Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about education and enrolment in Slovakia 

▸Yes! Children with granted asylum, subsidiary protection, or temporary protection have the right to go to kindergarten, like all Slovak children.

▸Kindergartens in Slovakia are usually designed for children aged 3-6 years.

▸Pre-primary education is compulsory during a given academic year for a child who has reached 5 years of age by 31 August (just before the school year starts).

▸ On this website you can find out which kindergarten is assigned to you based on your address. There is a free choice of kindergartens for parents, so you have the right to contact any kindergarten you wish, but it is likely that not all of them will be able to accept your child.

▸ It is advised to directly reach out to the kindergarten of your choice, but you can seek further information and support from the local municipality or the local Family Support and Child Welfare Services. In case you do not speak Slovak, please make sure to have someone accompany you and support you with translation.

▸ There are different mandatory vaccines for every child in Slovakia depending on their age. It is advised to contact a paediatrician to discuss the vaccination plan for your child.

▸ You might be requested to show a proof of vaccination during the kindergarten enrolment process. If your child has been vaccinated in the past, but you do not have a proof of vaccination, please ask a paediatrician for advice.

▸ If you want to request support from the Slovak Ministry of Education (MoE) for enrolling your child (aged 3 or above) in a Slovak kindergarten, please fill out this UNHCR online form (available in English, Slovak, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, Turkish, Pashto and Farsi).

▸ Once the form filled out, the information will be passed onto the MoE and the regional coordinator of the National Institute of Education and Youth (NIVAM) who is in charge of finding available kindergartens in the area/region in which you are residing. The regional coordinator will identify the nearest available kindergarten, confirm the availability with the kindergarten, and then reach out to the families to facilitate the placement.

▸ If you want to reach out directly to your regional NIVAM coordinator, who can assist you with school enrolment, please consult the list of coordinators here: https://nivam.sk/podpora-cudzincov/

▸Pre-school institutions may employ special education teachers or assistants, but not every kindergarten is guaranteed to have one.

▸ If your child has special needs, please indicate so in the UNHCR online form through which you can request support for enrolment. Due to personal data protection restrictions, no details can be collected through the form, but if you indicate your child has special needs, the regional NIVAM coordinator will contact you and work with you to determine the best course of action for your child, which may include enrolment in a specialized pre-school institution equipped to address his/her special needs (špeciálne materské školy).

▸Yes! Children with granted asylum, subsidiary protection, or temporary protection have the right to go to school, like all Slovak children.

▸Education is compulsory in Slovakia between the age of 6 and 16.

▸Primary education is provided in primary schools (grades 1-9 between age 6-14), after which children can enter secondary schools (grades 1-4/5/6 between age 14-18/19/20) – including high schools, secondary vocational schools, secondary sports schools, art schools and conservatories.

▸Primary education and secondary education are free of charge in Slovakia in public institutions (mainly state or church-run). You have the right to choose private institutions, but please note that those are fee-paying.

▸Primary schools are obliged to offer access to their institutions for all children within their educational districts unless they do not have the capacity to do so. In these cases, the child should have access to a neighbouring school.

▸Compulsory education cannot be fulfilled through unregistered, community-led schools.

▸On this website you can find out which primary school is assigned to you based on your address. If there is more than one school in your educational district, you can choose the school you prefer among the available options. There is a free choice of school for parents, so you have the right to contact any school you wish, but it is likely that not all of them will be able to accept your child.

▸It is advised to directly reach out to the school of your choice, but you can seek further information and assistance in finding a place for your child from the relevant Regional Office of School Administration (Regionálny úrad školskej správy) in your area. In case you do not speak Slovak, please make sure to have someone accompany you and support you with translation.

▸ On this website you can find out which secondary school is assigned to you based on your address. If there is more than one school in your educational district, you can choose the school you prefer among the available options.

▸You are advised to contact the secondary schools directly to discuss the enrolment procedures. There is a free choice of school in case of secondary schools, but schools are free to decide on entry criteria.

▸In case there are challenges in finding a suitable school that can enroll your child, please reach out to the Regional Office of School Administration (Regionálny úrad školskej správy) in your district for support.

The current school year started on 4 September 2023. If you have not yet initiated the enrolment process, it is advised to initiate the process as soon as possible.

Schools may be requesting certain documents for enrolment, which may include the following:

• Filled-in application document
• Birth certificate of your child
• Document indicating the ID of your child (e.g., passport, ID card)
• Health insurance number of your child (Temporary protection card number may be sufficient)
• Document indicating your ID (e.g., passport, ID card)
• Temporary Protection card or another residency card

If you do not have all these documents, please do not be discouraged and make sure to explain your situation to the school management.

The school director, together with the parents, will decide on the grade in which your child will be enrolled. This decision should be made together with the parents, but the child might also be requested to fill some tests.

▸ There are different mandatory vaccines for every child in Slovakia depending on their age. It is advised to contact a paediatrician to discuss the vaccination plan for your child.

▸ You might be requested to show a proof of vaccination during the school enrolment process. If your child has been vaccinated in the past but you do not have a proof of vaccination, please ask a paediatrician for advice.

▸ If you want to request support from the Slovak Ministry of Education (MoE) for enrolling your child in a Slovak primary or secondary school, please fill out this UNHCR online form (available in English, Slovak, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, Turkish, Pashto and Farsi).

