The Slovak labour market is dependent on the employment of foreigners and in many sectors there is a shortage of skilled workers. Already today, more than 100,000 people from abroad work in our country. However, the employment of foreigners is still a very complicated and lengthy process. Endless queues are formed in front of the foreign police departments, and handling process is slow. This was to be changed by an amendment to the Act on the residence of foreigners, which came into force on 15 December 2024. What are its results after the first two months?

The fundamental change brought about by the amendment is the electronic handling of applications. However, whoever expected that this would eliminate the annoying bureaucracy in the foreign police departments was mistaken. Therefore, when employing foreigners, it is good to turn to professionals, who will safely guide you through all the pitfalls of bureaucracy.

Paper can hold anything

Today, foreigners should be able to electronically process the application for renewal of temporary residence, renewal of the blue card, granting permanent residence for an indefinite period of time, granting long-term residence, registration of residence of an EU citizen, application for a residence document and application for an alien’s passport without any problems.

However, the emphasis is on the word “should”. In practice, this does not quite work like that. The problem is that in order to use the electronic way, the foreigner must have a residence document that has an activated personal security code (PSC). And  most of  them do not have, as PSC can be activated only in person at the office of the Foreign Police Department!

Sometimes even PSC is not enough

Moreover, if foreigners have already activated their PSC and file the application electronically, in the end, they still must come to the foreign police to get their biometric data scanned there. Efficiency and simplicity remain only on paper once again. The foreign police departments are still overwhelmed, and you always need to make an appointment for a specific date, of which there are terribly few. Only at some police departments will they take the client without an appointment. However, they still have to wait and take a number ticket. Our team will be happy to help you and relieve you from the lengthy procedures at the foreign police.

Other changes

The amendment also brought news for employers. For example, legal entities no longer need to attach a bank statement from the employer for the last three months when applying for the verification of a foreigner’s invitation, but it is sufficient to provide only a confirmation of the account balance.

The amendment also included a change concerning holders of temporary refuge. They will receive documents in the form of ID cards. These cards, corresponding to European standards, increase security, facilitate the control and extension of permits. At the same time, they allow their holders to move more easily within the EU Member States and the Schengen area.

The employment of foreigners in Slovakia is still not without problems. We, at ProfiDeCON, have been helping Slovak companies to employ foreigners for more than ten years. We will be happy to help you, too.