1. Air Passenger Rights
If you believe that your passenger rights have been infringed, first file a complaint with the carrier which must respond within two months of the date of your complaint.
If the carrier fails to respond to it within the specified period or if you receive an unsatisfactory response, you can then file a complaint with the Slovak Trade Inspection, which is the national authority responsible for compliance with the Regulation (if you have a planned departure from or arrival to Slovakia from a third country).
It will investigate your complaint, check whether the collective rights of passengers have been infringed and, if necessary, take appropriate action within the scope of its competence.
If the carrier has its head office in Slovakia, you can resolve the complaint either out of court or through alternative resolution of consumer disputes (only in Slovak).
If the carrier is based in another EU country, please contact that country’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body.
If you purchased your air ticket online, you can file a complaint through the online dispute resolution (ODR) platform. ADR and ODR services are only available to EU residents.
You can also consider taking legal action and applying for compensation under EU rules through the European Small Claims Procedure.
In addition, you can also proceed through the courts.
For help and advice on issues concerning passenger rights in transport (if the carrier is based in the EU, but outside Slovakia), you can also contact the European Consumer Centre Slovakia.
2. Bus and Coach Passenger Rights
If you believe that your passenger rights have been infringed, first file a complaint with the carrier within three (3) months from the date when the issue occurred during regular service.
If the carrier fails to respond to your complaint within the specified period or if you receive an unsatisfactory response, you can then file a complaint with the Slovak Trade Inspection, which is the relevant national authority.
It will investigate your complaint, check whether the collective rights of passengers have been infringed and, if necessary, take appropriate action within the scope of its authority.
If the carrier has its head office in Slovakia, you can resolve the complaint either out of court or through alternative resolution of consumer disputes (only in Slovak).
If the carrier is based in another EU country, please contact that country’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body.
3. Ship Passenger Rights
If you believe that your passenger rights have been infringed, first file a complaint with the carrier within two (2) months from the scheduled date of the trip during which the issue occurred.
If the carrier does not process your complaint within the specified period or if you receive an unsatisfactory response, you can then file a complaint with the Slovak Trade Inspection, which is the relevant national authority. It will investigate your complaint, check whether the collective rights of passengers have not been infringed and, if necessary, take appropriate action within the scope of its authority.
If the carrier has its head office in Slovakia, you can resolve the complaint either out of court or through alternative resolution of consumer disputes (only in Slovak).
If the carrier is based in another EU country, contact that country’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body.
If you purchased your ticket online, you can file a complaint through the online dispute resolution (ODR) platform. ADR and ODR services are only available to EU residents.
You can also consider taking legal action and applying for compensation under EU rules through the European Small Claims Procedure.
In addition, you can also proceed through the courts.
For help and advice on issues concerning passenger rights in transport (if the carrier is based in the EU, but outside Slovakia), you can also contact the European Consumer Centre Slovakia.
4. Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements
If you believe that your consumer rights have been infringed in connection with a travel package that you purchased, first notify the travel agency or its authorised representative at once (during the trip). If the travel agency fails either to take corrective action or provide alternative services of the same or higher quality at no additional cost to you, or provide you with lower quality travel services, or you cannot accept them for objective reasons, or if you have resolved the issue yourself, then the travel agency is required to draw up a written record with your input and give you a copy of it. You are then entitled to file a complaint with the tour operator or travel agent within two years from the end of the trip, attaching if possible the written record of the complaint you received from the travel agency. More information can be found at the Slovak Trade Inspection portal.
If your passenger rights were infringed during transport included in the travel package, please file a complaint directly with the carrier and follow the procedures listed at the ‘Your Europe, Passenger Rights’.
If the carrier does not process your complaint within 30 days of the tour operator having received it, or if you receive an unsatisfactory response, you can request an inspection of the carrier by the Slovak Trade Inspection (only in Slovak), which is the relevant national authority. It will investigate your complaint and, if necessary, take appropriate action within the scope of its authority.
If the tour operator has its head office in the Slovak Republic, you can resolve the complaint either out of court or through alternative resolution of consumer disputes (only in Slovak).
If the tour operator is based in another EU country, please contact that country’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body.
If you purchased a travel package online, you can file a complaint through the online dispute resolution (ODR) platform. ADR and ODR services are only available to EU residents.
You can also consider taking legal action and applying for compensation under EU rules through the European Small Claims Procedure.
In addition, you can also proceed through the courts.
For help and advice on issues concerning passenger rights in transport (if the carrier is based in the EU, but outside Slovakia), you can also contact the European Consumer Centre Slovakia.
5. Rail Passenger Rights
If you believe that your passenger rights have been infringed, first file a complaint with the carrier concerned which is required to respond within one (1) month or, in justified cases, to inform you of by when you can expect a reply. In any case, the reply should be given within three (3) months from the date of the complaint.
If the carrier does not respond to your complaint within the specified period or if you receive an unsatisfactory response, you can file a complaint directly with the Transport Authority (only in Slovak), which is the relevant national authority for enforcing the Regulation in the following areas:
- Providing information to passengers
- Travel document availability
- Passenger and luggage liability
- Cancellation or delay of transport
- Assistance to passengers with impaired mobility
- Responsibility for personal safety of passengers
or through the EU’s official ‘Your Europe’ website.
The national authority will investigate your submission and, if necessary, take appropriate action within the scope of its authority.
If your complaint concerns the carrier fulfilling its transport timetable obligations, and none of the above areas, you can send it to the consumer protection authority, which is the Slovak Trade Inspection.
If your complaint does not concern the carrier fulfilling its transport timetable obligations, but instead concerns rail transport as a public interest service, you can send the complaint to the Railway Section of the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic which has responsibility for passenger rail transport services in the public interest.
If the carrier has its head office in Slovakia, you can resolve the complaint either out of court or through alternative resolution of consumer disputes (only in Slovak). Other ADR bodies in Slovakia include the Slovak Trade Inspectio, (S.O.S) Poprad, OMBUDSPOT (association protecting consumer rights) (only in Slovak) and AVES (association protecting citizen rights) (only in Slovak).
If the carrier is based in another EU country, please contact that country’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body.
You can also consider taking legal action and applying for compensation under EU rules through the European Small Claims Procedure.
In addition to the above, you can proceed through the courts.
For help and advice on issues concerning passenger rights in transport (if the carrier is based in the EU, but outside Slovakia), you can also contact the European Consumer Centre Slovakia.