How to Apply to Universities in Slovakia: Requirements, Deadlines and Portals
By Muntasir • Published Jul 05, 2026 • Updated Aug 08, 2026 • Guides, Study in Europe, Country & City Guides, Admissions & Applications
You apply directly to a Slovak faculty, not to a central admissions body. Deadlines run from December through July depending on the faculty, and most programmes need your secondary diploma recognised in Slovakia before you can enrol.
📩 Search programmes and deadlines faculty by faculty on the national portal.
Medicine and dentistry close applications earliest, often by December or January.
Get your school certificate recognised (nostrifikácia) before the semester starts.
Expect an application fee per faculty, plus an entrance exam for competitive fields.
EU students need no visa; non-EU students apply for a residence permit before arrival.
Applications go to the faculty, not the university
Slovak universities do not run one shared admissions office. You choose a specific faculty and programme, and you send your application, documents, and fee to that faculty directly. A large university like Comenius University in Bratislava has more than a dozen faculties, each with its own deadline, entrance requirements, and application form.
Step 1: find your programme and deadline
Portal VS , the national higher education portal, lists study programmes and application deadlines from every Slovak public university in one place, letting you compare faculties before you apply. Deadlines vary widely: many bachelor's programmes close between January and May, second-degree (master's) programmes often stay open into the summer, and medicine and dentistry close first, usually in December or January, because demand is high and places are limited.
Step 2: get your diploma recognised
Before a Slovak faculty admits you, your secondary school certificate needs formal recognition in Slovakia, a process called nostrifikácia. Since 2024, recognition of secondary school diplomas is handled by the Regional Office of School Administration covering the area where you plan to study, not by the Ministry's central recognition centre, according to the Ministry of Education . You submit your certificate with an apostille (or legalisation, depending on your home country), plus a notarised Slovak translation of the certificate and its grade transcript. Start this process early: it takes weeks, and most faculties want proof of recognition before or shortly after you enrol.
Step 3: submit your application and pay the fee
Applications go through each faculty's own online system, alongside your recognised diploma, passport copy, and any programme-specific documents such as a portfolio or motivation letter. Most faculties charge a processing fee, commonly a few tens of euros, payable when you submit your application.
Step 4: entrance exams and admission decisions
Competitive fields including medicine, law, psychology, and some engineering programmes require an entrance exam or interview, usually held on campus in the late spring or summer. Less competitive programmes often admit students based on secondary school results alone. Once a faculty accepts you, institutions such as the Slovak University of Technology issue a preliminary letter of acceptance, which you need for the next step if you come from outside the EU.
Step 5: visa and residence rules
| Applicant type | What you need |
|---|---|
| EU/EEA citizens | Valid passport or ID card. Register your temporary residence with the local Foreigners' Police if you stay past 90 days. |
| Non-EU citizens | Apply for a temporary residence permit for study purposes at a Slovak embassy or consulate before you travel, using your preliminary letter of acceptance. |
EU and EEA students move and study under the same rules as at home, with no separate study visa. Non-EU applicants should start the residence permit application months before the semester starts, since embassy processing takes time.
If you apply to an English-taught programme
Faculties running English-taught bachelor's, master's, or PhD programmes usually ask for proof of English proficiency, such as an IELTS or TOEFL score, unless your previous education was fully in English. Requirements differ by faculty, so check the specific programme page rather than relying on a general rule.
Step 6: enrol and collect your student ID
Once your faculty confirms your place and your diploma recognition is complete, you enrol in person, sign up for your student card (ISIC in most cases), and register with your faculty's study department. This is also when you sort out accommodation if you plan to live in a university dormitory, since places fill up fast.