Short answer
A student from outside the EU who is not in Slovak public health insurance needs commercial health insurance no later than 3 working days after collecting the residence card. The cheapest option the Foreign Police accepts is Union's Simple: €160 for a semester (5 months), €293 for an academic year (10 months) or €327 for 12 months, paid once. Safety, from €569.40 a year, adds preventive check-ups and broader care. Prices for every length and how the two plans differ for students: best health insurance for students in Slovakia.
Why is health insurance for students different?
Health insurance for international students in Slovakia cannot be generalised - it depends on where you are from, the basis on which you are studying, and whether you receive a scholarship. Some students are insured automatically; others must arrange their own insurance.
This article will help you understand the rules regardless of your situation.
Step 1: Find out which group you belong to
EU and EEA citizens
If you are from a European Union country, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland, you are entitled to healthcare in Slovakia using your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
Get your EHIC from your home country before you leave - usually through your health insurer there. In Slovakia, the EHIC covers care that becomes medically necessary during your stay and cannot wait until you return home, on the same terms as people insured in Slovakia.
The EHIC is not sufficient as a document for a residence permit application - it is a card for accessing healthcare, not an administrative document.
Recipients of state scholarship programmes
If you came to Slovakia on a scholarship, the Slovak state may pay your public health insurance. Programmes that can qualify include, for example:
- ·National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic (NSP)
- ·CEEPUS
- ·Erasmus+
- ·Other programmes under an international treaty binding for Slovakia
The state pays only if all of the following apply:
- ·Your scholarship has been granted for more than one month
- ·Your programme is on the list published by the Slovak Ministry of Education
- ·You are not insured in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland
If you qualify, you must register with one of the three public health insurers within 8 days of the scholarship start date: Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (VšZP), Union, or Dôvera. You choose the insurer yourself.
Once registered, you are insured in the same way as a Slovak student - you have access to both planned and emergency healthcare.
Other international students (non-EU, without a qualifying scholarship)
If you are from a country outside the EU/EEA and do not hold a scholarship that meets these conditions, you are usually not entitled to public health insurance (one exception is, for example, a job with an employer based in Slovakia that pays at least the minimum wage). You must arrange commercial health insurance - when exactly is explained below.
This is the most common situation for students from Ukraine, Serbia, India, Vietnam, Latin American countries, and other non-EU countries.
Commercial insurance for non-EU students
What must the insurance cover?
Less than you might expect. For a residence permit for the purpose of study, proof of insurance is not attached to the application - and not to an application for renewal either. What the Act on the Residence of Foreigners requires is that you:
- ·Take out health insurance no later than 3 working days after collecting your residence card
- ·Can show at a residence check that you are health insured in Slovakia
The proof is a confirmation in your name that you are health insured in Slovakia or have insured reimbursement of treatment costs in Slovakia. The law sets no minimum scope of cover, no minimum sum insured and no requirement on the insurer's licence. Breaking this duty can be fined up to €1,600.
What plans are available?
Through klido.sk you can take out insurance directly with Union poisťovňa, a.s.:
Both plans give you the confirmation the law asks for. Union sends it by e-mail once the premium is paid, and you will also find it in your klido account.
When should you take out insurance?
If you come on a Slovak national visa, take out insurance before you apply for the visa, as proof of health insurance goes with the visa application. With a residence permit for study, the deadline is 3 working days after you collect your residence card, but it is sensible to be insured from the day you arrive. Keep the insurance valid for your whole stay, as you must be able to show it at any residence check. With klido you choose the start date yourself (today at the earliest), and Union sends the confirmation only after the premium is paid, so do not leave it until the last moment.
Residence permit for international students
Non-EU students planning to stay in Slovakia for more than 90 days must apply for a temporary residence permit for the purpose of study.
What you will need
- ·Valid passport
- ·Confirmation of acceptance from an accredited school
- ·Criminal record extract from your country of citizenship and from every country where you stayed for more than 90 days within 6 consecutive months in the last 3 years
You do not attach health insurance (see above), nor proof of accommodation if you will study at a university. Since 1 July 2025 you do not attach proof of funds either - it is now required with the application only for business. At a residence check, however, you must be able to show funds of at least the subsistence minimum (€295.22 since 1 July 2026) for each remaining month of your stay, at most a year ahead (half that for minors).
All documents in a foreign language must be officially translated into Slovak by a sworn translator.
You file the application in person, by default at a Slovak embassy - the one accredited for the country that issued your passport or where you live. At a Foreign Police department in Slovakia you can file it only in certain cases, for example if you are already in Slovakia on a Slovak national visa or you are a citizen of a country whose citizens do not need a visa. The full document checklist is available at mic.iom.sk.
How long is the permit valid?
A residence permit for the purpose of study is issued for the expected duration of your studies, for a maximum of 6 years. If you extend your studies or move to a higher degree, you need to apply for renewal.
Practical information for students
Where you collect your residence card: at the Foreign Police office for the town where you live, not at the university. Find your university for its office, the address, opening hours and a map (Bratislava, Košice, Nitra, Prešov, and Martin, whose students go to Ružomberok).
Reporting your stay: Within 3 working days of arriving in Slovakia you must report the beginning of your stay to the Foreign Police. Your dormitory or other accommodation provider can do this for you only while you are here on a visa or visa-free; once you have been granted residence, you report it yourself.
Working: As a university student you may work up to 80 hours per month in total for all employers (secondary-school pupils up to 40) without needing a separate work permit or changing the purpose of your residence.
Changing school: If you transfer to a different school or programme during your studies, ask the Foreign Police whether you need to report it or take any administrative step.
End of studies: If you complete or end your studies before your residence permit expires, you must report it to the Foreign Police within 3 working days - the purpose of your residence has ended and the police will revoke it. University graduates who want to stay to look for a job or start a business can have their residence renewed for 9 months.
Frequently asked questions
I am an Erasmus+ student - do I need to buy insurance myself? Not necessarily. The state pays your public health insurance only if your scholarship lasts more than a month, the programme is on the Ministry of Education's list and you are not insured in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland. In that case you must register with a public insurer within 8 days of the scholarship start date. If you do not qualify, you need your own insurance - or, if you are insured in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland, your EHIC.
What if my scholarship covers only part of the year and I am self-funded for the rest? During a scholarship that meets these conditions, you have public insurance. For the remaining months, you need to take out commercial insurance.
Can I visit a doctor with commercial insurance? Yes. Simple covers urgent care, Safety is more comprehensive. Before your first visit, check in your plan's insurance terms how to proceed - under Simple, for example, you contact Union's assistance partner, available 24/7, before seeing a doctor (in an emergency, as soon as your health allows).
My home country has a healthcare agreement with Slovakia - do I still need insurance? It depends on the specific agreement. If the treaty establishes entitlement to public health insurance, you do not need to buy your own. You can verify this at mic.iom.sk.