Resources for employers in Slovakia
Resources for employers in Slovakia
We use "refugees" to encompass forcibly displaced people with different legal statuses, such as refugees, subsidiary protection holders, temporary protection holders, asylum seekers, and other people in need of international protection.
In cases where differentiating information relating to each status is essential (i.e. regarding the right to work), this is clearly indicated.
Why hire refugees in Slovakia?
Slovakia is one of the countries in Europe that has received the highest number of refugees in recent years in proportion to its population. According to a recent report, refugees who have arrived in Slovakia praise the reception conditions and the human approach to service provision. In addition to connecting with Slovak citizens, Ukrainians perceive learning the language and finding work as the most important factors for feeling self-sufficient and accepted by the majority.
Companies can play a decisive role in integrating refugees into the labour market and in society as a whole but also stand to gain a lot from hiring newcomers. The Institute of Social Policy in Slovakia indicates that Ukrainian refugees do not compete for jobs with the native population but, on the contrary, help alleviate the labour shortage. Moreover, according to the Institute of Financial Policy (IFP) at the Ministry of Finance, the employment of Ukrainians fleeing the war not only helps Slovak companies overcome problems with a lack of workers but also has a positive effect on the industry's export performance. Finally, employed Ukrainians also support the Slovak economy by purchasing more goods and services and based on IFP calculations, the country's GDP will increase by an additional 0.2 percentage points in the next few years thanks to war refugees, completely offsetting the initial costs of the government for their reception and integration.
Read more in the report "People from Ukraine in Slovak Cities Informedness, services, community support, inclusion."
Stellantis is a leading global automaker with a manufacturing plant in Trnava, Slovakia. The company employs various nationalities, including 280 Ukrainian refugees, and has a variety of programs for promoting diversity and inclusion. For example, the company provides an arrival package facilitating transport, accommodation, medical care, and other essential services, as well as a comprehensive pre-arrival information package, including a part on cultural orientation. The "Buddy Program" pairs new employees with interpreters and coordinators to assist with daily needs and various aspects of integration outside the workplace. All internal communication is translated into multiple languages, and targeted communication campaigns are run on essential topics like tax return systems, payroll systems, and social and health care deductions, among others. The company promotes career growth opportunities for all employees, with many refugees already advancing to leadership roles.
How many refugees are there in Slovakia?
In 2023, there were 127,000 refugees in Slovakia, with close to 125,000 coming from Ukraine. 68% of the displaced Ukrainians are women and girls. The population has a very high level of educational attainment, with 63% being educated to a degree level. The most common subjects of higher education are engineering, business, education, and services.
Visit the Refugee Data Finder to learn more
How many of them are working?
As of January 2024, according to the Labor Office, nearly 40,000 employees of Ukrainian nationality were working in Slovakia. Ukrainians often find employment as operators and assemblers of machines and equipment or as auxiliary and unskilled workers. At the end of 2023, 65% of Ukrainians worked in these positions. In contrast to other communities, women comprise the majority (56%) of the Ukrainian workforce. According to 2023 data by IOM, the employment rate among women with children is 60%. Notably, it's 55% among women with infants.
View the official statistics by the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family
What are the main challenges?
Based on the 2023 Annual report on the labour market integration of Ukrainian refugees by IOM, the majority of refugees (52%) pointed to the language barrier as the most considerable obstacle to employment in Slovakia, followed by family duties (24%) and medical conditions (11%). In addition, 44% of those interviewed stated that their current job in Slovakia does not match their level of education and professional experience, and 42% said that their average income needs to be increased to cover their monthly expenses.
Read the 2023 Annual report on the labour market integration of Ukrainian refugees by IOM
Did you know?
Slovakia is one of the pilot countries for the EU Talent Pool initiative of EURES (European Employment Services). Employers can search on the CV Database on the EURES portal and sign up for notification for candidates with the desired profiles. Employers can also benefit from the services of certified EURES advisors in all 46 Employment, Social Affairs and Family offices across the country and on the EURES Slovakia page.
