There are three checkpoints on the state border with Slovakia: Malyi Bereznyi - Ubľa (24/7), Uzhhorod (24/7, but pedestrians are not allowed), Maly Selmentsi - Veľké Slemence (open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.).

You can check the interactive map showing the waiting time. A list of border crossing points between Ukraine and neighboring countries is available at dpsu.gov.ua . If you have any questions please contact the Border Police +421-9610-50701. The situation at the Ukrainian borders is monitored on the website mapotic.com or in a report that is regularly updated . More information here .

The telephone number of the DPS of Ukraine for inquiries is +380445276363. The number of the Chopsky border detachment is +380 (312) 71 13 22.

You can enter Slovakia with any of the following documents:

• A biometric passport.
• Ukrainian ID. According to the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service (DPSU), the citizens of Ukraine who can leave Ukraine with an internal passport are currently only those evacuating from occupied territories or territories where hostilities are taking place, the list of which is approved in accordance with the Order of the Ministry on Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine of December 22, 2022 No. 309 . Citizens from other territories must have a biometric passport to travel abroad.
• Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents must have a birth certificate. Children have the right to cross the border with one parent (without the official permission of the other parent). If the child is traveling with acquaintances or relatives, she/he needs to have a travel permit from one of the parents, certified by a notary.

In order to prove family/marital status, birth certificates and a marriage certificate are required.

The telephone number of the DPSU hotline ("Trust" Service) is 1598. You can use it for questions of a consultative nature within the competence of the State Border Service of Ukraine.

For more information about the documents with which you can cross the border, and about the categories of citizens who are allowed to travel outside Ukraine, see here .

Chatbot to help Ukrainians around the world from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

The chatbot can simultaneously serve several users and provide advice on the most common questions, namely:

• rules of entry to a foreign country;
• registration of temporary protection;
• social security;
• return to Ukraine;
• consular services.

You can get help through the chatbot at the link .

In addition to the chatbot, citizens can also contact the call center at +38 (044) 224-57-20.

After crossing the border, we ask you to visit a large-capacity center , where competent persons will help you to solve the primary issues and provide advice on the next steps.

• If you are not a citizen of the EU or a family member of a citizen of the EU, then you are obliged to report your residence in the Slovak Republic within 3 working days of entering the Slovak Republic at the relevant foreigner police department or by post.
• If you are an EU citizen or a family member of an EU citizen, this period is 10 working days.
• If you have secured accommodation in the accommodation facility (hotel, hostel), this obligation will be fulfilled by the landlord.

You can find the application form for download in various language versions here .

You can check out the official page for those who arrive to Slovakia at ukraineslovakia.sk or ua.gov.sk .

Within 4 days after crossing the border, you have the right to travel on the territory of Slovakia for free .

Conditions for granting such a right:

• You have not been on the territory of Slovakia during the last 30 days before crossing the border.
• At the border, you received (you need to ask the border guards) a "Slovak help" ticket.

The Slovak help ticket can be used to travel on passenger trains and second-class high-speed trains of the Železničná spoločnost Slovensko railway network.

Please note that Slovak help cannot be used on Regio Jet (RJ) or Leo Express (LO) trains.

With Slovak Help you can also travel for free on all suburban buses, however intercity buses are usually fully paid.

Useful links:

• Cestovné poriadky – search for transport connections by trains and buses.
• ZSSK.sk - schedule and purchase of tickets of the Železničná spoločnost Slovensko network
• CP.sk - schedule, cost of bus tickets and location of bus stops, as well as the schedule of all trains (regardless of the carrier)

From January 1, 2023, public transport for Ukrainian citizens in Bratislava will be paid.

Where to buy tickets and passes:

Ukrainians or citizens of other visa-free countries can continue to travel to other EU/Schengen countries for up to 90 days in 180 days. If you don't have a biometric passport, it is recommended to contact the respective embassy of your travel destination to see whether a border is open also for those not having a biometric passport. Rules can be different for traveling by plane, train, bus or car.

Travel options are:

• Free train rides from Kosice to Bratislava ,Vienna , Prague , Budapest . An overview of emergency measures in trains can be found directly on the website of the Railways of the Slovak Republic .
• Flixbus  goes to many cities in the EU.
• The nearest airport to the Slovak-Ukrainian border is Kosice Airport  with direct flights to London, Prague, Vienna, Warsaw, Liverpool, and Dublin, or check out Bratislava Airport with flights to many other European cities.

