Good evening. Here is the Monday, January 20 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Visit Foreigners' Police without reservation
Slovakia's Foreigners' Police HQ on Ružinovská Street in Bratislava. (source: P.D. for The Slovak Spectator)
Next Saturday (January 25), the Foreigners' Police office in Bratislava will extraordinarily open and provide service. On this day, it will be possible to submit residence applications, process applications for temporary and permanent residence, and issue a qualified electronic signature, among other things - all without a reservation.
The office will be open between 08:00 to 16:00. The processing order will be determined by the police officer on duty. The following services will be provided only for the Bratislava area, says the Interior Ministry website:
application for issuing ID or residence permit;
activation of personal BOK and KEP codes, the latter on documents issued from July 11 to December 9, 2024;
applications for granting or renewal of temporary residence for the purpose of business; family reunification; study; special activity; research and development; a Slovak living abroad; fulfilling service obligations by civilian components of the armed forces for people with long-term residence in another member state.
applications for permanent residence for 5 years; an unlimited period; long-term residence.
In recent months, the online booking system of the Foreigners' Police was heavily criticised. Many foreigners who contacted The Slovak Spectator reported frequent crashes and difficulties in booking appointments.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
LAST WEEK: Robert Fico may have shaken hands with Putin and a bunch of coalition MPs may have taken a trip to Moscow, but many, if not most, in Slovakia still know how to read their geopolitical compass.
HISTORY REPEATING: In 1998, psychiatrists urged PM Vladimír Mečiar to withdraw from politics, warning of the risks to democracy under his leadership. Now, they issued a similar one to PM Robert Fico.
ATTACK IN SCHOOL: In the wake of the tragedy in Spišská Stará Ves, where a student fatally stabbed a teacher and classmate, Police Corps Chief Ľubomír Solák stepped down over the weekend.
SLOVAKS ABROAD: The story of Slovak-American identity is written in recipes. While many cultural ties between Slovakia and its American diaspora have faded across generations, one powerful connection remains vibrant.
TRAVEL: The town of Zvolen in central Slovakia unveils a plan to transform its historic fortress into a cultural hotspot.
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FEATURE STORY
Tax rates on receipts 101
Stock image. (source: sita)
As of January 1, several new tax rates have been introduced, meaning the price of some food items will go up while others will go down. This is reflected by the letters on store receipts. Find out more on what a receipt tells you about the new VAT here.
EVENT FOR THURSDAY
What it takes to ride a 'car wreck'
The Nová Cvernovka venue. (source: TASR)
Vrakmania is the name of a group of people who love adventure and whose 'common sense is limited'. In 2019, they decided to ride old cars to various places. Last summer, they went to Poland. This Thursday, one participant whose summer trip was the first among the group, will talk about his experience, including how he had to weld the floor of his car, how he and his friends prepared, how long it took, where to sleep, as well as how much the trip cost. The event will take place in the Nová Cvernovka venue. Find out more here.
IN OTHER NEWS
On Monday, Slovak PM Robert Fico (Smer) was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his official visit with a delegation that included Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák, Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanár (both Smer), Economy Minister Denisa Saková (Hlas), and Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová (SNS nominee). Economic cooperation was stepped up, the current situation in the world was discussed, with Fico and Erdogan signing a declaration on setting up a strategic partnership. (TASR)
As of Monday, due to construction work on the tram line extension on Kutlíkova Street in Bratislava's Petržalka borough, several buses will be rerouted. This concerns services 92, 95, 98, 99, 192 and N95. For the time being, both the Topoľčianska and Tupolevova bus stops will not be observed by any service. Buses 92, 95 and 192 will not observe the Bradáčova, Kutlíkova and Topoľčianska stops. Bus 98 will not observe the Holíčska, Šintavská and Topoľčianska stops, while 99 will omit the Holíčska, Šintavská, Topoľčianska, Kutlíkova, Bradáčova, Romanova, Markova and Švabinského stops. For more information, maps, and connecting services click here (link to imhd.sk).
Due to changes to the Criminal Code implemented by Robert Fico's fourth government, Slovak prisons are no longer overcrowded. While at the beginning of 2024 there were 9,700 people in prison (8,305 convicted and 1,419 accused), at the beginning of 2025 their number dropped to 8,200 (7,107 convicted and 1,062 accused). (Sme)
Slovak motocyclist Štefan Svitko posing with a medal and plaque after he returned from the 2025 Dakar Rally. This year he finished 10th, fulfilling his goal of finishing in the top 10 racers. He did not rule taking part in the next year's edition. (source: TASR)
Ambassadors Nicolas Suran (France), Thomas Kurz (Germany) and Gautam A. Rana (US) expressed a "deep regret" over SNS chair Andrej Danko's comments during his recent Moscow trip. Danko told the Russian state agency TASS how "the West" was orchestrating tensions between Poles, Czechs, Hungarians and Slovaks, adding that "the Germans, the French and the Americans" were "happy" about it. (Sme)
With the highest number of company dissolutions in the last seven years and more self-employment businesses ceasing operations than being established, last year was one of the worst in this regard, according to FinStat. A total of 5,930 companies closed down, a 20-percent increase compared to 2023, with the highest number in the construction sector. In addition, more than 54,000 self-employment businesses closed last year. (FinStat)
In the wake of the crippling cyber attack on the Office of Geodesy, Cartography and Land Registry (UGKK), its chair Juraj Celler stepped down from his post on Monday in order to maintain the stability and credibility of the office. PM Robert Fico (Smer) called for his resignation. Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (SNS nominee) also had the same opinion. Celler was appointed based on a proposal by Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč (Smer). The attack targeted the Land Registry itself, leaving the service unavailable. Although individual Land Registry departments are slowly opening again, return to full operation is expected in a few weeks. The opposition Progressive Slovakia and SaS say that Celler stepping down is not enough. (TASR)
According to the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ), 2024 was the hottest year in the history of measurements in Slovakia, with a maximum temperature of 38.3 °C recorded on August 14. Last year's spring was extremely warm and summer was also record-breaking in terms of heat. (TASR)
A hiker watching the sunset and temperature inversion from the top of the Vápenná hill in the Little Carpathians mountain range in western Slovakia on January 18 evening. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: Expect overcast skies and fog appearing locally, in some places it might rain or snow. Daily temperatures will rise up to 2 °C. Level 1 ground ice warning issued for the entire country. (SHMÚ)
JANUARY 21 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Vincent
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