Health insurance requirements at a glance (2026)
| Take out health insurance | No later than 3 working days after collecting the residence card (§111(1)(d)) |
|---|---|
| Hand the proof to the Foreign Police | Within 30 days of collecting the card for business, a special activity, research, family reunification and long-term residents of another EU country (§32(9)); not for study or employment |
| What the police accept | A confirmation in your name that you are health insured in Slovakia. The law sets no minimum cover (§123), so urgent-care insurance is enough |
| Renewing temporary residence | A document not older than 90 days, except residence for employment or study (§34(3)(c)) |
| Not insured in time | A fine of up to €1,600 (§118) |
| Price with klido (Simple, ages 6 to 59) | €34 for 1 month, €327 for 12 months |
Who needs commercial health insurance
Slovak public health insurance covers, among others, foreigners with permanent residence, employees of an employer based in Slovakia who earn at least the minimum wage, and self-employed people with a residence permit (Act No. 580/2004, §3). Most others need commercial insurance, typically:
- students on temporary residence for study,
- family members on temporary residence for family reunification,
- company directors and partners without permanent residence, who are not publicly insured (§3(9)),
- researchers and people on residence for a special activity.
By when you need it
- Everyone with a residence permit must take out health insurance no later than 3 working days after collecting the residence card, and prove it if the police check (Act No. 404/2011, §111(1)(d)).
- For temporary residence for business, a special activity, research and development or family reunification, and for long-term residents of another EU country, proof of insurance must also be handed to the Foreign Police within 30 days of collecting the residence card (§32(9)). If you are already insured when you apply, you can attach it to the application instead.
- When renewing temporary residence you attach a document not older than 90 days proving health insurance during your stay. This does not apply to residence for employment or study (§34(3)(c)).
- Not meeting these duties is an offence with a fine of up to €1,600 (§118).
What the Foreign Police accepts
The police need a confirmation in your name that you are health insured in Slovakia, or that the cost of your medical care in Slovakia is insured (§123). The law sets no minimum cover or sum insured.
Union poisťovňa’s health insurance for foreigners, which klido arranges, is accepted by the Foreign Police. After you pay, Union sends you the confirmation by e-mail, and it is also in your klido account.
Ukrainians with temporary protection
While you have temporary protection, you are entitled to health care in the scope set by Act No. 580/2004 (§9h and §9(8)), paid by the state.
Temporary protection ends when you are granted temporary or permanent residence (Act No. 69/2026, §64(1)(d)). From then on the rules above apply: health insurance within 3 working days of collecting the residence card, and for the purposes listed above proof to the police within 30 days.
What it costs
Simple, Union’s urgent-care plan, costs the same for everyone aged 6 to 59 and is paid once. Safety, with preventive check-ups and wider cover, starts from €569.40 a year (about €1.56 a day); its final price is set after a short health questionnaire.
| Length | Price (Simple) |
|---|---|
| 1 month | €34 |
| 3 months | €100 |
| 6 months | €193 |
| 12 months | €327 |
| 24 months | €656 |
How to arrange it with klido
- Choose the plan and the start date (today at the earliest) and see the price at once.
- Fill in the application online in English, Slovak, Ukrainian, Spanish or Russian.
- Sign on your phone; for Simple under 60 there is no health questionnaire.
- Pay by card. Union e-mails the confirmation for the Foreign Police.
By when do I need health insurance for my residence permit in Slovakia?
No later than 3 working days after collecting your residence card (Act No. 404/2011, §111(1)(d)). For temporary residence for business, a special activity, research and development or family reunification, and for long-term residents of another EU country, the proof must also be handed to the Foreign Police within 30 days of collecting the card (§32(9)).
Who needs commercial health insurance in Slovakia?
Foreigners who are not in the Slovak public health insurance, typically students, family members on family reunification, company directors without permanent residence and researchers. Employees of an employer based in Slovakia earning at least the minimum wage, self-employed people with a residence permit and permanent residents are publicly insured (Act No. 580/2004, §3).
How much does health insurance for a residence permit cost in 2026?
Union’s Simple plan through klido, the same price for everyone aged 6 to 59, paid once: €34 for 1 month, €100 for 3 months, €193 for 6 months, €327 for 12 months (€27.25 a month) and €656 for 24 months. For a child a year costs €360 at ages 3 to 5 and €562 at ages 1 and 2. Safety starts from €569.40 a year (about €1.56 a day) after a short health questionnaire. Prices of Union poisťovňa as of October 2026.
Is urgent-care (emergency) insurance enough for a residence permit in Slovakia?
Yes. The law asks only for a confirmation in your name that you are health insured in Slovakia, or that the cost of your medical care in Slovakia is insured, and sets no minimum cover or sum insured (Act No. 404/2011, §123). Union’s Simple, which covers urgent and acute care, accidents, hospitalisation and prescribed medicines, is accepted by the Foreign Police. Safety adds preventive check-ups and care for conditions that start during the insurance, if you want wider cover.
