A foreign national can obtain a residence permit in Slovakia on the basis of their sport. To do so, they must first of all enter into a contract with the Slovak Sports Federation or an official club, presenting their papers the immigration police. The contract must be drawn up in accordance with the established international standards.
When signing a contract with the Slovak Sports Federation, a foreigner is issued with a transfer card and a personal number consent, according to which this athlete can be then identified as an athlete applying for a residence permit. It should be also noted that the official sports club or federation must give a foreigner their consent, according to which they will be able to participate in all the competitions, attend training sessions and other relevant events.
Papers for Obtaining a Sport Residence Permit
If a person under the age of 14 wants to obtain a sport residence permit, he or she must provide their birth certificate to the police inspectorate. The document must be translated into Slovak and notarized. It is important to remember that any documents issued in the territory of a foreign national’s home country must have an apostille confirming their authenticity. All persons after the age of 14 must provide the original police clearance report from their home country. If a person has lived in another EU state for more than six months, he or she will have to provide a certificate of no criminal record in that country.
In addition, an athlete who applies for the Slovak Republic residence permit is required to provide a certificate from their place of registration in the home country. Thus, they can confirm that they are a permanent resident. One also should provide two color photos measuring 3×4 cm, which will then be attached to the personal record.
It is important to provide information about the current address in Slovakia where the foreigner applying for the residence permit is going to live. It can be your own housing, a rented apartment or the address of your relatives, friends, who can confirm their consent in writing. In the latter case, the document must be notarized.
Sponsorship Letter for Residence Permit in Slovakia
Also, an athlete who is under the age of 14 must provide a sponsorship letter from his parents or relatives performing their duties i.e. guardians or adoptive parents. This document will provide a guarantee that the sponsors take on all the responsibilities related to the material needs of a minor athlete who claims to receive a residence permit in Slovakia.
It is worth remembering that those who are sponsors must prove their solvency. To do this, they need to submit a certificate from their place of work, as well as a certificate from their bank where they have a personal account in the child’s name with the balance of more than 1,300 euros. The sponsor must confirm that they will be able to provide the minor athlete with the financial means necessary to pay for training, food, competition, accommodation in a hotel, hostel or rented apartment. In some cases, immigration police officers may reject such applications for residence permit in Slovakia because a sponsor is not a close relative of the minor athlete.
The application submitted to the Slovak police authorities must be formally certified by a consul or a notary, for which it is necessary to contact the Slovak Embassy or a notary office.
Cost of Paperwork
A person who claims to obtain a sport residence permit in Slovakia, in addition to submitting a package of necessary documents must pay a state fee of 99.9 euro. They also need to get an ID card issued, which will cost about 5 euro.
After obtaining a residence permit, the applicant is given three days to get a health insurance. In addition, the applicant needs to undergo a medical examination within a month of obtaining their residence permit. According to its results, a foreigner must receive a certificate of absence of diseases that will be presented to the police.
The insurance must be issued no later than three days from the date of filing papers to the police and presented within 30 days. Otherwise, a foreign national may receive an official rejection of their application for a sport residence permit.
Contract with a Sports Club
A foreign athlete should make the sports club representatives interested in order to conclude a contract with the club. Therefore, before you travel to Slovakia, you need to carefully prepare for a preview. A preview can be arranged on arrival in Slovakia, which is the most rational solution, or online. In this case, the athlete must send their video to the club to demonstrate their talent. If the video is of interest to the sports club representatives, they will send an official invitation to a foreign citizen for a face-to-face meeting.
It is worth remembering that the increased popularity is the reason that places in Slovak sports clubs intended for foreign citizens are limited. For this reason, you should not wait too long since timely filing of our papers can only guarantee the fact of your admission to the club.
It should be also noted that limited places in clubs are a reason for high requirements to foreign athletes. Therefore, only those athletes who can show the highest results can get into the club.
Benefits of a Sport Residence Permit
Slovakia is a developed European country whose authorities pay special attention to the health of the nation. For this reason, sport in the Slovak Republic is getting more developed every year. The sports infrastructure is represented by a large number of clubs whose members regularly participate in European competitions. Slovakia also has a particularly developed children’s sport, which is why many foreigners tend to move here with their children who can become promising European athletes in the future.
The benefit of obtaining a sport residence permit in Slovakia is that a foreign national cannot just be able to compete on the international level under the flag of a developed European country, but also enjoy other benefits available to all Slovak citizens. For this reason, many athletes from other countries moved to Slovakia many years ago and got the opportunity to develop in the field of sports, receiving important awards for their achievements. The Slovak Sports Federation annually allocates an impressive budget for the athletes sponsorship, and therefore they do not lack equipment, getting the opportunity to enjoy many benefits for free.
The sport residence permit validity period in Slovakia varies within two years and may be extended thereafter. The residence permit extension is possible only if the athlete can provide a valid contract with the sports federation or the official sports club.
The advantage is that after five years of continuous stay in Slovakia, an athlete can apply for a residence permit for an unlimited period of time and subsequently obtain citizenship of the country. It is also a benefit that a foreigner who trains at a Slovak club on the basis of a residence permit can be educated in the country. Slovak language is rather comfortable to learn, and therefore foreigners adapt easily and quickly to a new place of their education. It is also noteworthy that Slovak teachers are respectful and very attentive to foreigners who decide to move to Slovakia because of their sports. Therefore, athletes cannot just practice in the leading European clubs, but also receive a quality education that is valid in all developed countries of the world.
In order to be guaranteed a positive answer regarding your sport residence permit in Slovakia, do not hesitate to contact our experts by email, info@offshore-pro.info, to receive individual advice and support at all stages.