Overview and practical tips from the field from UNHCR and partner organizations.
For complete, up-to-date and accurate information on Government subsidies for providing accommodation to Temporary Protection holders (odídenec), please always consult the website of the Ministry of Interior of Slovakia.
Below you will find an overview of these subsidies and practical tips from the field from UNHCR and partner organizations, available in different languages. This is not a complete summary or official interpretation of the information. The main sources of this overview were primarily the Asylum Act (144/2024 Z. z.), relevant regulations of the Government of Slovakia, in particular the Government Regulation on subsidies for providing accommodation to Temporary Protection holders (151/2024 Z. z.), as well as explanations and documents on the website of the Ministry of Interior of Slovakia.
1. BASIC INFORMATION
As announced on 13 June 2024, the Slovak Parliament approved a new system of subsidies for providing accommodation to Temporary Protection holders (odídenec) in Slovakia. This new system is effective as of 1 July 2024.
Owners of apartments, houses, and collective accommodation sites continue to be eligible for subsidies under the new system, except for commercial owners of accommodation (such as hotels, hostels, etc.).
The subsidy will be provided to accommodation owners who provide free of charge accommodation to Temporary Protection holders:
- For the initial 120 days from obtaining Temporary Protection for the first time in Slovakia, and
- Longer than 120 days, only if the Temporary Protection holder is considered a vulnerable person.
According to the new system, a vulnerable person is:
- A member of a household receiving material need assistance (“pomoc v hmotnej núdzi”) from the Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (“Úrad práce”),
- A person with a severe disability receiving disability allowance (“dotácia na podporu humanitárnej pomoci osobe so závažným zdravotným postihnutím”) from the Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family,
- A person 65 years of age or older,
- One of the parents or a caregiver (based on a court decision) taking care of a child under 5 years of age,
- Their child under 5 years of age.
The amount of the contribution is determined by a Government regulation and currently is:
- EUR 5.00 per night per person, for owners of private apartments and houses (natural persons), in the maximum monthly amount of:
390€ for a 1-room apartment,
540€ for a 2-room apartment,
720€ for a 3-room apartment,
900€ for a 4 (and more)-room apartment.
- EUR 6.00 per night per person, for owners of collective accommodation sites (legal entities, municipalities, self-governing regions)
2. DUTIES OF TEMPORARY PROTECTION HOLDERS (odídenec) IN RELATION TO THE ACCOMMODATION SUBSIDIES
According to the new rules, a Temporary Protection holder should:
- Notify in person the municipal office (“mestský úrad”) (or “miestny úrad” or “obecný úrad”, depending on where you live)*, within 3 working days from the start of the provision of accommodation, about the accommodation being provided by the accommodation owner (the document “Vzor oznámenia odídenca o poskytovaní ubytovania oprávnenou osobou” can be found at the bottom of the Ministry of Interior website).
- At the same time, during the first notification to the municipal office, prove the vulnerability in case of a vulnerable person (more information on how to prove the vulnerability can be found below).
- Twice a month during the provision of accommodation, notify the municipal office in person about the accommodation being provided by the accommodation owner (there must be at least 14 days between the notifications) (the document “Vzor oznámenia odídenca o poskytovaní ubytovania oprávnenou osobou” can be found at the bottom of the Ministry of Interior website).
- Immediately notify the municipal office and the accommodation owner of changes that affect whether the person is considered vulnerable.
* In cities, it is necessary to reach out to “mestský úrad” (municipal office). In Bratislava and Košice, it is necessary to reach out to “miestny úrad” (city district office) of the city district where you live. In smaller towns, it is necessary to contact “obecný úrad” (town office).
According to the new rules, a vulnerable Temporary Protection holder should prove their vulnerability to the accommodation owner and to the municipal office, through:
- Certificate of receiving material need assistance (“pomoc v hmotnej núdzi”) from the Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (“Úrad práce”); or
- Certificate of receiving disability allowance (“dotácia na podporu humanitárnej pomoci osobe so závažným zdravotným postihnutím”) from the Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family; or
- Identity document (or the “Dočasné útočisko”/ “Odídenec” document) with date of birth, in case of a person 65 years of age or older; or
- Declaration (“čestné vyhlásenie”) of the parent taking care of a child under 5 years of age (the document “Vzor čestného vyhlásenia odídenca k zmluve o poskytnutí ubytovania” can be found at the bottom of the Ministry of Interior website), or a court decision in case of a person taking care of a child under 5 years of age based on a court decision.
3. OBLIGATIONS OF ACCOMMODATION OWNERS IN RELATION TO THE ACCOMMODATION SUBSIDIES
According to the new rules, the accommodation owner (or in some cases the accommodation administrator) should:
- Submit the accommodation contract to the municipal office (the document “Vzor zmluvy o poskytnutí ubytovania odídencovi” can be found at the bottom of the Ministry of Interior website).
- Submit a report (“výkaz”) within 5 working days after the end of the month to the municipal office (the documents “Vzor výkazu oprávnenej FO [fyzickej osoby] o výške príspevku za ubytovanie odídenca” and “Vzor výkazu oprávnenej PO [právnickej osoby] o výške príspevku za ubytovanie odídenca” can be found at the bottom of the Ministry of Interior website).
Detailed information on the duties and procedures for accommodation owners and municipalities can be found in the manual “Manuál pre oprávnené osoby a obce k príspevku za ubytovanie” (“oprávnená osoba” = accommodation owner or in some cases the accommodation administrator) at the bottom of the Ministry of Interior website.
4. WHERE TO APPLY FOR THE SUBISDY
In cities, it is necessary to reach out to “mestský úrad” (municipal office).
In Bratislava and Košice, it is necessary to reach out to “miestny úrad” (city district office) of the city district where you live.
In smaller towns, it is necessary to contact “obecný úrad” (town office).
5. DETAILED INFORMATION
For complete, up-to-date and accurate information, please always consult the website of the Ministry of Interior of Slovakia. At the bottom of their website, you will find the different above-mentioned documents necessary for arranging the subsidies for providing accommodation to Temporary Protection holders, including the following:
- “Vzor oznámenia odídenca o poskytovaní ubytovania oprávnenou osobou”
- “Vzor čestného vyhlásenia odídenca k zmluve o poskytnutí ubytovania”
- “Vzor zmluvy o poskytnutí ubytovania odídencovi”
- “Manuál pre oprávnené osoby a obce k príspevku za ubytovanie”
- “Vzor výkazu oprávnenej FO [fyzickej osoby] o výške príspevku za ubytovanie odídenca”
- “Vzor výkazu oprávnenej PO [právnickej osoby] o výške príspevku za ubytovanie odídenca”