You can stay in Slovakia without a visa for 90 days in any 180 days period. Temporary protection is provided until 4 March 2024. The term will be automatically prolonged by an additional 6 months.

You can find more information at this website in the section "I want to stay in Slovakia".

The EU migration calculator helps to calculate the number of days of stay in EU countries for those who do not apply for temporary protection.

Unaccompanied minors entering Slovakia will be escorted by border police and placed in the Medzilaborce centre where they get a temporary guardian, who will be able to speak Ukrainian.
In the centre in Medzilaborce the child will also be provided with the food, accommodation or other necessary help (social support, etc.). The temporary guardian will immediately apply to the court for legal appointment of a guardian and will apply for temporary protection on child's behalf. For more information please visit upsvr.gov.sk .

Currently, there are no Covid-related requirements at the border applicable to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Human Rights League provides legal assistance to foreigners and immigrants in Slovakia. The association was founded in 2005 by lawyers and advocates.

Currently, one of the priority areas of the association's work is to provide Ukrainian immigrants in Slovakia with accurate and reliable information about their rights, obligations and services in accordance with their needs.

Human Rights League distributes information:

1. offline in places where Ukrainians gather (in hostels, aid centers)

2. online through:

• website
• Telegram channel
• Facebook

You can apply for temporary protection :

• At the police stations in Nitra, Žilina, Banská Bystrica, Rimavská Sobota, Dunajská Streda, Trnava, Nové Zámky, Trenčín, Ružomberok, Prešov, Košice. Working hours: Monday - Wednesday - Friday from 07:30 to 15:30.
• Large registration centers accept applications from immigrants in Bratislava (Monday and Friday from 8:00 to 18:00), Michalovce (Monday to Sunday from 08:00 to 18:00).

Children must be present with you when making the declaration. You will have to present any proof of identity. More informatiom here .

How to issue temporary protection (odídenec/dočasne utočisko) for a newborn child?

1. After the birth of the child, the parents or one of the parents must go to the MATRIČNÝ ÚRAD and obtain a birth certificate (Rodný list).

2. After that, the parents or one of them must go to the police for foreigners (in Bratislava, this can be done at Bottova 7), where the child will be photographed and pre-registered.

Documents: you must bring your parents' passports, your parents' temporary protection documents, your child's birth certificate, and two copies of it (with your contact phone number and email address).

3. Immediately after the police, it is necessary to go to the Migračný úrad MV SR office (such an office is also located at Bottova 7), provide a copy of the birth certificate and undergo a short interview.

4. After a few days, you will be called and invited to another, slightly longer interview at Migračný úrad MV SR (one of the parents may come).

5. After the second interview, you will be called and informed when you can pick up the document on temporary protection of the child from the police.

Important: persons with temporary protection are not entitled to child birth assistance. If both of the child's parents have a different (different from Slovak) citizenship, the child does NOT receive Slovak citizenship automatically upon birth on the territory of Slovakia.

Slovakia extended the validity period of temporary protection for Ukrainians.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Slovakia reported that the validity of the "Temporary Asylum" certificate valid until March 4, 2023 was automatically extended until March 4, 2024.

However, if they wish, Ukrainian immigrants can update their identity card through the electronic service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Link here .

What opportunities does temporary protection provide to Ukrainians in Slovakia?

• legally working on the territory of the Slovak Republic;
• getting secondary and higher education;
• access to medical care and housing;
• access to financial and social assistance.

You can find more detailed information about crossing the border, financial and social support, finding housing and job in Slovakia on the UFU platform at the link.

For faster processing of applications for temporary refuge, large-capacity centers have been established in Bratislava, Humenne, and Michalovce, which are open 24 hours a day. Applicants for temporary refuge are transported from the border crossing points to the centers in Humenne or Michalovce, where all documents are processed in one place. At the same time, a shuttle service is provided for processed applicants from the large-capacity centers to the accommodation facilities.

