Questions and answers about admission to Slovakia

Yes: at Slovak public universities and secondary schools, full-time study in Slovak is free of charge — for international students on the same terms as for citizens. English-taught programmes and study beyond the standard length are fee-paying. Housing, food, insurance and one-off fees are paid separately — you can estimate them in the cost calculator.

Most universities accept applications until the end of March or April, medical faculties until the end of February, and secondary schools until 20 March. It is best to start nostrification and translations in winter, and Slovak in the autumn. The reference dates are in the calendar on the pages after high school and after 9th grade.

Most bachelor's programmes at public universities admit students without exams — on the average grade of the school certificate and in order of application. Exams do exist in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy (biology and chemistry tests), in law, psychology, architecture and creative fields (talent tests). We usually build a shortlist of two or three universities so that at least one option comes without an exam.

Yes. A diploma from a college or technical school that includes complete secondary education is recognised as a school-leaving certificate, and you apply for a bachelor's on general terms; individual faculties may credit some subjects, but studies normally start in the first year. With a bachelor's or specialist diploma you can apply for a master's — the recognition of that diploma is done by the university itself.

Universities have no age limits — people enrol at 17, at 25 and later. Secondary schools after 9th grade normally take teenagers up to about 16–17 years old at the start of studies (check with the school). A minor living in Slovakia needs a legal representative or a power of attorney for a guardian — your coordinator will explain how that is arranged.

The most popular fields among our students are IT and engineering, economics and management, medicine and pharmacy, psychology and international relations. The Slovak labour market is short of IT specialists, mechanical and automotive engineers, logistics professionals, doctors and nurses. The list of universities with their faculties is in the catalogue, and an overview is on the universities in Slovakia page.

The basic set: the school certificate with its transcript (a notarised copy, an apostille where required), an official translation into Slovak, the certificate recognition decision (nostrification), a passport, the online university application and the application fee. Some faculties also ask for a motivation letter, a portfolio or a language certificate. The details are in the guide to nostrification.

Nostrification is the recognition of your certificate as equivalent to the Slovak one; without it a university cannot enrol an international student. A school certificate is recognised by the regional education office, a university diploma by the university. Together with notarised copies, the apostille and the sworn translation, allow 1.5–2 months — which is why we file in winter. The steps, documents and typical mistakes are in the guide.

It depends on the issuing country. For certificates from Kazakhstan the apostille is required — there is no legal assistance treaty with Slovakia. For documents from Ukraine and Belarus such treaties apply and formally no apostille is needed, although some authorities still ask for one in practice, so we advise arranging it at home in advance. Country details are on the pages studying in Slovakia from Kazakhstan and studying in Slovakia from Ukraine.

No — Slovak authorities accept only a translation by a sworn translator listed in the register of the Slovak Ministry of Justice. A translation made at home by an ordinary agency will have to be redone. What you do at home is the notarised copies and the apostille; the translation is then made in Slovakia. We pass documents to translators we work with and make sure the translation is made from a certified copy.

The application is filed in the university's online system before the deadline, and the recognition decision can be delivered later — usually by the enrolment day (zápis) in September or by the date the faculty sets. The important thing is to file for nostrification early and attach proof that you have done so. We track the deadlines of every faculty and remind you what to submit and when.

Most faculties expect B1–B2 by the start of studies; some programmes do not formally test the language at application, but you cannot study without it. It is worth starting Slovak 8–10 months before admission — then you have A2 when you apply and a solid B1 by September. Our students learn the language at a partner language school, online or in Slovakia.

You can apply — many programmes have no formal language exam. You cannot study without it: lectures, exams and communication with the study department are all in Slovak, and without B1 the first semester turns into stress. The realistic options are to start the language an academic year before admission or to choose a fee-paying programme in English. We will tell you honestly what level your faculty needs.

Slovak is a West Slavic language: the alphabet is Latin, but the grammar and most roots are familiar. Ukrainian speakers understand everyday speech almost at once; Russian speakers need a few weeks to get used to it. With lessons two or three times a week, B1 usually takes 6–10 months — faster than English or German from scratch.

Yes — medicine, IT, economics and international relations at a number of public universities. But English-taught programmes are fee-paying: the faculty sets the amount, and the benchmark starts from several thousand euros a year, with medicine the most expensive. Check the current figures on the university website or in the register at portalvs.sk. Free of charge means in Slovak only.

Ideally online from the autumn of your final school year: two or three lessons a week with a teacher plus practice on your own. We connect students to a partner language school and follow their progress. An intensive course in Slovakia in the summer before studies helps, and from September many universities offer Slovak courses for international students. What our support includes is on the services page.

