Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
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Starting on November 16 at 7:00, Slovakia adopts the European (ECDC) methodology to deem countries risky and less risky.
As a result, people coming from the states not on the green list need to follow certain rules if they plan to spend their time on Slovak territory.
One of the basic conditions is that everybody (including tourists) needs to register at korona.gov.sk. The form requires you to fill in a phone number, a place of isolation, and the name of your attending physician. When entering the country, you should be able to show police officers a confirmation about registration on the website. Police controls on the borders will be random.
There are certain differences for people coming from EU and non-EU countries not on the green list.
>>> Read more about how to travel to and from Slovakia during COVID-19
EU member countries
Everybody who enters Slovakia and visited EU member states not on the list of low-risk countries, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland during the past 14 days needs to enter home isolation.
Low-risk countries
Australia
China
Finland
Iceland
New Zealand
Norway
Singapore
South Korea
Taiwan
Home isolation ends after 14 days or after you have received a negative COVID-19 test usually taken on the 8th day after arrival (children younger than seven years of age are an exception if they have no symptoms).
Home isolation is not required if incomers show a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours or a negative result of an antigen test carried out by labs in Austria and the Czech Republic no older than 72 hours. In this case, it is not required to register and contact attending physician.
The exception cannot be applied if people travel by plane that lands at one of the Slovak airports. In this case, everybody who visited a risky country in the past 14 days must register at korona.gov.skand show a confirmation after arrival. They should also fill out an online form published on the Transport Ministry's website at least 24 hours before their scheduled arrival. Read more details here. Travellers are advised to check the conditions set by the airline companies before boarding the plane.
Cross-border commuters:
An exemption for cross-border workers applies to everyone who lives in Slovakia and works in neighbouring countries. They will not be required to show any negative test results, but they need proof they are working in the neighbouring state.
Exemptions include also people living in neighbouring countries within a 30-km distance from the open border crossing, people who work in Slovakia within a 30-km distance from the border crossing, and Slovak citizens living within a 30-km distance from the open border crossing.
As of Monday, December 7, cross-border workers are required to show negative rapid test results or negative PCR test resultsnot older than 14 days upon crossing borders to Slovakia. It will be possible to show antigen tests carried out abroad, but they need the EU certification.
Non-EU member states
People entering Slovakia who visited non-EU member states not on the list of low-risk countries (minus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, the UK, and Switzerland) during the past 14 days have to undergo home isolation.
Home isolation ends after you receive a negative COVID-19 test usually taken on the 8th day after arrival (children younger than seven years of age are exempt if they have no symptoms).
Where and how to isolate
People living in the same household need to stay in isolation too. Isolation ends after the test is negative.
If the person does not have a place of residence in Slovakia, isolation in a hotel or an accommodation facility is acceptable. The person needs to arrange this stay with the owner of the selected facility beforehand and then report the place of stay to the respective regional Public Health Authority (RÚVZ) branch (via the eHranica form).
Moreover, everybody coming to Slovakia who visited risky country during 14 days before their arrival need to contact their attending physician. The attending physician for people without a place of residence in Slovakia is the physician of the self-governing region.
In addition, if any person returning from abroad, including those who were in green-list countries, report any symptoms of respiratory disease, they need to contact their attending physician or 112 and discuss their next steps.
This article was first published on October 8, 2020.