▸ Once the form filled out, the information will be passed onto the MoE and the regional coordinator of the National Institute of Education and Youth (NIVAM) who is in charge of finding available schools in the area/region in which you are residing. The regional coordinator will identify the nearest available school, confirm the availability with the school principal, and then reach out to the families to facilitate the placement.

▸ If you want to reach out directly to your regional NIVAM coordinator, who can assist you with school enrolment, please consult the list of coordinators here: https://nivam.sk/podpora-cudzincov/

▸ In order to enroll in a Slovak university, please approach the university directly. The list of public Slovak universities can be consulted here.

▸ Unfortunately, there is no centralized assistance available at the moment for university placement.

▸For students under the age of 18, you should reach out to your Regional Office of School Administration (“Regionálny úrad školskej správy” – RÚŠS), which can assist you to find accommodation in a high school dormitory.

▸For students over 18, as a first-year foreign student you should have priority for dormitory placement, provided that you applied for a spot at the dormitory in a timely manner (typically in late July or early August) and paid the deposit. Please bear in mind that dormitory capacity is limited, and spots need not be available for all returning students.

Please refer to your university student handbook (“študijný poriadok”). Typically, a student may ask to retake an exam, and may also request an examination by a committee by filing a request with the Dean of their faculty.

The Slovak Republic has international agreements on mutual recognition of documents in the area of higher on education with the Croatian Republic, Hungary, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Russian federation and People’s Republic of China. The Slovak Republic has also concluded a Memorandum of Understanding with the Austrian Republic. More information can be found here.

▸Refugee children should best be enrolled in a Slovak school where they can benefit from face-to-face education provided in schools by qualified teachers. Face-to-face education is of higher quality than online education and other forms of remote learning.

▸Attending school allows children to interact with others and socialize with the host community. This has key benefits for mental health and well-being.

▸Through schools, refugee children can access a wide range of services, usually including mental and psychosocial support services, language learning, pedagogical support and pre-and/or post-school time childcare.

▸At school, children learn life skills, which will benefit them in the future, even if they return to their native education system. If displaced for extended periods, children will learn the skills to rebuild their lives while they are displaced. If displaced for a shorter time, skills learned abroad can be validated in the education system of the country of origin.

▸Sending children to school enables parents to pursue employment or other essential activities.

▸Enrolling children in the Slovak education system is the most sustainable option. Online and other forms of education are often at risk of being discontinued when funding runs out, and sometimes do not offer widely recognized grades or certificates.

▸Enrolling your child in a Slovak school does not prevent you from enrolling him/her in online education following the curriculum of your home country. For example, the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science allows children to continue following online lessons as distance learning students, externships, home education or in an individual educational trajectory. Exams and evaluations are organized online for certain grades.

▸For online education, it is important that children have spaces whey can study online – preferably a separate room in the house, or a space in the local school they can use after normal teaching hours of the school. They also need to have access to adequate Wi-Fi and electronic devices to facilitate online learning.

▸Some organizations in Slovakia might offer face-to-face education opportunities in line with the curriculum of your country of origin. Parents should evaluate the quality and continuity of these education options before considering them.

▸Parents should consider the workload of children if they are enrolled in a Slovak school and studying another curriculum at the same time. To the extent possible, subjects that are taught in both Slovakia and the country of origin should be followed only in the Slovak school where the child is enrolled.

▸When complementary forms of education in addition to education in the national school system are considered, parents should ensure that any learning that takes place is recognized and rewarded with official grades or certificates, to protect against their children losing out on credentials and to avoid lack of documentation on academic achievement and skills.

Given that school has started already, we advise you to enroll your child at the place of your current residence and, in case you move to another part of Slovakia later, to register your child there once you move. It is very important that your child continues his/her education and does not remain out of school.

In case you decide to return to your home country, you can cancel the enrolment in a Slovak school. Please inform the school about your date of departure and request a confirmation about your child’s school attendance.

▸Refugee children who have studied abroad can usually get their learning validated in the education system of their home country once they return. It is crucial that parents keep records of the learning achievements of their children (e.g. report cards, evaluations, grades, diplomas, certificates, etc.).

▸For example, the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science has issued methodological guidance for educational authorities explaining how children returning from abroad can get their learning history abroad validated in Ukrainian schools. It is recommended that families obtain an official document from the Slovak school acknowledging the studies and educational achievements of their children – this will facilitate recognition in Ukraine of their education abroad. More information can be found here.

▸In the first instance, bullying should always be reported to the class teacher (“triedny učiteľ”) who is in charge of parent communication and student wellbeing and discipline.

▸If the class teacher fails to address the issue, or is involved in the bullying incident, the incident should be reported to the school principal.

▸If the principal fails to act, the incident can be reported to the state school inspection: Podávanie sťažností – Štátna školská inšpekcia (ssi.sk).A complaint to the state inspection can also be made anonymously, but anonymous complaints are harder to investigate and it is up to the inspector general’s discretion whether to act upon anonymous complaints.

The Slovak Ministry of Education is currently updating the following webpage, which will summarize key education-related information for Ukrainian refugee families:   https://ukrajina.minedu.sk/vseobecne-informacie/