If you do not have any documents with you and do not have an accommodation secured, you need to apply for a temporary refuge at the Asylum Department in Humenne . The application will be processed within 30 days. During this period you can stay at the facility of the Migration Office in Humenné, where you are provided free meals, health care, and hygiene supplies. For more information visit ukraineslovakia.sk .

Once temporary protection is approved, you will receive a document confirming your tolerated stay in Slovakia marked DOČASNÉ ÚTOČISKO (initially, the documents were marked ODÍDENEC).
Official leaflet of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic in English and Ukrainian language is available here .

Beneficiaries of international protection (asylum) cannot return to their country of origin while they are considered a refuge.
If you have received temporary protection, you can return to Ukraine for a short period of time without any negative consequences. Before leaving the country that has given you temporary protection, we recommend that you notify the state social security authorities.
For repatriation assistance, you should contact the embassy/consulate of your country of origin in the EU country where you are currently staying. The national authorities in this country can also help you to contact your embassy/consulate in case you encounter problems and may offer assistance for your repatriation.
If you want to return to Ukraine, then most likely you will have to buy a train or bus ticket with your own money.

Relinquish temporary protection status:

Regardless of the country of residence, temporary protection must be waived. Your status will be revoked by the state body or institution where you issued the documents. However, citizens of Ukraine can re-obtain this status if they decide to return abroad.

Make sure your documents are valid:

Citizens who left Ukraine with a valid foreign passport will not face any difficulties. The expired document can be extended in diplomatic institutions for another five years - this decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers, because it is not possible to issue biometrics abroad. You can also add a child's data to an adult's passport.

Ukrainians who have only an internal passport or who left Ukraine without documents should also contact the embassy or consulate. Employees of the institution will issue a special document - an identity card for returning to Ukraine (it is not necessary to pay the consular fee during martial law).

Cancel receiving cash assistance abroad:

When returning home, refugees cannot receive state benefits. If you do not notify the relevant institution about your departure from the country, it will be considered an offence. In such a case, a Ukrainian may be fined or even banned from entering the country.

By the way, it is not necessary to declare cash payments received abroad in Ukraine.

In Slovakia, the situation is more complicated due to the fact that Slovakia has issued a document on temporary protection in a simple paper form. Such a document is not considered a residence permit and, according to the Schengen Code, does not give the right to travel freely. In practice, people usually travel, and in most cases there are no problems, but formally it is wrong, and sometimes there are cases when people are not allowed through.

Yes. You can always apply for asylum but you will lose the status of temporary protection. Please note that if you apply for asylum, it is a time consuming and difficult process which will prevent you from returning to Ukraine while you are considered a refugee. Normally, those apply for asylum who have well-founded fears of persecution in the country of origin and cannot or do not wish to return to their country.

You can apply for asylum at the border with police officers carrying out border checks or at any time after entering the territory of the Slovak Republic. To apply for asylum, visit Humenné police station – asylum unit.

During the asylum proceedings, you are not allowed to work, unless you have been previously granted residence in Slovakia. However, if your asylum procedure is pending, you get the right to work after 6 months of the application submission. As an asylum seeker, you are allowed to study and school attendance is mandatory for children under the age of 16.

You can check out the official website of the EU to get the most recent updates ec.europa.eu/info and the official website in Slovakia for Ukrainian refugees Ukraineslovakia.sk .

Temporary residence in Slovakia is tied to a specific purpose, such as employment, business, study, family reunification, etc. Each applicant for a residence permit must demonstrate the purpose chosen. People older than 14 you must submit an extract from the criminal record when applying for temporary/permanent residence. This document must be verified for use abroad (apostille/consular legalization).

For a complete list of available purposes and the legally required documents visit mic.iom.sk . You can get residency advice Migration Information Center by visiting mic.iom.sk or calling 0850 211 478 and +421 2 5263 0023.

Obtaining a certificate of criminal record from Ukraine

On the web portal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, you can download an extract from the information and analytical system "Accounting of information on bringing a person to criminal responsibility and the existence of a criminal record".

To download it, you need:

1. Pass identification. To do this, you need to authorize via Bank id, electronic signature (for example, received from Privat Bank) or via the Diya application
2. Fill out the form with personal information and contact details. At this stage, also choose the purpose of the request.
3. Click "Send request" and download the finished extract.

Video instruction - here .

You can check the validity of the extract by following this link or by scanning the QR code on the reference itself.