| Status | Who it applies to | Right to work? | Process |
| Asylum-seeker | Individuals who have applied for asylum in Slovakia and who are currently waiting for a decision on their application. | In cases where a decision is still pending, asylum-seekers have the right to work for 6 months after filing their asylum application. | Employers who hire asylum-seekers are obliged to provide employment data, a copy of the employment contract, and the employee's ID to the relevant labour office no later than seven working days from the date of starting employment and no later than seven working days from the date of termination of employment. |
| Refugees | Individuals who have been granted asylum due to fear of persecution in their countries of origin due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. | Refugees have the full right to access the Slovak labour market and have a permanent residence permit in Slovakia. | Employers who hire refugees have an obligation to provide employment data, a copy of the employment contract, and the employee's ID to the relevant labour office no later than seven working days from the date of starting employment and no later than seven working days from the date of termination of employment. |
| Beneficiary of subsidiary protection | Individuals who do not qualify for asylum but who still face a risk of serious harm if they return to their countries of origin. These include civilians fleeing armed conflict, and those fearing execution, torture, or other inhumane treatment. | Beneficiaries of subsidiary protection have the full right to access the Slovak labour market. They obtain a temporary residence permit for one year, which can be extended each time for 2 years. | Employers who hire beneficiaries of subsidiary protection must provide employment data, a copy of the employment contract, and the employee's ID to the relevant labour office no later than seven working days from the date of starting employment and no later than seven working days from the date of termination of employment. |
| Beneficiary of temporary protection | Individuals who are citizens of Ukraine and their family members who resided in Ukraine before 24.02.2022 can benefit from an accelerated procedure for temporary protection. | Beneficiaries of temporary protection have the full right to access the Slovak labour market. However, they need help accessing self-employment and owning a business with this status. To do so, they must switch to a Temporary Residence permit. | Employers who hire beneficiaries of temporary protection must provide employment data, a copy of the employment contract, and the employee's ID to the relevant labour office no later than seven working days from the date of starting employment and no later than seven working days from the date of termination of employment. |
| Foreigner with temporary residence for employment or business | Individuals with a confirmed job offer in Slovakia or registered in the Commercial Register or Trade Register to open a business. | Foreigners with temporary residence have the right to work in the employment associated with the permit or to conduct business as per the application and related trade license. However, they must obtain a new permit if they wish to change jobs or companies. | apply for temporary residence (except for shortage occupations). For business owners, a business plan and supporting documents must be presented, and a trade license is often required. |
For more information on Slovakia's legal framework, visit the UNHCR Help page and the Information Sheets on the IOM Migration Information Center.
Bear in mind
The procedure for employment in regulated professions may be more extensive than the standard one. It may involve the recognition of diplomas issued abroad and/or additional examinations. The full list of regulated professions (such as healthcare and pedagogical professionals, architects, care workers, and others) can be found here. The extract from the criminal record register that is normally needed for the performance of work in the public interest or for pedagogical work can be replaced with a declaration of honour as an exception.
The Ministry of Health in Slovakia has established a special procedure to incorporate medical professionals in the Slovak healthcare system, particularly for paediatricians and nurses. It includes the recognition of their diplomas and a professional competence examination. Once approved, professionals have access to specialized language preparation offered by the Institute of Medical Terminology and a professional internship of up to 18 months.
IOM offers financial assistance to pedagogical professionals who wish to integrate into the Slovak education system. The assistance includes a free language course customized to their needs and reimbursement of the costs for education recognition and examination by a psychologist.
Did you know?
Refugees have considerable potential to contribute to the Slovak economy through employment and entrepreneurship. According to an analysis by SME Daily, until mid-2023, 2,500 Ukrainians changed their status from temporary protection to temporary residence for business purposes to establish a company of their own (which was not possible with a temporary protection status before July 2024). At the end of 2023, the FinStat portal registered more than 3,000 commercial companies (corporations and joint-stock companies) in which Ukrainians are the owners or the ultimate beneficiaries, 750 of which were created in 2022 and 2023, in fields such as construction, retail, IT and business consulting.
How do I get in touch with refugee talent?
Employers can get in touch with refugees through established NGOs in job market integration and offer wraparound services such as counselling, language support, and others. The UkraineSlovakia.sk platform provides a map of NGOs and available services across Slovakia. Kto pomôže Ukrajine also has a Help Map with organizations and resources for Ukrainian refugees. Finally, employers can post jobs on platforms such as Profesia, which have unique tags for positions suitable for Ukrainians. For refugees from Ukraine, Profesia also allows them to upload their CVs into the pool of potential candidates and display them with priority to employers for free.
What can I do to support refugee employees?
Employers can take various measures to support refugee job seekers and new hires. First and foremost, offering or subsidizing Slovak language classes is one of the most valuable interventions. In addition, providing on-site childcare, where available, or subsidizing the costs for daycare may have a considerable impact, especially for women. To address skill mismatches, it is advisable to give recruits the opportunity to prove their skills and experience through a paid traineeship, even if they do not have formal qualifications or these are not yet recognized.
Governmental support
The Employment Services in Slovakia offer to advertise job vacancies for free on their job board and mark them as suitable for refugees. Companies can also benefit from subsidies such as the Youth Guarantee for young people under 29, Employment and Training support, or a Monthly allowance for disadvantaged workers.
Legal and practical advice
IOM Slovakia offers specialized training and consulting services for hiring foreigners. Employers can attend standardized training and benefit from legal consultations or request tailored training based on their requirements and interests. IOM experts also offer consultations with personal visits or by e-mail and phone.
Diversity and CSR services
Mareena is an NGO that offers integration services and job counselling to refugees. For employers, Mareena offers custom Slovak language courses and “Welcome to Slovakia” workshops for refugee employees, as well as all-company diversity training, CSR initiatives and team buildings in the form of a discussion cafe, travel cinema, skills workshop, cooking club, tour of multi-religious Bratislava.
The NGO Mareena has compiled insights on integrating people from Ukraine into Slovak cities such as Bratislava, Trenčín, Nitra, and others. A summary of the report can be found here.
The IOM Migration Information Center has information sheets on the different types of residence permits in Slovakia that provide useful guidance for employers.
The Slovak Red Cross has published a report on the Labour market and employability assessment for displaced people and refugees in Slovakia, which can be accessed here.