Two facts decide whether a Slovak employer waits for a labour-market test or not: whether the occupation is on the quarterly shortage list for the region, and whether third-country nationals are under 45 % of the workforce. Employers still quote the old district rule and the 30 % cap; the district rule was abolished on 1 January 2023 and the cap was later raised to 45 %. This page states the rule as the official form applies it, and what to do when a role falls outside it.
The official application for confirmation of the possibility to fill a vacancy, which the employer submits to the labour office, carries two statements for third-country nationals: that the vacancy is an occupation with a labour shortage in the region under § 12 písm. ad) of Act 5/2004, and that the employer employs fewer than 45 % third-country nationals. Where both hold, the labour office issues the confirmation without a labour-market test; where either fails, it tests the vacancy against registered jobseekers for the notification period before confirming. The list itself is compiled by ÚPSVaR for each calendar quarter and each kraj from vacancy and jobseeker data and published on its website; production operators, assemblers, welders, machinists, drivers and warehouse roles appear in the industrial regions in most quarters, but the list changes and must be checked for the quarter in which the vacancy is notified. The reform of January 2023 replaced the earlier rule — shortage occupations only in districts with unemployment below five per cent, and a 30 % cap on third-country nationals — with the regional list and the current threshold.
A Slovak employer hires a Filipino on a temporary residence permit for the purpose of employment under § 23 of Act 404/2011: the employer notifies the vacancy to the labour office (ÚPSVaR) at least 20 working days before the residence application is filed, the labour office issues a confirmation that the vacancy may be filled by a third-country national — without a labour-market test when the job is a shortage occupation in the region on the quarterly ÚPSVaR list and the employer employs fewer than 45 % third-country nationals — and the Foreign Police decide on the residence within 60 days of a complete application — 30 days where the job is on the kraj shortage list and the employer meets the statutory condition (§ 33(8) Act 404/2011; 90 days is the general period for other residence purposes) (fee €250; renewal €140; residence card €10 or €39 for the two-day service). Since 15 July 2026 the permit is a single document for stay and work, the decision deadline runs from a complete application, the national visa issued for collecting the permit is valid 120 days, and a worker who loses the job has three months (six after two years' residence) to find another. The point most employers miss: a Filipino does not file in Manila. Residents of the Philippines apply for the Slovak national visa in person at the Slovak Embassy in Jakarta, which decides in five to seven working days; the Czech Embassy in Manila represents Slovakia for short-stay Schengen visas only.
Recruitment runs through our own DMW-licensed agency, Prime Search Manpower Agency Inc. in Makati (licence DMW-027-LB-11182024): your company is accredited at the Migrant Workers Office in Vienna, which has covered Slovakia since October 2024, the job order is registered with the DMW, and every worker leaves Manila with a verified contract, medical clearance, pre-departure orientation and an Overseas Employment Certificate. Recruitment follows the employer-pays principle: no applicant pays for an interview, a trade test or a place on a shortlist. Your company is the employer from day one; we never employ or lease the workers.
Everything here is subject to Act No. 404/2011 Coll. on the residence of aliens and Act No. 5/2004 Coll. on employment services as amended (Acts 151/2025 and 128/2026), the quarterly ÚPSVaR shortage list, the Slovak consular practice for Philippine residents and Philippine DMW rules.
Published by ÚPSVaR on its website for each calendar quarter and each region (kraj); we check the quarter in which your vacancy is notified. Current list: Q4 2026 (ÚPSVaR, published 28 October 2026, valid until the next list is published, at the latest 31 January 2027).
No. The district rule (unemployment below 5 %) was abolished on 1 January 2023 and the cap, then 30 %, was later raised to 45 %; the current conditions are the regional shortage list and an employer share of third-country nationals below 45 %.
The labour office tests the vacancy against registered jobseekers during the notification period and can still confirm it; the calendar is longer and we say so.
A temporary work agency operating for at least three years may assign third-country nationals in regional shortage occupations; see the agency page.
General information for employers, not legal or migration advice. Rules change; we re-verify before each hire.