Lex Ukraine – Selected provisions

Act on Asylum and Act on Performance of Work in the Public Interest:

  • Lex Ukraine amends the Act on Asylum and the designation of refugee status has been changed. The document on granting a tolerated stay will be marked Temporary Refuge (“Dočasné útošisko”), rather than Refugee (“Odídenec”) as previously;
  • The temporary refuge is provided to protect foreigners from war, the consequences of a humanitarian catastrophe, or a systematic or mass human rights violation in the country of origin. The provision of temporary refuge grants a tolerated stay permit in Slovakia, the right to work or study, and access to healthcare;
  • Asylum seekers who are citizens of Ukraine or family members of citizens of Ukraine were allowed to enter the labor market immediately after applying for asylum. If it is necessary to prove integrity for employment in the public interest (as a pedagogic  or professional employee), it is possible to prove integrity with a solemn declaration, if it is not possible to submit a criminal record for objective reasons;
  • Refugees were allowed to accommodate outside the humanitarian center or of an asylum facility, namely at accommodation providers who receive a subsidy from the state for the free accommodation of a refugee. If the refugee stays outside the asylum facility, he is obliged to immediately notify the asylum facility in which he was last registered or the ministry in writing of this fact;
  • The conditions for the provision and payments of a financial contribution for the free accommodation of the emigrant have been established.

Act on Residence of Foreigners:

  • The validity of a foreigner’s stay is extended until two months after the emergency is revoked;
  • The use of legal deadlines during which the foreign police must issue a decision has been adjusted;
  • Persons with temporary refuge are now reporting a change of residence address to a municipality while submitting proof of accommodation;
  • There was introduced the possibility for a member of a third country who entered the territory of the Slovak Republic to request a voluntary return to his home country, while the police department can issue him a foreigner’s passport for this purpose.

Act on Social Insurance:

  • For a citizen of Ukraine who is employed in the Slovak Republic or is a self-employed and is obliged to perform service in the army of Ukraine or military service, please note that compulsory social insurance has been suspended for the period of performance of this duty. It is possible to additionally pay social insurance for this period.

Act on Health Insurance:

  • Persons whose military service arose outside the territory of the Slovak Republic are exempt from the public health insurance system and do not pay health insurance contributions during this period of service;
  • Persons with temporary refuge who are not covered by health insurance in the Slovak Republic are now entitled to reimbursement for urgent care.

Act on Banks:

  • When opening a bank account, it is also possible to identify yourself with a document of temporary refuge together with another payment document enabling identification of facial features and personal data (name, surname, date of birth, residence, and nationality);
  • The bank account provided for persons in the temporary refuge will be cancelled on the last day of the calendar month following the calendar month in which the provision of temporary refuge to these persons end.

Other acts:

  • Persons with temporary refuge are not taxpayers for dogs and accommodation, and at the same time, they will not become payers of the fee for municipal waste;
  • Vehicles and trailers registered in Ukraine were exempted from the payment of the highway stamp;
  • Vehicles transporting humanitarian aid were exempted from the payment of tolls;
  • As part of the adopted provisions, transitional provisions valid during the duration of the emergency in connection with the conflict in Ukraine were added to the Employment Services Act, which regulates:
  • the validity and possibility of issuing a confirmation of the possibility of filling a vacant job;
  • the validity of confirmation of the possibility of filling a highly qualified job;
  • the validity of an employment permit;
  • the extension of the employment of a national citizen of a third country for his training;
  • the possibility of employing a national citizen of a third country even during the procedure for renewing temporary residence for purpose of employment.