Study and Living in Slovakia
Slovakia is an economical destination to study and live for students. Read on to know about the standard and cost of living, tuition fees, student accommodation and transportation, health insurance and more..
Tuition Fees
The tuition fees are set by the higher education institutions individually. If the study programmes are offered in foreign language, students have to pay tuition fee. The fee varies from 700€ to 10,000€ per year.
Living Expenses
The living expenses in the Slovak Republic are lower than in western European countries. The costs of living vary depending upon the region, day-to-day necessities and lifestyle.
Students can expect to pay:
Accommodation costs: Rent per month-
- One bedroom flat: 300 –euro- per month inclusive of all necessary utilities (this may vary depending upon the location- inside or outside city centre)
- Two bedrooms flat: 400 -euro per month inclusive of all necessary utilities (this may vary depending upon the location- inside or outside city centre)
Food expenses breakdown:
- Meal at a restaurant: from 5 –euro-
- Milk (1 litre): 0.80 –euro-
- Mineral water (1 litre): 0.40€
- Loaf of bread: 0.70€
- Lunch at a canteen: from 1.60€
Transportation Costs-
- Local transport: Costs ranges from 0.50€ to 1.40€ (single basic ticket)
- Local transport: from 20€ (monthly ticket)
Accommodation
Following are the accommodation options available for students in Slovakia:
Dormitories: The higher education institutions in Slovakia offer accommodation to students in dormitories. One room is shared by 2-3 pupils. Rooms for single pupils are also available. The rooms are well-furnished with all the required facilities. Some of the dormitories also have fitness centres, swimming pool, internet facility, laundry service etc.
The dormitory accommodation costs vary depending upon the facilities and location. It starts from 67€ per month.
Rent a private apartment/flat: In Slovakia, private apartments are available on rent. The apartments can be shared or you can stay independently. All the necessary amenities are provided. The cost of private accommodation depends on the number of rooms. You can expect to pay between 300€ and 800€ per month.
Student Cards
In Slovakia, many international cards can be used. These cards allow pupils to get discounts on accommodation, transport, restaurants, concerts, and at many other places.
- International Student Identity Card (ISIC) can be used. Website: https://www.isic.org/
- European Youth Card (EURO 26) : With this card, you can get discounts on anything. Website: http://euro26.org/
Transportation
Travel by Train
In Slovakia, trains are fast, safe, comfortable and affordable. There are seven different kinds of trains:
- SuperCity (SC)
- EuroCity (EC)
- InterCity (IC)
- Express (Ex)
- Fast train (“rychlik”) (R)
- Semi-fast train (“zrychleny vlak”, Zr)
- Passenger train (“osobny vlak”, Os)
You can buy the tickets for train online. To buy the ticket and know the schedule of the journey, visit the website of the Slovak Railways (www.zssk.sk).
Get Around by Coach
Travelling by coach is easy and fast. To find about the schedule, ticket price, and journey duration, go to https://cp.hnonline.sk/vlakbusmhd/spojenie/. Many international lines are operating with domestic branch in Slovakia. Also, a company named “Student Agency (Website: www.studentagency.sk)" offers several international lines with discount offers for students.
Local Transportation
Public transportation in Slovakia is vast. Buses and trolley buses are available throughout Slovakia. In Kosice and Bratislava, there is a network of trams that connects most of the places in Slovakia. Every city manages its own public transport- mestska hromadna doprava, or MHD.
Timings: The public transport runs from 5:00 to 23:00. There are a few night buses running after 23:00.
Tickets for buses: You can buy the ticket at ticket machines, newsstands, or public transport kiosks. The price of ticket varies depending upon the distance and location. Students can buy travel pass. Also, student discounts are available.
To know about the schedule of public transport in Bratislava, go to https://dpb.sk/
To get the schedule of public transport in Presov, Kosice, Banska Bystrica, Zilina, Nitra and other cities, go to https://imhd.sk/ba/
Getting Around by Car
To get around the country by car, one must have a valid international driving licence. To drive a car, the age must be 18 or above.
