Slovakia’s Working Holiday Visa for Australians

If you’re an Australian aged between 18 and 30 years old, you can apply for a working holiday visa in the Slovak Republic (Slovakia). This allows you to live in Slovakia for up to 12 months. During your stay, you can also travel within the rest of Europe’s Schengen Area for up to 90 out of every 180 days!

With a working holiday visa, you can study in Slovakia for up to 6 months and take up temporary work, but not for more than 6 months with the same employer.

This page contains information about the Slovak Republic’s Work and Holiday Visa for Australian citizens. It was last updated on 31 March 2024.

Key facts about Slovakia

Population: Approx. 5.5 million
Official language: Slovak
Capital city: Bratislava
Largest cities: Bratislava, Košice, Žilina, Prešov, Nitra
Name of the country in Slovak: Slovensko (Slovenská republika)
Currency: Euro

Slovakia Work and Holiday Visa requirements for Australians

To apply for a Slovakia Work and Holiday visa as an Australian citizen, you must meet the following requirements:

Aged between 18-30 years old (inclusive) at the time of application
Hold tertiary qualification/s or have successfully completed at least 2 years of undergraduate university education
Have at least €2,500 (approx. AUD3,800) in savings
Have a return ticket to Slovakia or at least €1,500 (approx. AUD2,300) to buy one
Have comprehensive travel insurance to cover your entire stay in Slovakia
Are in good health and satisfy Slovakia’s character requirements

You cannot apply for this visa if you:

Will be accompanied by dependent children
Have previously participated in the Work and Holiday scheme in the Slovak Republic (exception: you can apply a second time if the purpose of your second application is different and there is a break between your stays)

Documents needed to apply for this visa

When applying for a Work and Holiday visa for Slovakia as an Australian citizen, you will need to provide the following documents:

Completed and signed application form for a national visa (choose “other” as the purpose of the application)
Your passport, valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave Slovakia
Passport-sized photo
Copy of your birth certificate
Bank statement/s showing you have at least €1,785 (approx. AUD3,000) in savings
Proof of return ticket, or at least around €1,500 (or equivalent) to buy one
Proof of tertiary qualification/s or completed university study
Proof of adequate travel/health insurance (see below)

You must also demonstrate one of the following:

That you have a pre-arranged work contract in Slovakia,
That you are a current student in Australia and have arranged an internship or work placement in Slovakia, or
That you intend to stay in Slovakia for a vacation with the possibility of obtaining work on an occasional basis to help fund your holiday.

There is no fee for this visa.

You will also need to provide a pre-paid, self-addressed registered post envelope for the return of your passport if you would like your visa to be posted to you.

More information about this visa and the required documents is available on the website of the Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in Sydney.

Travel insurance requirement

Slovakia requires that your travel or health insurance provides at least €30,000 (approx. AUD50,000) in coverage for medical expenses, hospitalisation and repatriation costs. This insurance must be valid during your entire stay in Slovakia.

When applying for your visa, your insurance letter must include:

Your name
The insurance validity period
The amount of coverage provided for medical, hospitalisation and repatriation expenses

See our working holiday travel insurance guide for tips on choosing a suitable policy.

How to apply for a Slovakia Working Holiday Visa

The only way for Australians to apply for this visa used to be in person at the Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in Sydney.

Note that the Slovak embassy in Canberra has permanently closed. It is also not possible to apply for this visa through an honorary consulate.

You will need to book an appointment prior to your visit. Bring a completed “National Visa” application form and all required documents to your appointment.

It may take up to 30 days to process your visa application, once all required documents have been submitted. However, in many cases it only takes a few hours.

Please contact the Slovak Consulate General in Sydney to make an appointment or if you have further questions.

While best efforts are made to keep this information updated, we do not guarantee its accuracy. If you spot an error, would like to suggest new information to be added or simply have a question, please let us know in the comments and we’ll endeavour to respond or update the article as quickly as possible!