Roughly 450–800 € per month in Bratislava and 350–650 € in other cities (2026): a dormitory 90–180 € or a room 250–400 €, food 150–300 €, transport with a student pass 10–30 €, plus insurance, phone and study materials. The calculator gives a closer figure for your city and type of housing. The amounts are estimates and they change.

Tuition in Slovak at a public university is 0 €. A student year (10 months) costs roughly 4,500–8,000 € in Bratislava and 3,500–6,500 € in the regions: housing, food, transport and insurance, plus one-off admission costs — nostrification, translations, the visa and the move (200–700 €). The cost of our support is not included in these figures; we will quote it at the consultation.

Dormitories belong to the universities: you request a place after admission in the online system, and places are allocated by points and distance from home — first-year international students usually get one. The price is roughly 90–180 € a month in Bratislava and 70–150 € in the regions for a bed in a two- or three-person room. If there is no place left, a room in a flat costs 250–400 €. We file the dormitory application together with the student and keep private housing as a backup.

Yes, several kinds: a motivational scholarship for academic results (awarded by the university from the second year), a social scholarship (subject to permanent residence — check the conditions), the Slovak government scholarship for talented international students (a competition with a separate application) and Erasmus+ programmes for a semester abroad. In the first year you should not count on a scholarship — plan your budget without one.

A full-time student with residence for the purpose of study may work part-time — within a limited number of hours set by law (for university students the benchmark is up to 20 hours a week; check the current rule) and without a separate work permit. Typically that means a café, a warehouse or customer support; in later years, internships in your field. Work must not interfere with study — the residence permit is tied to student status.

Temporary residence for the purpose of study (prechodný pobyt na účel štúdia). The application is filed once you have the university's admission decision — at a Slovak consulate in your country (Astana for Kazakhstan, Minsk for Belarus, Kyiv or Uzhhorod for Ukraine) or, in some cases, already in Slovakia. Citizens of Ukraine with temporary protection may also study on that basis. Country specifics are on the pages studying in Slovakia from Ukraine and studying in Slovakia from Kazakhstan.

The amount is tied to the Slovak subsistence minimum and is revised every year: for a student it is calculated for 12 months of living. It is proved by a statement from the student's or the parents' account, sometimes by a sponsorship letter. We give you the current figure and an acceptable form of proof before you apply — it changes, which is why we do not publish it here.

The law provides shortened deadlines for students (the benchmark is up to 30 days from filing a complete set), but in practice allow 4–8 weeks plus the time needed to book an appointment at the consulate. That is why you should apply right after the university's decision — in June or July, so that you are at the enrolment in September. We assemble the package in advance, while the admission round is still running.

To apply for residence you need medical insurance for the whole period — non-EU students take out commercial cover (roughly 30–70 € a month depending on the level of protection). Citizens of Ukraine with temporary protection use public health insurance. Once you have the residence card, the insurance is renewed every year together with the residence.

Residence for the purpose of study ends with the studies, but a graduate can change the purpose — to employment, business or a master's degree. Graduates of Slovak universities have simplified conditions for taking up work (check the current rules). The change of purpose and the extension of residence are handled by the lawyers of our partner AXORA Legal, to whom we hand the student over.

Choosing universities and programmes to match your goals and grades, a timeline, arranging a language course, nostrification and translations under a power of attorney, applications to two or three universities, help with the visa and residence package, the dormitory application, meeting you on arrival and the first steps in Slovakia, plus coordinator support through the whole first year. The full list is on the services page. We will quote the cost at the consultation — it depends on the country and the scope of work.

You can: the procedure is open and applications are filed online. On your own you will spend more time on nostrification, translations, the consulate and correspondence with study departments — and make more mistakes with deadlines. We say it honestly: if you have time, the language and someone in Slovakia, try it yourself; if you want certainty at every step and one coordinator who is accountable, come to us.

For admission after high school, from the autumn of your final year: the language, the choice of university, documents in winter, applications in spring. For medicine and IT at the top universities it is better to start eighteen months ahead. For admission after 9th grade, from the autumn of that year: school applications by 20 March, exams in May. Step-by-step plans are on the pages after high school and after 9th grade.

The first consultation is free: 30–40 minutes online, in which we go through the school certificate, your goals, the budget and the timeline, and answer the parents' questions. Afterwards you receive a list of suitable universities and a plan of action — and you can take your time deciding whether to work with us. To book, use the form below or the chat on the site.

Smart Study is a team of admission coordinators for Slovakia with an office in Bratislava, part of the AXORA group; legal questions about residence are handled by the lawyers of AXORA Legal. We work with applicants from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and other countries, with families and directly with students. Useful materials and case studies are in the blog.