We are moving to Slovakia and would like to take our dog and cat with us. Is there anything special we need to do to avoid problems at the borders?
If you want to take pets with you into Slovakia make sure you consult a vet and get the following stamps on your International Vaccination Card or Pet's Passport.
- Vaccination against rabies
- Any other vaccination records
Your vet should provide you with the necessary stamps. Please note that these should not be too old so you should consult your vet shortly before your trip abroad.
We are a Polish family planning a permanent move to Slovakia. Our son is 5 years old and I would like to know what options we have for his schooling as we will not be able to afford one of the regular international schools. Can you advise?
From our research we are able to offer the following suggestions. One kindergarten that offers a programme in English is Slniečko (www.slniecko.sk). This kindergarten opened recently and has an ideal teacher/child ratio. There are also regular extra-curricular activities, including swimming and ice-skating. The monthly fee is Sk9,900 (€248).
Babyland (www.babyland-centrum.sk) offers a very similar programme to Slniečko but for a lower price - Sk6,000 per month (€150). Meals must be paid for separately and these range in price from Sk40 to Sk50 (€1 to €1.25)
We also found a school offering a pre-school programme suitable for your son. The English-Slovak Galileo primary school (www.galileo.sk) offers pre-school as well as schooling for years 1 to 7. The fee per year is Sk100,000 (€2,500) for the pre-school and years 1 to 4, and Sk130,000 (€3,260) per year for years 5-7. At first the teachers mix Slovak and English, with Slovak slowly replacing English. Pupils at Galileo are required to wear uniforms, which are also included in the price. Books are also included. Children are from Slovak as well as international families.
Ivona Telekiová, the gene-ral manager of Bratislava-based company, Relocation s.r.o. (www.relo.sk) awaits your questions at surviving.slovakia@spectator.sk
