Family and social support

Bringing your family

You live in Slovakia and want your spouse or child to join you? Under certain conditions they can apply for temporary residence for the purpose of family reunification. The procedure depends on your residence, who wants to join you and which family relationship has to be proven.

Who can apply

• Spouse – if both of you are at least 18.
• Unmarried child under 18 – yours or your spouse’s.
• Adult dependent child – under certain conditions, if a long-term health condition prevents them from taking care of themselves.
• Parent – if they depend on the care of their child living in Slovakia and have no suitable family support in their home country.

Not every relative automatically gets residence based on family ties. The exact conditions depend on each family’s situation.

What you must meet

Valid residence, sufficient income and accommodation for the whole family.

Where to apply

The application is usually submitted in person at a Slovak embassy or consulate abroad (for Vietnam, the Slovak Embassy). In some cases it can be submitted at a foreign police department in Slovakia – only if the applicant is staying in Slovakia on one of the legally recognised grounds.

If your relative is already in Slovakia, do not assume they can apply directly at the foreign police. Check the conditions first.

Documents you will need

• a valid passport,
• proof of the family relationship – e.g. a marriage or birth certificate,
• a criminal record extract, if required,
• proof of accommodation in Slovakia,
• other documents depending on the relationship and the applicant’s situation.

Foreign official documents may need an apostille or superlegalisation, and documents not in Slovak an official translation. See Documents.

Check the exact list of documents before applying. If a required document is missing, the application may not be accepted.

How long it takes

According to the IOM Migration Information Centre, applications are usually decided within 90 days, in some special cases sooner. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval.

Can the family member work?

It depends on the type of residence and other circumstances. Some holders of family reunification residence can work without a further permit, others face restrictions. Check before starting a job.

Start preparing documents well in advance. Verifying and translating foreign documents can add months to the process.

Birth of a child

The steps differ depending on whether the child was born in Slovakia or abroad and what residence the parents have.

Before the birth

• Documents – prepare your ID documents and ask the maternity hospital in advance what you will need.
• Paternity – if the parents are not married, they can make a joint declaration of paternity for the unborn child at the registry office (matrika) before the birth.
• Name and surname – find out in advance how they will be determined.

Birth certificate

• Birth in a hospital – the hospital reports the birth to the registry office. Parents usually do not have to report it themselves.
• Birth outside a hospital – follow the instructions of the relevant registry office.
• The registry office issues the Slovak birth certificate. The first original is free of charge. The hospital will tell you how and when you receive it.
• Details on Slovensko.sk (life situation “Rodný list”).

Name and surname

• If you want to keep the Vietnamese spelling, check the correct form at the registry office.
• A girl’s or woman’s surname can, under certain conditions, be registered without the Slovak ending “-ová”. Ask at the registry office or already at the hospital when agreeing on the name.
• Before signing, check all details – order of names, diacritics and spelling. Correcting mistakes later requires further official steps.

After the birth

• Health insurance and paediatrician – register the child with a health insurance company (or arrange other health cover) and choose a paediatrician.
• Child’s residence – being born in Slovakia does not automatically give a right of residence. Apply for the child’s residence as soon as possible, deadlines are short. Check the procedure with the foreign police or IOM MIC.
• Citizenship – a child born in Slovakia does not automatically get Slovak citizenship if neither parent is a Slovak citizen.
• Vietnamese documents – register the birth at the Embassy of Vietnam and get a passport for the child.
• Financial support – check whether you are entitled to the birth allowance, child benefit, parental allowance or maternity benefit. See Social benefits.

Social benefits

Being a foreigner does not automatically mean entitlement to benefits. Each benefit has its own conditions – type and length of residence, insurance, care for the child, income. Check them before applying.

Child benefit (prídavok na dieťa)

A monthly state benefit for raising a dependent child – if the conditions are met, until the child turns 25 at the latest. For foreigners, permanent or temporary residence in Slovakia is usually assessed, but exceptions and EU rules also apply. Where: the Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (ÚPSVaR) for your place of residence.

Parental allowance (rodičovský príspevok)

For proper care of a young child – usually until age 3, or until 6 if the child has a long-term health condition. It is not the same as maternity benefit: you may be entitled to parental allowance even if you were not entitled to maternity benefit. Where: ÚPSVaR.

Birth allowance (príspevok pri narodení dieťaťa)

A one-off payment for a newborn’s basic needs. It is not automatic – the parent’s residence and place of living are also assessed. If the child was born outside Slovakia, check the conditions separately. Where: ÚPSVaR.

Maternity benefit (materské)

A sickness insurance benefit paid by the Social Insurance Agency (Sociálna poisťovňa). The mother usually needs at least 270 days of sickness insurance in the 2 years before the birth. Residence or the birth itself does not guarantee it – if you work or run a business, check whether you are sickness-insured.

Other support

• Material need benefit – for very low income.
• Unemployment benefit – from the Social Insurance Agency, if you have paid unemployment insurance.
• Housing allowance – only if you meet the conditions.

How to check what you are entitled to

1. Check your residence – have details of its type and validity ready.
2. Check whether you are insured – sickness insurance decides maternity benefit; other benefits have different rules.
3. Prepare the child’s documents – e.g. the birth certificate and proof of care.
4. Contact the right institution – child benefit, parental allowance and birth allowance are handled by ÚPSVaR, maternity benefit by the Social Insurance Agency.
5. Check current amounts and conditions – benefit amounts and rules change.

Don’t understand the form or which documents to attach? Ask directly at the office or at an organisation that helps foreigners.

Where to get help

• Slovensko.sk – life situations and official procedures.
• ÚPSVaR – benefits and support for families.
• Social Insurance Agency – maternity and sickness benefits.
• IOM Migration Information Centre (MIC) – residence, family reunification and life of foreigners in Slovakia, free of charge.

Every family’s situation is different. This is general information and does not replace an individual assessment – always check the current conditions before you apply.