Car Rental: There are many car rental companies in Slovakia. The cost varies.
To get the details of car rental companies operating in Slovakia, go to https://www.zlatestranky.sk/
Travelling In and Around by Taxi
In Slovakia, there are several taxi companies. There are taxi stands available in each town. To know about the taxi services in Slovakia, search https://www.zlatestranky.sk/
Working Conditions
The EU/EEA/Swiss citizens can work in Slovakia on the similar terms and conditions as the Slovak citizens.
The non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens require a temporary or permanent residence permit in order to work in Slovakia.
If the third country citizens have a temporary residence permit for study and their employment in Slovakia is not beyond 10 hours in a week, in that case, work permit is not required.
Health and Medical Care
The Ministry of Health of Slovakia manages the healthcare system in the Slovak Republic. There are private and state health care providers in Slovakia.
To know about the health care providers in Slovakia, go to https://www.zzz.sk/
Health Insurance
The EU/EEA/Swiss citizens get the same health care facilities as the Slovak citizens. All the people in Slovakia- a citizen or a foreigner are allowed to select their own health care provider.
European Health Insurance Card
An EU/EEA/Swiss citizen must have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in order to gain the benefits of health insurance as the Slovak citizens. Individuals having EHIC are covered by a health insurance company of Slovakia to the same amount as a Slovak citizen.
International Students
International students, including PhD pupils who come to study in Slovakia within an international treaty programme are subject to statutory health insurance. Slovakia is the payer of such health insurance. To get this insurance, pupils must submit the required documents that confirm that the student is studying in a higher education institution in Slovakia.
Individual Health Insurance
International students who are not insured can go for contractual health insurance in Slovakia. Following are the health insurance companies operating in Slovakia:
- VsZP (https://www.vszp.sk/)
- Dovera (https://dovera.sk/)
Safety
Slovakia is a safe, peaceful and friendly country. As per the Global Peace Index, 2009, Slovakia was in the 24th place among the safest countries in the world.
Student Organizations
There are many national and international student organisations in Slovakia. Some of them are:
Student Higher Education Council (SRVS): The student higher education council (https://srvs.eu/) is the main representative body of Slovak pupils. It is established as per the Higher Education Act, and is a member of European Students’ Union (https://esu-online.org/). Students of each higher education institution in Slovakia choose their representatives to the Council.
Slovak PhD Students’ Association- ADS is an organisation that brings together the PhD students and young scientists up to the age of 35 in Slovakia. (Website: http://ads.sk/)
Erasmus Student Network- ESN is a student organisation that supports student exchange. It was formed in 1990. The ESN functions at the following higher education institutions in Slovakia:
- Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra
- Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
- University of Economics in Bratislava
- Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra
- Comenius University in Bratislava
- University of Zilina in Zilina
- Pan European University in Bratislava
- University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Kosice
- Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava
- University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava
- Matej Bel University in Banska Bystrica
- Technical University of Kosice
- University of Presov in Presov
- School of Economics and Management in Public Administration in Bratislava
- Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice
Website: https://esn.sk/
Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales (AIESEC) is an international association of pupils from business and economic areas of study.
There are many other student organisations operating in Slovakia, such as Board of European Students of Technology (BEST), European Law Students’ Association (ELSA), International Association of Students in Agriculture and Related Sciences (IAAS), International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE Slovakia), International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA), Slovak Medical Students Association (SloMSA), and the Youth Council of Slovakia.Communications
Phone Services
In Slovakia, following mobile operators are available:
- Slovak Telekom
- Orange
- Telefonica
Internet Connections
Different connections, such as ADSL/ADSL2+ , Fibernet are available.
- Slovak Telekom is the major telecommunication company in the Slovak Republic
- UPC
- Orange Slovensko
Note: Prices are indicative in nature. Actual cost will differ depending on location and lifestyle etc.
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