Study and find schools in Slovakia

Studying in Slovakia

Slovakia is a central European EU member state whose universities follow the Bologna three-cycle model. Slovak is the language of instruction at most schools, and some schools teach in minority languages such as Hungarian, Ukrainian, Ruthenian or German. For international students, the main attractions are free full-time study in Slovak at public universities and programmes in English for a fee.

Higher education is overseen by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth, which is responsible for funding, accreditation and the recognition of qualifications, while the universities themselves are autonomous. External quality assurance is the job of the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education.

The education system

Higher education institutions are public, state (police, military and healthcare institutions), private or foreign institutions authorised by the ministry. Universities (univerzity) and other higher education institutions (vysoké školy) offer three levels of study:

• Bachelor's degree: three to four years, 180 to 240 credits, offered in 45 study fields
• Second cycle: master's (magisterské), engineer's (inžinierske) or, in human and veterinary medicine, doctor's (doktorské) programmes of one to three years, 60 to 180 credits, so that the first and second cycles together normally take five years
• Doctorate (PhD)

The standard workload is 60 credits per academic year. According to Eurydice, the 2026-27 academic year starts in September; teaching runs from September to December and from February to May, with exams from December to February and from May to July or August.

Admission and recognition

To start a bachelor's degree you need a completed upper secondary education with a school-leaving examination. Each faculty decides how many students it admits and organises its own admission examination, mostly in written form; some admit applicants on the basis of their secondary-school results, and arts and teacher-training programmes may add a talent test. Faculties must send a written decision within 30 days.

The admission requirements for foreigners are the same as for Slovak citizens, but universities may ask foreign applicants for a proficiency test in the language of the programme. For a second-cycle programme you need a completed first-cycle degree, and the credits from your previous studies and the new programme must add up to at least 300.

Conditions differ between faculties even within one university. At the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU), for example, each of the faculties and the Institute of Management publishes its own admission conditions, and the university also provides information on the recognition of foreign documents for further study.

Foreign school-leaving certificates and degrees are recognised by the Centre for the Recognition of Documents on Education (SUDV), part of the Ministry of Education, which runs an online navigator that explains the procedure.

Student visa and residence

EU citizens have the right to stay in Slovakia for three months with a valid identity card or passport and then register their residence. Students from outside the EU need temporary residence (prechodný pobyt), and study is one of the purposes for which the Ministry of the Interior grants it. The application form is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese on the ministry's website. Residence of foreigners is governed by Act No. 404/2011 on the Residence of Aliens. Ask your faculty's international office and the Slovak embassy in your country which documents you need, and apply in good time.

Costs

Full-time study at public and state higher education institutions is free of charge, as long as students do not exceed the standard length of study. Tuition fees apply to students who study longer than the standard length, to part-time students and to programmes taught in a language other than Slovak; fees for programmes in other languages are not capped by the state.

Examples from the institutions:

• At STU, studying in Slovak is free and the cost of study programmes in English is at most EUR 4,000.
• For full-time programmes subject to fees, the annual tuition may not exceed EUR 3,700 in 2025-26, according to Eurydice.
• Private institutions set their own fees.

The government's Scholarships for Talented International Students offer EUR 500 a month for ten months a year to international students at selected public or state institutions; the main criterion is a SAT score of at least 1,100 points. Universities also award merit-based scholarships to their best full-time students.

Where to study

• Bratislava, the capital, is home to Comenius University and to the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU), which has seven faculties plus the Institute of Management and 11,041 students, according to the university.
• Košice, in eastern Slovakia, has Pavol Jozef Šafárik University (UPJŠ), with faculties of medicine, science, law, public administration and arts.
• Ružomberok, in the Liptov region, has The Catholic University in Ružomberok, with faculties of education, arts and letters, health sciences and theology.

Culture and practical life

Public universities also support students indirectly, with subsidised meals and student housing where capacity allows, and discounted travel tickets. Check accommodation with your university early; UPJŠ in Košice, for example, runs its own student hostel and canteen.

Since most teaching and everyday administration is in Slovak, learning the language helps. STU and UPJŠ both list language courses for applicants on their websites, and STU notes that studying in Slovak is free.

Frequently asked questions

Is studying in Slovakia free for international students?

Full-time study in Slovak at public and state universities is free within the standard length of study, also for international students. Programmes taught in English or other languages charge fees, for example up to EUR 4,000 at STU.

Can I study in English in Slovakia?

Yes. Some universities, such as STU, offer programmes in English for a fee, and universities may test your proficiency in the language of the programme. Most programmes are taught in Slovak.

How do I apply to a Slovak university?

You apply to the faculty, which sets its own admission conditions and usually holds a written entrance exam. Foreign applicants have the same requirements as Slovak citizens and need their school-leaving certificate recognised.

Do I need a residence permit to study in Slovakia?

EU citizens can stay three months with an ID and then register. Non-EU students need temporary residence for the purpose of study from the Ministry of the Interior.

When does the academic year start?

In September. Teaching runs until December and again from February to May, with exam periods in between and at the end of the year.