- Social security rights and obligations in the EU
- Important to know
- How EU legislation affects social security rights and obligations in Slovakia
- Communicating with institutions is important
1. Social security rights and obligations in the EU
Social protection in Slovakia is divided into four parts: health care, social insurance, state social support and social assistance.
- The health care is provided by health care providers and financed by health insurance companies.
- Social insurance guarantees that you will be looked after in the event of illness, maternity, an accident or occupational disease, unemployment, old age or disability. Social insurance in Slovakia is regulated by the Social Insurance Act (only in Slovak). The provision of benefits from individual types of social insurance depends on the specific life situation. Contributions must be paid to the Social Insurance Agency by employees, employers, the self-employed, the voluntarily insured, and the State (which is responsible for paying contributions on behalf of those classified as ‘state-insured’) (all information only in Slovak).
- State social support mainly consists of family benefits. These are financial support for families provided by local Labour, Social Affairs and Family Office.
- Social assistance comprises cash and in-kind benefits awarded to those suffering hardship. It is provided via local Labour, Social Affairs and Family Office and municipalities.
2. Important to know
When it comes to social security, the most important factor is knowing which country you need to pay social and health insurance contributions in. Your entitlement to social security benefits, such as family benefits and other social protection allowances, depends on this. In order to be awarded and provided with social security benefits, you first have to apply for them. Usually, this means submitting a written application to the right authority. There are multiple authorities in Slovakia, each providing different types of social security benefits. If you contact the wrong authority, the staff will advise you who to contact to deal with your particular case.
3. How EU legislation affects social security rights and obligations in Slovakia
There are 27 different social security systems across the EU. If you are a migrant worker and work in one of the Member States, it is important to determine which social security system you are covered by. Because of the free movement of persons within the EU, there are many situations in life where you need to identify the social security legislation applicable to you when you pay social security contributions or seek benefits.
These situations can only be resolved with transnational legislation, and specifically with coordinating regulations that override any conflicting national laws.
As coordination leaves national systems intact, differences still remain between national systems. Migrant workers enjoy guaranteed rights, but also have obligations under the national rules that apply to them.
Because of the way coordination rules are applied, you may find yourself in a situation where you will not be entitled to a benefit under your designated social security system because you do not qualify for it. Alternatively, the system may not offer a particular option or benefit.
According to the coordination rules, you can only be subject toone legislation. If you work in a Member State, you are generally covered by the social security system of this Member State. You are covered by only one social security system, i.e. the system of the country in which you are employed.
4. Communicating with institutions is important
To obtain the necessary information on individual benefits, you need to contact a local Labour, Social Affairs and Family Office, the Social Insurance Agency, the Health Care Surveillance Authority or your health insurance company.
If Slovak social security legislation applies to you and you want to claim individual benefits or allowances, you must comply with the requirements of national legislation and submit the required documents. The documents you require will differ from one benefit to another.
If you wish to receive benefits, you must apply for them and meet the legal requirements.
Generally speaking, it is important to know that, in order to receive Slovak social security benefits, you need to qualify by meeting conditions laid down by law. In the first place, you have to apply to the right institution. The applications list the documents you need to submit. If you need assistance, the staff of the institutions will advise you. We generally recommend applying for a benefit/allowance as soon as possible after the circumstances under which you may be eligible for it arise. It does not cost anything to apply for social security benefits in Slovakia.
If you submit all the documents necessary to assess your claim, the benefits will usually be paid in to your bank account. If you do not qualify for a particular social security benefit in Slovakia, this benefit will not be granted to you.
Who to contact for advice and information
To obtain information on the various social security benefits available in Slovakia, you are advised to visit the individual institutions in person or consult their websites:
For information on state support benefits (family benefits) and social assistance benefits:
Social insurance benefits (e.g. unemployment benefit, pensions, accident at work benefits, maternity benefit, sickness benefit)
For information on healthcare provision, please contact:
Health Insurance Companies:
Last modified: 27. 9. 2021
Publication date: 19. 11. 2020