Slovak A2 language exam and which residence permit needs it
6 min readUpdated:
If you are about to pay for a Slovak language exam, read this first. A large share of the people who register for it do not actually need it — and they usually find that out after the fee has been paid.
What the A2 Slovak exam is
Its official name is jazyková skúška zo slovenského jazyka pre cudzincov — the Slovak language exam for foreigners — taken at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). A2 is the second of six levels: basic, not advanced. It covers ordinary daily situations — shopping, accommodation, a train journey, a doctor's appointment, a short note to a friend.
The exam has two compulsory parts, written and oral. It is sat at a language school and produces a certificate carrying a single assessment word. How it is marked and what it contains is covered in How the A2 exam runs and how it is marked.
Which permit really requires it
This is the single most important sentence here: the A2 language exam is a condition for long-term residence and for nothing else.
Long-term residence (dlhodobý pobyt) is the Slovak name for EU long-term resident status. The Slovak-at-A2 condition attached to it comes from § 52(7) of Act No. 404/2011 Coll. on the residence of foreigners, while § 54(4) of the same Act empowers the Ministry of Education to regulate how the language is verified.
| Type of stay or purpose | A2 exam required? | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term residence (EU long-term resident) | Yes | § 52(7) + § 54(4) of Act No. 404/2011 Coll. |
| Permanent residence (trvalý pobyt) | No | The Act sets no language condition |
| Temporary residence (work, business, study, family reunification) | No | The Act sets no language condition |
| Temporary protection (displaced persons) | No — while you hold the status | Act No. 480/2002 Coll. on asylum |
| Employment or study as such | No | Not a statutory condition |
| Slovak citizenship | Not this exam | § 7(1)(j) of Act No. 40/1993 Coll. |
Why we labour the point
Not to be contrarian. When we went through the pages of commercial exam providers, six out of seven stated that the exam is also needed for permanent residence, for temporary residence, for work or for study. It is not. The exam costs roughly 100 to 180 euros depending on the school, and the fee is generally not refunded if you do not turn up.
So before you pay, look at the decision or the list of documents the foreigners police gave you and check whether your particular application really asks for proof of Slovak. If you are applying for temporary or permanent residence, in all likelihood it does not.
Since when the obligation applies
It has applied since 15 July 2025, inserted into the Act by Act No. 160/2024 Coll.
A further amendment, Act No. 128/2026 Coll., in force from 15 July 2026, only relaxes the condition. It brings three changes in the applicant's favour:
- the exam may be sat at a language school or at a public university;
- the level required becomes "at least A2", so a higher-level certificate counts upwards;
- the certificate may be older than 90 days.
None of this widens the group of people who are obliged, and none of it attaches the exam to any other type of permit.
Who is obliged and who is not
The obligation applies to third-country nationals applying for long-term residence.
Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland and their family members are outside this regime entirely — they do not apply for long-term residence under the Residence Act and never sit the exam.
People under temporary protection are not obliged to sit it while they hold that status.
Even among long-term residence applicants there are exemptions written straight into § 52(7) of Act No. 404/2011 Coll. — they concern mainly children under 14, holders of temporary residence as a Slovak living abroad, and people educated at Slovak-medium schools. The full list with its conditions is in our frequently asked questions.
One thing that surprises people: there is no upper age exemption. A seventy-year-old applicant is as obliged to sit the exam as a thirty-year-old.
Citizenship is a different matter
Slovak is also checked when you apply for citizenship — but through a completely different procedure. Under § 7(1)(j) of Act No. 40/1993 Coll., it takes the form of an interview at the district office, covering knowledge of the Slovak language and general knowledge about Slovakia.
That interview has no CEFR level attached, and no model paper or pass mark is published. Our materials therefore do not prepare you for it, and nobody should tell you that the A2 exam replaces it.
What A2 actually asks of you
The Ministry of Education has published which skills are verified. This is the only national statement about the content of the exam, and it reads as follows:
- writing — "short simple notices and messages" and "a simple personal letter";
- speaking — simple exchanges of information on familiar topics, and "a series of phrases and sentences giving a simple description of family and other people, living conditions, education and work";
- comprehension — simple information, notices and instructions, and short conversations; the examples given are sport, cooking, a trip to the cinema, the departure or delay of a train or bus, and how to get somewhere on foot or by public transport.
These are everyday topics. You do not need technical vocabulary or complex sentence structures.
How to prepare
The fastest way to understand what is coming is to work through the exam once in its own format. On this site you have, free of charge:
- sample tests — reading with grammar, listening and writing; start with the first pack;
- a speaking practice exercise with AI feedback that shows you what your answer is missing.
The AI assessment is a practice aid, not an official exam result.
Once you know which school you will register with, read Registering for the exam and what it costs.
Where to check
- The Act itself: Act No. 404/2011 Coll. — slov-lex.sk
- A plain overview for foreigners: Long-term residence — IOM Migration Information Centre
- Exam rules: Ministry guidance of 27 October 2025 — minedu.sk
- Citizenship: Act No. 40/1993 Coll. — slov-lex.sk
Always confirm your own situation with the foreigners police, the exam rules with the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic, and the date and price with the language school you choose. We are not an examination centre and not a law firm — we do not administer exams, and this text is not legal advice.
Last verified: 12 August 2026.