Driving licence and car

Steps

1. Keep your European licence. On renewal, Slovak rules apply. Exchange is compulsory only in the event of loss, theft, deterioration, an offence in Slovakia, or for a licence valid for life if the authorities require it after 2 years of residence.
2. Take out the compulsory third-party liability insurance (povinné zmluvné poistenie, PZP). Since autumn 2026, checks have been tightening: without valid PZP, the car no longer passes the technical inspection and vehicles uninsured for a long time are removed from the register (Ministry of the Interior).
3. Have the car approved by the transport and roads department of the okresný úrad: it issues the document approving technical conformity (or recognising the type approval) and part II of the registration certificate. For a second-hand car already registered in another EU country, the application includes: proof of purchase (invoice, sale or donation contract), the original foreign registration certificate (both parts if it has two), the deregistration certificate from the country of origin if one exists, a kontrola originality report (originality inspection, at an approved centre) less than 15 days old, a valid technical inspection and emissions test if the car is subject to them (those of your country are accepted if still valid under Slovak time limits) and the certificate of take-over of the vehicle's waste (decree 131/2018, § 21; Act 106/2018, § 29 para. 5). The district office charges €100 for this application.
4. Register the car in person at the dopravný inšpektorát, within 30 days of the issue of part II of the certificate (Act 106/2018, § 29 para. 10). The police indicate the one for your trvalý pobyt (permanent residence); Act 8/2009 (§ 114 para. 1) only requires the holder to have a residence in Slovakia: if you only have a temporary residence, ask the police which station will take you. Choose your plates (random, personalised or those of a former vehicle).
5. Buy the electronic vignette before using a toll motorway or expressway: on the eznamka.sk portal, in the "eznamka" mobile app or at a point of sale displaying the "eznamka" logo (the three payment methods stated by the operating company).

Documents

• Valid identity document.
• PZP insurance certificate.
• Document from the okresný úrad approving technical conformity (it serves as proof of acquisition) and part II of the registration certificate.
• The registration plates from the country of origin, unless they are lost, stolen or already handed to the district office (Act 8/2009, § 115 para. 2).
• For a "new" car within the meaning of VAT (under 6,000 km or less than 6 months since first entering service at delivery): certificate from the tax office on payment of VAT in Slovakia.

Costs and timelines

• Registration fees (2026 scale, Act 145/1995, item 65): rate depending on the engine's maximum power, multiplied by an ecological coefficient; the amount no longer falls with the age of the car.
  • Base rate: up to 80 kW, €33; 80 to 90 kW, €60; 90 to 100 kW, €90; 100 to 110 kW, €120; 110 to 125 kW, €200; 125 to 140 kW, €300; 140 to 155 kW, €500; 155 to 170 kW, €700; 170 to 210 kW, €900; above 210 kW, €1,000.
  • Coefficient: Euro 6d and more recent 0.40; Euro 6a to 6c 0.45; Euro 5 0.50; Euro 4 0.60; Euro 3 0.70; Euro 2 0.80; Euro 1 1.00; hydrogen and plug-in hybrids 0.20; car over 40 years old 0.10.
  • Example: a 110 kW Euro 6d pays €120 × 0.40 = €48. Never less than €33; 100% electric car: €33.
• Approval by the district office: €100 (Act 145/1995, položka 68 f; recognition of the European type approval of an imported car).
• Registration certificate (part I) in 2 working days: €45 extra.
• Vignette (car up to 3.5 t): €90 for 365 days, €17.10 for 30 days, €10.80 for 10 days, €8.10 for 1 day (prices including VAT noted on eznamka.sk on 23/10/2026); the 365-day vignette runs from the day you choose.

Common pitfalls

• Going straight to the police: without the document from the okresný úrad, registration is impossible.
• Exceeding the 30 days: the period runs from the issue of part II of the certificate; the district office imposes a fine of €165 (Act 106/2018, § 29 para. 10 and § 148 para. 17). And the originality report must be no more than 15 days old when the approval application is made: do not get it too early.
• Driving without PZP: heavier fines and removal from the register since 2026.
• Buying the vignette anywhere other than through the eznamka channels (eznamka.sk portal, "eznamka" app, points of sale with the "eznamka" logo): beware of third-party websites.

What changes by country of origin

• EU and EEA licences: valid without exchange. If you want a Slovak licence, you can ask for the exchange from the police of your place of residence 185 days after your residence is registered (Act 8/2009, § 104); fee: €10 (2026 scale).
• British (Scots included), Swiss and other licences from a state party to the Geneva or Vienna conventions: valid for driving on your arrival, but if you have residence in Slovakia, you must ask for the exchange within the 60 days following the 185 days elapsed since your residence was granted or registered; otherwise, your licence is no longer valid in Slovakia (Act 8/2009, § 104, paras. 4 and 5). You must attach a certificate from the country that issued the licence on your categories, with its certified translation into Slovak, and the certified translation of the licence. The international driving permit cannot be exchanged.