What health insurance does a family member need for family reunification?
Unless they are employed by an employer based in Slovakia or self-employed, a family member on temporary residence for family reunification is not in the Slovak public health insurance and needs commercial insurance. It must be taken out no later than 3 working days after collecting the residence card, and the proof handed to the Foreign Police within 30 days (§111(1)(d), §32(9)); if they are already insured when applying, it can go with the application. Simple costs €327 a year (€360 for a child aged 3 to 5); pregnancy and childbirth are covered only if agreed with Union in advance. You can insure your spouse or child from your klido account.
I am a company director (konateľ) on residence for business. Which insurance do I need?
A company director without permanent residence is not in the Slovak public health insurance on that basis (Act No. 580/2004, §3(9)), so you need commercial insurance. Take it out no later than 3 working days after collecting the residence card and hand the proof to the Foreign Police within 30 days (Act No. 404/2011, §111(1)(d), §32(9)). Simple, which is enough for the police, costs €327 a year.
How much does health insurance cost for a foreign student in Slovakia?
With klido, Simple costs students the same as everyone aged 6 to 59: €34 for 1 month, €193 for 6 months and €327 for 12 months, and it is enough for the Foreign Police (§123). Some government scholarship holders are in the public health insurance instead (Act No. 580/2004, §3(3)(l)). On residence for study you do not hand the proof in within 30 days, but you must be insured within 3 working days of collecting the residence card (§111(1)(d)).
Can my parents over 60 get insurance for their residence permit?
Yes, and they do not need comprehensive insurance: the law sets no minimum cover at any age (Act No. 404/2011, §123), so Simple is enough for the Foreign Police. From age 60 Union sets the price after a short health questionnaire, the same as for Safety: it insures without restrictions, with a specific condition excluded, or postpones or declines the insurance. With klido the questionnaire is online, any exclusion is shown to you first, and the contract is concluded only with your consent. Because Union assesses the application first, apply a few days before your parents collect their residence cards; you choose the start date yourself.
I am pregnant. Does the insurance cover childbirth?
Simple does not cover pregnancy or childbirth, and standard Safety covers only the examination that confirms the pregnancy. Union also has a pregnancy type of Safety: it covers care during pregnancy, childbirth and the weeks after it in Slovakia, and intensive care of the newborn up to €3,500, with a total limit of €17,000. Whether Union offers it, and at what price, it decides from the health questionnaire, so write to us at info@klido.sk before applying and we will check with Union. For the residence permit itself either plan is enough (§123).
What happens if I do not take out health insurance in time?
Not being insured within 3 working days of collecting the residence card is an offence under Act No. 404/2011 with a fine of up to €1,600 (§118, §111(1)(d)), and without insurance you pay for any medical care yourself. With klido the insurance can start today; Simple costs €34 for 1 month.
Which insurance document do I need to renew my temporary residence?
A document not older than 90 days proving that you are health insured during your stay (Act No. 404/2011, §34(3)(c)). It is not required for residence for employment or study, or for some long-term residents of another EU country. With klido you renew from your account before the policy ends, and after payment Union e-mails the confirmation for the new period.
Can I pay for a year in instalments?
No, the premium is paid once for the whole period, by card through the link in Union’s e-mail. If a year at once is too much, choose a shorter period, for example Simple for 1 month at €34 or 3 months at €100, and renew from your klido account before it ends. A full year still works out cheapest, at €27.25 a month.
Does klido charge a fee on top of the insurance premium?
No. The price you see is Union’s premium, paid once by card through the link in Union’s e-mail. Our commission is paid by the insurer and is already included in the premium; klido adds no fee of its own. klido is operated by quadur s.r.o., registered with the National Bank of Slovakia as a subordinate financial agent in insurance under no. 293002.
Can I buy the insurance in English, Spanish or another language?
Yes. With klido the whole application, including the signature, is online in English, Slovak, Ukrainian, Spanish or Russian, and Simple takes about 5 minutes, with no office visit. After payment Union e-mails the confirmation for the Foreign Police, and it is also in your klido account.
I am collecting my residence card today. Can I be insured today?
Yes, with Simple if you are under 60: you choose the start date, today at the earliest, and there is no health questionnaire. A card payment through the link in Union’s e-mail goes through at once, and Union then e-mails the confirmation for the Foreign Police. Simple costs €34 for 1 month. You have 3 working days after collecting the card (Act No. 404/2011, §111(1)(d)). For Safety, or from age 60, Union first assesses a short health questionnaire, so apply a few days ahead.
Sources: Act No. 404/2011 Coll. (Slov-Lex, version in force from 1 October 2026), Act No. 580/2004 Coll., Act No. 69/2026 Coll., Union poisťovňa’s product documents.
General information, not legal advice. The decision on your residence always rests with the police.