According to the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service (DPSU), the citizens of Ukraine who can leave Ukraine with an internal passport are currently only those evacuating from occupied territories or territories where hostilities are taking place, the list of which is approved in accordance with the Order of the Ministry on Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine of December 22, 2022 No. 309 . Citizens from other territories must have a biometric passport to travel abroad.

Ukrainian State Border Guard Service (DPSU) helpline: +38 (044) 527-63-63 (for calls from Ukraine and abroad) or 1598 (on the territory of Ukraine).

If you have previously left Ukraine for Slovakia on a civil passport, you definitely need to apply for a foreign passport. This can be done in the new DP division "Document".

Visitor service is provided from Monday to Saturday, inclusive, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. by electronic and "live" queue. In Bratislava, mobile complexes are located at: Mlynske nivy 5A, 821 09 Bratislava (1st floor, bus station area)

Payment for services in mobile complexes is made on the spot using the online service (cash payment is not available). To do this, you need to have a smartphone and a bank card or its details.

"Passport Service" has become available in Slovakia

The State Migration Service, together with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, opened new division of DP "Dokument" in Slovakia (Bratislava).

As reported on the website of DP "Dokument", mobile and technical complexes - specially equipped white minibuses with the "Passport service" symbol - have been put into operation in Bratislava.

Visitor service is provided from Monday to Saturday, inclusive, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. by electronic and "live" queue. In Bratislava, mobile complexes are located at: Mlynske nivy 5A, 821 09 Bratislava (1st floor, bus station area)

Here, Ukrainians can get the following services:

• issuing an ID card or foreign passport (including replacing a lost or stolen one);
• exchange of an ID card or foreign passport (expiration, change of information, unfitness for use);
• exchange of a 1994 model passport for an ID card (upon request or in case of unfitness);
• simultaneous issuance of a foreign passport and an ID card;
• driver's license exchange.

Payment for services in mobile complexes is made on the spot using the online service (cash payment is not available). To do this, you need to have a smartphone and a bank card or its details. Website & address .

In order to issue a foreign passport, you need to contact the Ukrainian Embassy .

A foreign passport is issued to a person who has reached the age of 16 on the basis of an application-questionnaire submitted by him personally. At the same time, the issuance of a foreign passport to a person who has been recognized by the court as having limited legal capacity or incapacity is carried out on the basis of an application-questionnaire of the guardian or other legal representative.

The following are attached to the application:

• previous passport to be exchanged (if the passport is not issued for the first time);
• internal passport in the form of a booklet (if available);
• or ID card (if available);
• a document confirming permanent residence or temporary stay abroad (if available);
• certificate of registration of the place of residence in Ukraine / certificate of registration of the place of residence of a temporarily displaced person (if available);
• a certificate of assignment of the registration number of the taxpayer's registration card (RNOKPP; if available).

In case of loss or theft of the previous passport, a document (report, certificate, etc.) issued by the competent authority of the state in which the passport was lost or stolen is attached to the application, confirming the fact of the owner's application regarding its loss or theft. Such a document is submitted without legalization and translation into Ukrainian.

In the case of issuing a passport in connection with a change in personal data (surname and/or first name), a document confirming such a change (marriage certificate, divorce certificate, court decision, etc.) is attached to the application. When issuing a foreign passport with a new surname and/or first name, the "domestic" passport (ID card) must be reissued.

In the event that the applicant has not previously been issued with an identity document, confirming Ukrainian citizenship and/or granting the right to leave Ukraine and enter Ukraine, a certificate of registration of the person as a citizen of Ukraine is provided (with the exception of cases when the person's parents at the time of his were citizens of Ukraine at birth).

You can register the birth of a child only at the consulate. There, the determination of his origin and the assignment of his surname, first name, and patronymic are carried out.

The application for registration must be submitted immediately, but no later than one month after the birth of the child, and in the case of a stillborn child - no later than three days.

The registration process takes place at the place of birth or at the place of residence of the child's parents or one of them (with a written application). At the same time, in case of illness, death of the parents or for other reasons it is impossible to register the birth - the application can be submitted by relatives or other persons authorized by the representative of the health care institution in which the child was born or is currently.

What is required for registration?

