Good News

Among the most important positive measures in the new law is the extension of the validity of national visa type D (for third-country nationals) from 90 to 120 days. This gives foreigners more time to arrange their arrival in Slovakia and book an appointment at the foreign police. Another improvement is that applicants will no longer need to submit a photograph with their application, and in some cases, the requirement to prove sufficient financial means for residence has been removed.

Bad News

However, the approved amendment also brings bad news that could further complicate life for foreigners in Slovakia. The most problematic is the introduction of nonsensical quotas for business visas. From more than 10,000 business residence applications filed last year, the government plans to limit approvals to just 700 per calendar year. How and why the government arrived at this mysterious number remains unclear.

In addition, foreigners will be required to submit a business plan with their application for temporary residence for business purposes, which will be subject to approval by the Ministry of Economy. As a result, the actual number of approved applications will likely decrease even further. Given the current demographic trends and weak public finances, every single entrepreneur should be welcomed in Slovakia.

Moreover, foreigners will only be able to submit their application at Slovak consulates in their home country, without any territorial exceptions. The quotas are further distributed across individual countries in a way best described as “scattered to all four corners of the world.” One example: Taiwan, a global leader in many industries with a population of 23 million, has been allocated exactly one business visa slot. North Macedonia, with 1.8 million people, gets 16. Is this really the most economically and politically sensible way to attract innovative business ideas? Definitely not.

Our Experience

We’ve been visiting the foreign police on behalf of our clients for years. We see and experience firsthand how the system has been collapsing for a long time. It’s easy to announce in the media that “use of the reservation system is now legally required, and visiting the Foreign Police without an appointment will not be allowed.” But in reality, the reservation system does not work as it should. For some critical life situations, appointments are virtually impossible to obtain. If you try too hard to get one, the system may block your access altogether, and appointment slots continue to be traded on an unofficial market.

What’s Next?

Although the amendment brings a few small improvements, without real digitalization, a transparent reservation system, and increased staffing at the foreign police, no meaningful change will come. If you want the raw truth about Slovakia’s attractiveness and its approach to foreigners—who could clearly benefit our economy—just consider this: between 2021 and 2023, Slovakia issued 62 Blue Cards for the residence and employment of highly qualified foreigners. Poland issued 15,313 in the same period. So it’s no surprise that Slovakia’s economy is gasping for air.

If you’re also facing challenges hiring foreign workers, feel free to reach out to us. The experts at ProfiDeCon have been helping Slovak companies hire foreign talent for more than 10 years. We’d be happy to help you too.

The post Foreigners’ Stay in Slovakia from July 1, 2025 Under New Rules: Good News vs. Bad News. Who Will Win? appeared first on ProfiDeCon.

Entrepreneurs posting their employees to Germany have several legal obligations towards the local authorities. In addition to timely submission of the customs notification (Zollmeldung), there is also a requirement to keep documentation available directly on German territory. Customs authorities regularly carry out inspections at construction sites and workplaces, and they may request the immediate presentation of documents related to the posted workers. If you cannot present them on the spot, you risk a fine of up to €15,000—even if you provide the documents later within the given deadline. That’s why it’s wise to consult with experts to avoid potential problems.

Documents Must Be at a Specific Location

In the customs notification, you must indicate the exact address in Germany where the documents will be located. Often, this is the actual place of work, such as the address of a construction site. In such cases, however, it is absolutely necessary that all required documents are physically present and easily accessible at that location. During an inspection, they must be available immediately—otherwise, it is considered a breach of duty.

What Must Be Presented Immediately

Mandatory documents that must be available at the worksite include the employment contract or posting agreement, which must specify wage conditions. You also need to have records of working hours showing when the employee started and finished work and how long they worked. Employers must also provide payslips, proof of wage payment, and confirmation of the customs notification submission.

A particularly important document is the A1 certificate, which proves that the employee is socially insured in the employer’s country—such as Slovakia. All of these documents must be available in German and kept for the entire duration of the posting, but no longer than two years.

We also recommend informing responsible employees—especially the contact person listed in the customs notification—so that they can present the required documents during an inspection and know exactly where they are kept at the worksite.

