BREXIT – information for citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Brexit Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”), which was concluded between the EU and the United Kingdom on December 24, 2020 regulates, inter alia, the status of persons who came to the Slovak Republic before the end of the transitional period – before December 31, 2020. Citizens of the United Kingdom and their family members who were legally residing in the territory of the Slovak Republic before the end of the transitional period 

• will be able to exercise their rights as before 
• can use preferential rules concerning lifelong family reunification, it means their family members will be able to move to the Slovak Republic at any time in the future if the family relationship existed before the end of the transitional period 
• if they were employed in the Slovak Republic before the end of the transitional period, they can continue to work without the need to obtain a work permit, and, moreover they will not need a work permit even if they will change employment in the future
• they are free to change their residence status, e.g. student – employee – sole trader – person economically inactive, while they will never need a work permit. 

A description of the procedures that UK citizens (and their family members) must complete by June 30, 2021 can be found on the website of the Ministry of Interior SR  and the UK Government website. 

The Agreement does not apply to those citizens of the United Kingdom who came to the Slovak Republic after the end of the transitional period (after December 31, 2020).  In relation to obtaining residence permit in the territory of the Slovak Republic, employment and entrepreneurship, the same rules apply to them as to the other third-country nationals (foreigners who are not EU citizens).