Immigration to Slovakia: advantages and disadvantages

For immigrants who prefer a measured life and appreciate order in everything, Slovakia will be one of the suitable options. Friendliness, low crime rate and free education are not all the advantages of living in this state. However, there are certain features of life and business that you need to pay attention to before making the final decision to move.

Positive aspects of life in Slovakia

Immigrants living in the country note the following advantages:

• Hospitality and friendliness. The indigenous population is not characterized by racial and religious prejudices. Therefore, they treat foreigners and representatives of other religions without condemnation, putting human qualities in the first place.
• Low crime rate. This is explained by the fact that addiction to alcohol and drugs is not characteristic of most Slovaks. The desire of local residents to avoid conflict situations and observe generally accepted rules of conduct is noticeable.
• Free education. Both residents of the country and immigrants have the right to study free of charge in schools and higher educational institutions. However, knowledge of the Slovak language is required for admission.
• Respectful attitude to the rules of the road on the part of both drivers and pedestrians. The number of accidents and traffic accidents on the roads of Slovakia is extremely low. It is almost impossible to see children or adults crossing the road in the wrong place, as well as drivers exceeding the speed limit.
• Ease of paperwork and obtaining a residence permit. Compared to other European countries, Slovakia does not impose additional requirements for entry, residence or doing business.
• Wealth of natural resources and mild climate. Winters in Slovakia are usually snowy, but the temperature never drops below -7°C. And the presence of a large number of parks and forest plantations softens the heat in summer.
• Well-developed transport links between settlements.
• Popularity and availability of sports. On the territory of the country there are mountains where there are ski slopes, in parks there are walking and cycling paths, and hiking in national parks is also widespread.

However, with all the obvious advantages, there are nuances that immigrants should know about in advance.

Negative factors

Having visited Slovakia as a tourist, it is impossible to find out all the features of accommodation, which can cause certain difficulties. These disadvantages include:

• The language barrier. Despite the fact that the Slovak and Ukrainian languages ​​have common roots, and if you wish, you can understand the meaning of the phrases, after moving to the country, communication difficulties often arise. Knowledge of English in Slovakia in most cases turns out to be useless, since the local population speaks it quite rarely.
• Difficulties with calling a doctor at home. The specialist goes only to patients who are in serious condition. In all other cases, you should go to a medical facility on your own or use the recommendations received over the phone.
• A small number of outlets open 24/7. Most pharmacies and shops are open until 21.00-22.00. Many trade enterprises, including pharmacies, do not work on weekends.
• The high cost of utilities and communications.
• A tendency to put things off until later. Most of all, this feature of the character of the Slovaks causes inconvenience when interacting with government agencies, when the necessary document has to wait for several days.

When choosing Slovakia as a country for doing business, one should take into account the fact that after accepting the status of an individual entrepreneur, a person must be on the territory of the state 183 days a year. This is important to know if the work involves frequent business trips or trips.

Mistakes of immigrants

Ignorance of certain laws, failure to comply with the deadlines for filing documents or payments can lead to hefty fines, trouble with the police, and even deprivation of a residence permit. Therefore, it is worth familiarizing yourself with some rules in advance and carefully follow them:

• An applicant who has received a residence permit is obliged to draw up and submit a list of required documents within 30 days, including insurance, a medical certificate and an extract on the completion of registration.
• Delays in rent payments may be grounds for termination of the contract and eviction.
• A systematic violation of traffic rules can lead not only to a large fine, but also to deprivation of rights, re-taking driving tests and passing a psychiatric examination.
• Immigrants are required to carry their passport, insurance and residence permit card with them. Failure to do so will result in a fine.

Knowing the law-abidingness and love of Slovaks for order, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of living in society. Trouble with the police can arise if the silence is broken after 21.00. Therefore, lovers of loud parties should weigh the pros and cons when choosing Slovakia for immigration.