• a document from a medical institution about the birth of a child, passports certifying the identity of the parents;
• application (written or addressed orally) to enter information about the father.

Registration is free, and based on its results, parents are issued a birth certificate.

How to return to the homeland with a child born in the Slovakia?

In order for Ukrainians to return home with a child born in the Slovakia, they must have with them:

• a document certifying his identity;
• a child's birth certificate issued by a consular institution.

Is the status of a citizen of Ukraine preserved during the birth of a child in the Slovakia?

A newborn Ukrainian in the Slovakia retains the status of a citizen of Ukraine. Data on citizenship and nationality in the act record of birth and certificate are not filled in, which is why a corresponding entry is made in the column "For marks".

In addition, a person whose parents or one of his parents were citizens of Ukraine at the time of his birth is a citizen of Ukraine. The place of birth of the baby does not affect the possibility of him acquiring Ukrainian citizenship.

How to issue temporary protection (odídenec/dočasne utočisko) for a newborn child?

1. After the birth of the child, the parents or one of the parents must go to the MATRIČNÝ ÚRAD and obtain a birth certificate (Rodný list).

2. After that, the parents or one of them must go to the police for foreigners (in Bratislava, this can be done at Bottova 7), where the child will be photographed and pre-registered.

Documents: you must bring your parents' passports, your parents' temporary protection documents, your child's birth certificate, and two copies of it (with your contact phone number and email address).

3. Immediately after the police, it is necessary to go to the Migračný úrad MV SR office (such an office is also located at Bottova 7), provide a copy of the birth certificate and undergo a short interview.

4. After a few days, you will be called and invited to another, slightly longer interview at Migračný úrad MV SR (one of the parents may come).

5. After the second interview, you will be called and informed when you can pick up the document on temporary protection of the child from the police.

Important: persons with temporary protection are not entitled to child birth assistance. If both of the child's parents have a different (different from Slovak) citizenship, the child does NOT receive Slovak citizenship automatically upon birth on the territory of Slovakia.

There are several steps involved in the process of body repatriation from abroad to Ukraine:

1. Notify the authorities.

The first step of body repatriation from abroad to Ukraine is to contact the local authorities in Slovakia, so you can register the death. Ukrainian embassy should also be able to help you in the process of registering the death abroad.

2. Arrange the correct documents.

You’ll need to have all the right paperwork before you can repatriate your loved one home from abroad to Ukraine. If you are repatriating a body to Ukraine for burial or cremation, the documents you will need include:

• Death Certificate.
• Certificate or Affidavit from the local health authorities stating that the cause of death of the individual to be shipped to Ukraine was not a communicable disease or infections.
• A Document about the absence of any excessive objects inside the casket or urn with the ashes.
• The Certificate of Cremation issued be the Funeral home or Cremation office.

All the mentioned documents should be authenticated, legalized and translated into Ukrainian by the certified translator. The originals of abovementioned documents and notarized translations, must accompany the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine.

The passport of the deceased person should be sent to the Embassy of Ukraine along with a notarized and authenticated copy of the Certificate of Death, and a translation from Slovak to Ukrainian. The Embassy is to make correspondent procedures with the passport and can forward it back if it is required to accompany the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine.

The Embassy is to be informed of the date, time, and the place of delivery of the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine. Only the next of kin relatives of the deceased, or persons correspondingly authorized by them, can receive the casket or urn.

3. Transport the deceased to Ukraine.

The casket containing the body, or urn with ashes, must be sealed by the Funeral Home. There are no strict requirements with respect to the urn with ashes; however, the body should be transported in a metal casket, made of zinc-plated steel or tinplate not more than 0,4 thick.

For the air cargo transportation, it is necessary to specify a cemetery in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian Funeral Home which will take care of the casket, or the urn with ashes, in Ukraine. Both are a subject of private choice by the relatives or friends of the deceased person. Source .

There are numerous shops that offer such services. Look for printer shops & copy centers on Google Maps .

You can get your documents translated anywhere in the city you are currenty located. Search for "preklady dokumentov" on Google Search. One of such companies for example.

Official link to government translators (there is a filter by which you can choose the city and language).

Citizens of Ukraine can get free SIM cards with credit and data for one month from Orange : near the border crossings, at the Main Railway Station in Bratislava , in Orange stores .