It’s important that employers do not underestimate these documentation duties and that they prepare thoroughly for any potential inspection. We are experts in doing business in Germany, Austria, and other countries. The experts at ProfiDeCon have been helping entrepreneurs for over 10 years. We’d be happy to help you, too.

The post German Authorities Are Very Strict About This During Employee Inspections! appeared first on ProfiDeCon.

The fundamental change brought about by the amendment is the electronic handling of applications. However, whoever expected that this would eliminate the annoying bureaucracy in the foreign police departments was mistaken. Therefore, when employing foreigners, it is good to turn to professionals, who will safely guide you through all the pitfalls of bureaucracy.

Paper can hold anything

Today, foreigners should be able to electronically process the application for renewal of temporary residence, renewal of the blue card, granting permanent residence for an indefinite period of time, granting long-term residence, registration of residence of an EU citizen, application for a residence document and application for an alien’s passport without any problems.

However, the emphasis is on the word “should”. In practice, this does not quite work like that. The problem is that in order to use the electronic way, the foreigner must have a residence document that has an activated personal security code (PSC). And  most of  them do not have, as PSC can be activated only in person at the office of the Foreign Police Department!

Sometimes even PSC is not enough

Moreover, if foreigners have already activated their PSC and file the application electronically, in the end, they still must come to the foreign police to get their biometric data scanned there. Efficiency and simplicity remain only on paper once again. The foreign police departments are still overwhelmed, and you always need to make an appointment for a specific date, of which there are terribly few. Only at some police departments will they take the client without an appointment. However, they still have to wait and take a number ticket. Our team will be happy to help you and relieve you from the lengthy procedures at the foreign police.

Other changes

The amendment also brought news for employers. For example, legal entities no longer need to attach a bank statement from the employer for the last three months when applying for the verification of a foreigner’s invitation, but it is sufficient to provide only a confirmation of the account balance.

The amendment also included a change concerning holders of temporary refuge. They will receive documents in the form of ID cards. These cards, corresponding to European standards, increase security, facilitate the control and extension of permits. At the same time, they allow their holders to move more easily within the EU Member States and the Schengen area.

The employment of foreigners in Slovakia is still not without problems. We, at ProfiDeCON, have been helping Slovak companies to employ foreigners for more than ten years. We will be happy to help you, too.

The post Do you need to hire foreigners in Slovakia? Why is not possible to rely on electronic applications? appeared first on ProfiDeCon.

Austria strictly protects its labour market and social system. One of the measures is the holiday and severance fund – BUAK. Its aim is, among other things, to guarantee all employees of construction companies that they will have properly paid holidays.

Holiday allowances in Austria

If you plan to second employees to Austria for construction work under the BUAG law, you must, among other obligations, register with the holiday fund.

Once you have registered, you must report the days worked by the seconded employee monthly via the electronic portal and also pay your monthly holiday allowance contributions. Contributions are calculated from the employee’s gross salary according to the applicable collective agreements and tariffs for the construction industry in Austria. However, these may vary by region or staff specialisation.

If your employee is entitled to holiday and decides to take it while on secondment in Austria, it is possible to apply to BUAK for reimbursement of the compensation for salary. The fund then pays it directly to the employee.  

Ignored BUAK can cost you unnecessarily dear

What if you do not report to BUAK or do not pay the contributions? In such case, the fund can automatically calculate the amount of contributions for your company based on the data from the so-called ZKO reports. This often results in a higher levy than would correspond to the actual days worked. It may happen that you will be ordered to pay holiday allowances even for days that the employee did not work in Austria. It will cost your company more.

Consult the experts and avoid problems

In the event that you do not pay the holiday allowances despite calls to pay them, BUAK can file a claim with the relevant labour and social court in Austria and enforce the claim through the courts.

The amount owed is, of course, increased by penalties and other charges. In practice, we have seen cases where companies have not responded to BUAK’s calls despite having carried out construction work in Austria. Subsequently, the fund filed a lawsuit against them and an unpleasant legal tug-of-war began.

When seconding employees for construction work in Austria, we therefore recommend that you take an active interest in BUAK and do not neglect any obligations. Experts from ProfiDeCon will be happy to advise you on how to save time, money and avoid unnecessary complications.

The post Do you second employees to Austria for construction work? You have to pay the BUAK holiday fund! appeared first on ProfiDeCon.