Slovakia Publishes List of Countries Whose Citizens Can Enter Visa-Free
- The Slovak Republic's Ministry of Interior released an official list of countries whose nationals may enter without a visa
- The conditions vary significantly depending on the type of passport held, including ordinary, biometric, diplomatic, and service passports
- Several African and Asian countries appear on the list but qualify only under specific passport conditions, not on ordinary travel documents
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The Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic has released an official list of nationalities granted visa-free access to the country, with eligibility conditions that differ considerably based on passport type.
The announcement sets out which citizens may enter Slovakia without a visa and under what circumstances, covering ordinary travel passports, biometric passports, diplomatic passports, service passports, special passports, and, in limited cases, national identity cards.
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Who qualifies on an ordinary passport
Citizens travelling on standard travel passports and granted unrestricted visa-free access include nationals of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Seychelles, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. Mexican passport holders are subject to a maximum stay of 90 days under this category.
A separate group of nationalities qualifies for visa-free entry on ordinary passports only where those documents are biometric. This applies to citizens of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine.
African and Asian nations face restricted access
Countries including Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam do not qualify for visa-free entry on ordinary travel passports.
Nationals of these countries may, however, enter without a visa if they hold diplomatic or service passports.
The same restriction applies to nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cape Verde, Russia, and Turkmenistan.
Special categories and additional exemptions
Holders of United Nations laissez-passer documents are exempt from visa requirements for stays of up to 30 days or when travelling on an official assignment.
Recognised refugees and stateless persons holding travel documents issued under the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951, or the New York Convention of 28 September 1954, and who are resident in countries such as Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Singapore, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, are also exempt. This does not apply to holders of refugee passports issued by Ireland or the United Kingdom.
Nationals of NATO member states or Partnership for Peace countries entering Slovakia as members of armed forces, with valid photo identification or movement orders, are similarly exempt, along with accompanying civilian staff and dependants.
Regarding Vanuatu, ordinary passport holders have been subject to a temporary suspension of visa-free access since 4 May 2022, under a Council Implementing Regulation of the European Union.
New entries on Vanuatu ordinary passports issued from 25 May 2015 onward remain suspended, though travellers already within the EU before the regulation took effect were permitted to complete and exit their stays.
Georgia publishes countries eligible for visa-free entry
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Georgia had granted visa-free entry to citizens of four African countries, allowing them to remain in the country for up to one year.
According to the country's current visa policy, no prior visa application is required for eligible travellers, provided they comply with Georgia's broader immigration requirements upon arrival.
Source: YEN.com.gh
