Slovakia's parliament has approved a sweeping amendment to the Act on Residence of Foreigners, taking effect July 15, 2026, that touches national visas, temporary and long-term residence, and how residence documents are issued and used.
Faster, clearer visa decisions
National visas connected to a residence application must now be requested in person, with limited waivers, and are issued for 120 days instead of 90. The Ministry of the Interior has 30 days to issue its opinion on an application, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs then has 10 working days to decide.
Digital residence cards
Foreign nationals with an activated residence permit will be able to create a digital version of their residence card through the government's eDoklady app — though the digital version isn't accepted for border checks or in procedures requiring physical-card verification, so the plastic card still matters for travel.
- National visa validity extended: 90 days → 120 days
- Interior Ministry opinion deadline: 30 days; Foreign Ministry decision: 10 working days after that
- Digital residence card available via eDoklady app (not valid for border control)
- Missing-document grace period on temporary residence applications: 15 days, extendable by 15 more in justified cases
- Changes apply to applications submitted from July 15, 2026
Slovakia isn't yet a live Globaris pathway, but this amendment brings its system closer to the EU's Single Permit Directive standard and adds real digital convenience. Worth watching as a potential future pathway given the clearer deadlines this creates for applicants.
