why work there?
How to find a job abroad?

⇑Useful links

• Study in Europe – Slovakia – the official country profile on the European Commission's portal,
• Study in Slovakia – SAIA's portal: institutions, admission, tuition fees, residence,
• portalvs.sk – programme search and online applications,
• scholarships.sk – scholarship database,
• Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs – foreign students in Slovakia – temporary residence for students from outside the EU,
• minedu.sk – recognition of foreign certificates and diplomas,
• ENIC-NARIC – recognition of qualifications in Europe,
• Eurodesk – free information on studying, traineeships and volunteering in Europe.