Slovakia introduces several immigration changes, impacting Blue Card applicants and other third-country employees

On 15 July 2024, Slovakia implemented amendments to Act no. 404/2011 Coll. on the Residence of Foreigners, impacting both employers and third-country nationals. Some of the amendments to EU Blue Cards include the following: (i) EU Blue Cards are now valid for a maximum period of five years (up from four years previously); (ii) The minimum salary requirement was reduced from 1.5 times the average monthly salary of the calendar year preceding the year in which the application is submitted, to 1.2 times this amount; (iii) applicants employed in the fields of IT and communication technologies can now demonstrate professional experience through a higher education diploma (i.e., a bachelor's or master's degree) or relevant work experience of at least three years in the seven years prior to filing the Blue Card application; and (iv) in addition to working for the Slovak employer that sponsors their EU Blue Card, holders can now take up other jobs or conduct their own business activities.