Afghanistan to Slovakia immigration is a difficult procedure that is complicated by Slovakia’s participation in the European Union and the Schengen Area. For Afghan residents looking to start new lives in Slovakia, strict restrictions that regulate admission and residency provide a difficult but manageable path.
Requisites for a visa
Getting a legitimate visa is the first step for Afghans. Consequently, individuals are required to visit the Slovak embassy or consulate in their home country, a process that typically involves a protracted and expensive series of steps. Typically, immigrants secure extended visas, with durations that can extend up to a year.
Ways to immigrate
Following are a few standard actions that individuals often do while moving to Slovakia:
Assess eligibility
To determine your eligibility for the specific visa or permit you are pursuing, review the corresponding eligibility requirements. Slovakia offers a variety of visas and residence permits tailored to different purposes, such as employment, family reunification, and study.
Select the appropriate visa type
Depending on why you’re traveling, choose the right visa category. Work visas, student visas, family reunification visas, and others fall within the category of common categories.
Present an application
Prepare and submit all necessary paperwork, including application forms, identification and travel papers, evidence of lodging, proof of funds, and any additional paperwork the Slovak government may specify.
Attend to processing
Your application will be processed after you’ve submitted it. The kind of visa and the number of applications received might affect the processing time.
Interview
An interview at the Slovak embassy or consulate may sometimes be required of candidates.
Receive outcome
You will be educated regarding the result of your visa application after processing. A visa or residence permit will be given to you if you are accepted.
Journey to Slovakia
You may visit Slovakia during the allotted period once you obtain the required visa or permission.
Permit for temporary residency
Obtaining a temporary residency visa, which has a two-year maximum duration and is renewable, comes next after landing in Slovakia. But it’s crucial to fulfill certain requirements. The accompanying necessities should be met before applying:
- A long-term visa that is still in effect;
- A place to call home in Slovakia;
- Sound financial standing; and
- Health care coverage of 30,000 euros.
Permit for long-term residence
Immigrants are eligible to seek permanent residency after five years with a temporary residence status. In Slovakia, you can live and work there indefinitely with this permission. One has to be integrated into Slovakian society, have a temporary residence visa that is still valid and have lived there for five years.
Golden Visa Scheme
The Golden Visa Scheme provides a special chance for people looking for an alternate path. Non-EU persons may get a permanent residency visa in Slovakia by investing a sizeable sum—either 500,000 euros in real estate or 1 million euros in a Slovak business.
Asylum
For people escaping persecution in Afghanistan, there are still several immigration options, including asylum. The Slovak government must receive the applicants’ cases. Applications that are approved are allowed to reside in Slovakia as refugees.
Challenges
Immigration from Afghanistan to Slovakia is not without its difficulties. Afghans must now apply for visas in Tehran, Iran, due to the closing of the Slovak embassy in Afghanistan, which makes the procedure more difficult. Another barrier is the need for money, especially for people fleeing exploitation and persecution. Integration into a distinctly different culture also demands time and effort.
Support services
Numerous support services are accessible to Afghan immigrants in Slovakia, notwithstanding the challenges. Information on immigration and integration is provided without charge by the IOM Slovakia Migration Information Center. The Slovak Red Cross adds social support, job help, and language instruction to this aid for refugees and asylum seekers.
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