In accordance with the valid legislation certain categories of Schengen visa applicants may be exempt form the obligation to pay a visa fee.

A visa fee waiver can be based on the Visa Code, on a visa facilitation agreement concluded with the European Union or on national law. In order to know if you qualify for a visa fee waiver, please check if the European Union has concluded an agreement with the country of your nationality under par. (I.) and then read par. (II.), (III.) and (IV.) The final decision on a fee waiver is taken by the diplomatic mission.

I. Visa fee waiver according to bilateral agreements

According to the agreement concluded between the third country and the European Union certain categories of applicants are exempt from the visa fee. For further information, please, see the respective agreement bellow. 

Albania

Armenia 

Azerbaijan 

Belarus

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Cape Verde 

Georgia 

Moldova

Montenegro 

North Macedonia 

Russia 

Serbia 

Ukraine

II. Visa fee waivers according to the Visa Code for all applicants regardless of nationality

According to the Visa code, visa fees are waived for the following groups of applicants regardless of their nationality: 

• children under six years;
• school pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers who undertake stays for the purpose of study or educational training;
• researchers, as defined in point (2) of Article 3 of Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 1 ), travelling for the purpose of carrying out scientific research or participating in a scientific seminar or or conference
• representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organised by non-profit organisations.

III. Possible visa fee waivers according to the Visa code for all applicants regardless of nationality

According to the Visa code, visa fees can be waived for the following categories of applicants regardless of their nationality: 

a) children from the age of six years and below the age of 18 years ;

b) holders of diplomatic and service passports;

c) participants aged 25 years or less in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events, organised by non-profit organisations.

The waiver is subject to the individual decision of the Member States and the application of this regulation is usually agreed upon within the local Schengen cooperation of the Member States. Further information will be provided by the respective diplomatic mission. 

IV. Visa fee waivers according to the Slovak national  law 

According to Slovak legislation visa fees are waived for the following to categories of applicants regardless of their nationality: 

1. family members of the EU/EEA citizens and the citizens of Swiss Confederation (Union citizen)

2. family members of the Slovak citizens in the extend of family members of the Union citizen

In accordance with the Act No. 404/2011 Coll. on Residence of Foreigners and Amendment and Supplementation to Certain Acts, a family member of the Union citizen is understood as the third country national who is:

a) his/her spouse;

b) his/her child younger than 21 years of age, his/her dependent child and dependent children of his/her spouse;

c) his/her dependent direct relative in descending or ascending line and such a person of his/her spouse;

d) any other family member to whom par. (a) to (c) do not apply and he/she is a dependent person in the country of his/her origin;

e) any other family member to whom par. (a) to (c) do not apply and he/she is the member of his/her household;

f) any other family member to whom par. (a) to (c) do not apply and he/she depends on his/her care due to serious health reasons;

g)  his/her partner with whom the Union citizen is in a permanent, duly certified relationship;

h) a third country national with the right of residence in the same member state in which the Union citizen has the right of residence, and the Union citizen is a Slovak Republic national with whom the third country national returns or whom he/she joins to reside with back in the Slovak Republic territory and fulfils some of the conditions specified in (a) to (g) in connection with the Slovak Republic national;