Customs and daily life

Daily life

• Language: learn at least the basic phrases; official forms are in Slovak and foreign documents often require a certified translation.
• Etiquette: vykanie (formal "you") in official dealings, and in everyday practice with strangers, the administration and at work; tykanie (informal "you") with family, friends and close colleagues (slovakia.travel). People greet with a handshake; among close contacts, one or two kisses on the cheek with a light hug.
• Pán and pani (Mr and Mrs): they are followed by the surname, and often the title (pán inžinier, pani doktorka: everyday practice, no official source). Academic titles (Ing., Mgr., PhDr., MUDr., etc.) are among the personal data requested in the tax return (Act 595/2003, § 32 para. 6).
• At home: people often take off their shoes, and you will be offered slippers. A small glass of slivovica (plum brandy) offered to you is a sign of hospitality; refusing it can offend, especially in the countryside.
• Name day (meniny): each day of the Slovak calendar corresponds to a first name, and people wish their loved ones and colleagues a happy meniny, almost as much as a birthday (everyday practice, no official source).
• Meals: lunch between 11:30 and 13:30, dinner between 18:00 and 21:00.
• Tipping: you round up the bill, generally by 5 to 10%; it is not compulsory.
• Pharmacies: open on weekdays during the day; an on-duty pharmacy provides service at weekends and on public holidays.
• Practical: tap water is drinkable, unless a notice reports contamination; electricity 230 V / 50 Hz, European sockets (slovakia.travel).

Public holidays 2026

• Days off in 2026: 1 January (Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic), 6 January (Epiphany), 3 April (Good Friday), 6 April (Easter Monday), 1 May (Labour Day), 5 July (Saints Cyril and Methodius), 29 August (Slovak National Uprising), 1 November (All Saints' Day), 24, 25 and 26 December.
• Holidays that are not days off: 1 September (Constitution Day), 28 October (creation of the Czechoslovak State) and 17 November (Struggle for Freedom and Democracy), under the law in force since 01/11/2025.
• 2026 exception: 8 May (Victory over Fascism) and 15 September (Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows) remain holidays, but are not days off in 2026. Schools were therefore in principle open on 15 September 2026: the head may grant pupils leave only for serious reasons (Ministry of Education). The law in force (version of 01/11/2025, the latest published on Slov-Lex at 20/10/2026) provides for this exception only for 2026 (§ 4b): in 2027, these two days become days off again, unless a new law decides otherwise.
• Employees: if you work on a day that remains a holiday but is not a day off (8 May and 15 September 2026), your employer owes you the premium provided for work on a holiday (at least 100% of your average pay, Labour Code, § 122) or, if you agree, compensatory rest, according to the Ministry of Education relying on the Ministry of Labour's opinion. For 1 September, 28 October and 17 November, the law specifies that these are not holidays within the meaning of the Labour Code (Act 241/1993, § 2 para. 3): this premium therefore does not apply to them under the law.
• Shops: on 1 January, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, 24 December from 12:00, 25 and 26 December, shops cannot have employees working in sales (Labour Code, § 94 para. 5): many shops are therefore closed on those days. Exceptions (annex 1a): petrol stations, pharmacies, sales at airports, ports, other public transport facilities and hospitals, sale of tickets and souvenirs.

Emergencies

• 112: European emergency number, set by law, for all emergency services.
• 150: fire brigade (Hasičský a záchranný zbor); 155: medical emergencies (záchranná zdravotná služba); 158: police (Policajný zbor). These three national numbers appear in a Ministry of the Interior document (minv.sk, Košice district office, "Informácie pre verejnosť"), which recommends 112 especially when several services must intervene.
• Non-life-threatening emergencies: the on-call service (APS) costs €2 outside surgery hours and at weekends; a visit to the hospital emergency department without an acute condition costs €10 (EURES); these charges are not due, for example, after a recent accident or if you are then admitted to hospital.

Work

• Duration: 40 hours per week at most (often 37.5 to 40 hours over five days), 48 hours on average with overtime; 30-minute break after more than 6 hours, 12 hours of rest per day.
• Paid leave: 4 weeks, 5 weeks from age 33 or if you are raising a child.
• Teleworking: regular teleworking must be agreed with the employer in the employment contract (Labour Code, § 52; EURES).
• Minimum wage: €915 gross per month at 01/01/2026.
• Culture: overtime is not the norm and gives entitlement to compensation or compensatory rest.

Common pitfalls

• Relying on an old calendar. Public holidays changed a lot in 2025 and 2026: check the current year before booking leave.
• Using the informal "you" too quickly. Wait for the other person to suggest it, especially with an older person or a superior.
• Forgetting the title. In a formal letter, use the other person's title as they use it (for example "Ing." or "Mgr." before the name).
• Arriving without Slovak at the administration. Officials do not always speak English: come with an interpreter or translated documents.

What changes by country of origin

• Czech citizens: Czech and Slovak are very close (everyday practice, no official source); a Slovak course remains useful for administrative writing.
• Hungarians: Hungarian is commonly spoken in the south of the country.
• Other countries: English and German are the most widespread foreign languages; French, Spanish and Italian are less so.
• British citizens (Scots included) and Swiss citizens: same customs; only the residence rules differ (see SK-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).