For British people, the dream of a cheaper, greener life in central Europe did not end with Brexit, but the paperwork changed completely. In Slovakia you now count as a third-country national, which means a different route from the EU registration described in our guides.
This guide to moving to Slovakia from the UK explains what applies to you, depending on when you arrived and what you plan to do.
Is moving to Slovakia from the UK still possible after Brexit?
Yes, but the right is no longer automatic. You may enter without a visa and stay up to 90 days in any 180 days in the Schengen area. Beyond that, or if you want to work, you need a national residence permit, to be requested under third-country rules from the foreigners' police or from the Slovak embassy in London, before you move.
Slovakia uses the euro and belongs to Schengen. Your 90 days are counted across all Schengen countries, not just Slovakia.
What if you were already living in Slovakia before 2021?
If you were legally resident in Slovakia before 1 January 2021, the Withdrawal Agreement protects you. According to the Ministry of the Interior, Slovakia applies a declaratory system: your rights continue and you are not required to apply for a new status. If you never registered, you should do so with the foreigners' police. Keep proof of your residence history, because in a dispute it is your evidence. Your Europe publishes the summary for British nationals in Slovakia.
Can you work in Slovakia as a British citizen?
Not freely. A Slovak employer can hire a third-country national in three situations: an EU Blue Card, a temporary residence for employment granted on confirmation from the labour office, or a work permit combined with temporary residence (Act no. 5/2004, section 21). The employer usually starts the procedure, so the sequence is: job offer, then permit, then move.
If you want to freelance, you first need a residence permit that allows self-employment; the živnosť licence comes afterwards. For employment rules once you are hired, read working in Slovakia.
Which permit fits your plans: employment, self-employment, family reasons or retirement? Moovy can ask a few questions about your case, show the route that applies and draft the covering letters in Slovak with an English translation. Applications and signatures remain yours.
How does healthcare work for British residents?
Your situation decides:
- Employed by a Slovak employer: you fall under the Slovak public health insurance. Tell your employer which of the three funds you have chosen and they register you.
- Self-employed or without a job: you register directly with the fund, and you need a residence permit.
- UK state pensioner: ask NHS Overseas Healthcare Services for an S1, then register it with a Slovak fund, according to GOV.UK.
The UK GHIC or EHIC covers temporary stays only. Your Europe confirms that the S1 form also works between the EU and the UK for someone who works in one and lives in the other. More in healthcare in Slovakia.
What about pensions and driving?
For pensions, each case is examined: either the Withdrawal Agreement applies, with EU rules, or the protocol of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and national law. The European Commission has published guidance for people retiring in the EU.
For driving, a British licence is valid on arrival, but once resident you must apply for an exchange within 60 days after your first 185 days of residence. You attach a certificate from the issuing country on your categories, with a certified Slovak translation, and a certified translation of the licence itself. An international driving permit cannot be exchanged. More in driving in Slovakia.
How are British residents taxed?
You are a Slovak tax resident if you have a permanent residence, a home you intend to live in, or spend at least 183 days in a calendar year. The UK-Czechoslovakia tax treaty of 1992 (no. 89/1992) applies to Great Britain, which includes Scotland, and to Northern Ireland, but not to the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands or Gibraltar. If you keep your home in the UK, name a representative for tax correspondence. Check the details of your case with the Finančná správa (financnasprava.sk).
What should you do first when moving to Slovakia from the UK?
- Decide the legal basis of your stay: work, family, retirement, self-employment, or a pre-2021 status.
- Apply for the permit before you move, unless you are already covered by the Withdrawal Agreement.
- Keep your UK documents handy with certified translations.
- Prepare your health cover, S1 or employer registration.
- Open a bank account. There is no right to the standard account unless you reside in the EU, so each bank decides. See bank account in Slovakia.
The practical sequence for the first weeks is in moving to Slovakia.
What are the entry rules for moving to Slovakia from the UK?
Even before the permit, the border rules matter. You can enter Slovakia, as part of the Schengen area, without a visa for 90 days in any 180. A permit-holder or someone covered by the Withdrawal Agreement is not subject to that limit. Count your days across all Schengen countries, not only Slovakia, and keep proof of entry dates, since officials may ask for it.
Which documents will the foreigners' police want?
Because a British citizen's residence is treated under third-country rules, the exact list depends on the permit: a job offer and the labour office's confirmation for employment, proof of family link for a family permit, proof of means and insurance for other cases. Bring your passport, certified translations of civil-status documents and, where required, a criminal record extract with certified translation. The Ministry of the Interior's page on the stay of British citizens after Brexit is the starting point, and the Slovak embassy in London can tell you where to apply from abroad.
What if you are a pre-2021 resident who never registered?
The Ministry of the Interior says Slovakia applies a declaratory system, so your rights remain. If you did not register at the time, do so with the foreigners' police and bring whatever shows you were living in Slovakia before 1 January 2021: lease, payslips, utility bills, health insurance records. The earlier you bring order to the file, the easier it is to prove your status when you renew a document or cross a border.
Can your family come with you?
Family members of a British citizen with a national permit follow the permit rules, while family members of a protected pre-2021 resident follow the Withdrawal Agreement. Because the two routes differ, tell the police which basis you rely on at the first visit. If your partner or children are EU citizens, they can register on their own as EU citizens; see residence in Slovakia for EU citizens.
How realistic is moving to Slovakia from the UK for work?
It is realistic if you have an employer ready to sponsor the procedure, particularly for skilled posts where an EU Blue Card applies. It is much harder to arrive first and look afterwards, because an employer cannot hire you without one of the three permits. Freelancing needs a residence permit that allows self-employment first.