Slovakia Visa from Dubai: VFS, BLS, AED 390 Fee and Documents

The short answer: Emiratis don't need a visa for Slovakia: they can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need a Schengen visa. You apply through VFS Global or BLS International in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Abu Dhabi decides. The visa fee is AED 390 for adults, plus VFS's service charge of AED 172.40. Processing usually takes 15 calendar days, and the checklist asks for three months of bank statements.

Bratislava's compact old town and the castle above the Danube, the High Tatras for hiking and skiing, and the UNESCO-listed Spiš Castle are why most UAE residents go. Slovakia issues Schengen visas, so a Slovak visa also covers the other Schengen countries, as long as Slovakia is your main destination.

Slovakia visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati passport	No visa, up to 90 days in any 180
India, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka	Schengen visa before travel
Who decides	The Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Abu Dhabi
Where to apply	VFS Global or BLS International, in Dubai or Abu Dhabi
Visa fee	AED 390 adults, AED 200 children aged 6 to 11, free under 6
VFS service charge	AED 172.40 (BLS charges separately)
Processing	Usually 15 calendar days; the embassy says up to 45 in individual cases, VFS's own page says up to 30
Bank statements	Last 3 months, original, stamped by the bank

Who needs a visa for Slovakia

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport. UAE citizens have been able to visit Slovakia and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa since May 2015. They will need the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation once it starts; it hasn't yet, and the EU says it will announce the date several months ahead.

Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals need a Schengen visa, and so do most other nationalities living in the UAE. EU rules say you apply in the country where you legally live, so UAE residents apply in the UAE, not at home.

Apply to Slovakia if it is your main destination, where you spend the most nights. Five nights in Bratislava and the High Tatras and two in Vienna is a Slovak application; the reverse is an Austrian one. See our Schengen visa guide for how the rule works.

Slovakia's own checklist adds a rule most other Schengen states in this series don't have. Applicants of Iranian, Moroccan, Vietnamese, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Belarusian nationality must submit an invitation that the Slovak Foreign Police Department has verified, whatever the purpose of the visit; without it, the checklist says the application cannot be accepted. The rule doesn't apply to family members of EU citizens. If you hold one of these passports, check with the embassy or your visa centre before you book an appointment.

How to apply from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

1. Fill in the Schengen application form, then print it and sign it. For a child under 18, a separate parental authorisation needs signing too.
2. Choose a visa application centre. The embassy currently authorises two in the UAE: VFS Global and BLS International, each with a centre in Dubai and in Abu Dhabi. You can book with either.
3. Attend your appointment at VFS's centre in Wafi Mall, Dubai, or the World Trade Centre mall, Abu Dhabi, or at BLS's Dubai or Abu Dhabi centre. You hand in your documents, give fingerprints unless exempt, and pay the fees.
4. Allow at least 15 calendar days. Your visa centre forwards the application to the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Abu Dhabi, which decides.

The embassy itself, at Capital Plaza, Office Tower, Khalifa Bin Zayed Street, Office 14-01, Abu Dhabi, takes applications directly only in "justified cases," and it warns that the wait for an appointment there can run to several weeks; most applicants use VFS or BLS instead.

Documents

The Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Abu Dhabi's checklist for a short-stay Schengen visa, updated in September 2026, asks for:

• The signed application form, free of charge
• Passport and a copy, with at least two blank pages, issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after your visa expires
• UAE residence visa or Emirates ID valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area, plus copies of any earlier Schengen visas
• One recent colour photo, not retouched, no older than six months, on a white background
• Travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover for the whole Schengen area, including Covid-19 treatment, signed and stamped by the insurer
• Return flight reservation. First-time Schengen travellers, and anyone refused a Schengen visa in the last two years or whose last Schengen visa expired more than two years ago, must show a fully paid ticket instead of a reservation.
• Hotel booking covering your whole stay in Slovakia, confirmed with proof of payment, or proof that you own or rent property there. The same fully-paid rule above applies to first-time travellers and recently refused applicants.
• A letter from your employer, original, signed and stamped, stating your job title, start date, contract length, salary and approved leave dates, or your trade licence, translated into English if it names you in Arabic, if you're self-employed
• Bank statements for the last three months, original and stamped by the bank, covering your whole trip. A company account doesn't count as a personal statement. First-time travellers and recently refused applicants need six months of salary statements instead.

Visiting family or friends

Your host writes a signed invitation letter, sent to you directly, giving their contact details, how you're related, and the purpose and length of your stay. Attach a copy of their passport or Slovak ID card, and a copy of their rental contract or property title. If the invitation says your host is covering your costs, they also submit three months of their own bank statements, but the checklist doesn't exempt you from submitting yours too. Signatures on the invitation need certifying by a Slovak public notary, the Slovak Foreign Police Department, or the embassy itself.

Children

A child needs a parental authorisation signed by both parents or the legal guardian, either in front of a visa officer or otherwise legalised, with copies of the parents' or guardian's passports. If a child travels with only one parent, the other parent signs the authorisation, or a legal guardian brings court or foreign ministry proof of custody. The checklist is strict on this point: if one parent is outside the UAE, it says the application cannot be accepted at all, because both parents need to be at the counter when a minor applies. Children under 12 are exempt from giving fingerprints.

How much money you need to show

Slovakia doesn't publish a daily amount for UAE applicants. What the checklist asks for is three months of bank statements covering your whole trip, so a steady income matters more than one month's balance. If you rely on a spouse's, parent's or grandparent's statement instead of your own, they need to sign a notarised letter agreeing to support you, with a copy of their passport or ID and their phone number.

Fees and processing time

Fee	Amount
Visa fee, adults	AED 390
Visa fee, children aged 6 to 11	AED 200
Visa fee, children under 6	Free
VFS service charge, every applicant	AED 172.40
Total for one adult, through VFS	AED 562.40

These are VFS's published figures. BLS International, the other authorised centre, sets its own service charge; we couldn't confirm its current amount, so check BLS's own site before you book there. VFS says dirham amounts follow the exchange rate and can change without notice, and that no fee is refunded. The embassy's own pages say a decision takes 15 calendar days from a complete application, extendable to 45 calendar days in individual cases; VFS's processing-time page instead gives a cap of 30 days. Both agree on 15 days as the norm, so the gap only matters if your case needs more checks: apply early regardless. You can apply up to six months before you travel and no later than 15 days before.

If you're refused, Slovak law gives you 15 days to appeal in writing to the office that decided, addressed to the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Abu Dhabi. The embassy can grant the appeal itself; otherwise the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Bratislava decides. Your refusal letter explains how to appeal; ask the embassy about any fee before you file.

At the border

Since April 2026, Slovakia and every other Schengen country register non-EU visitors in the EU's Entry/Exit System. On your first trip since it started, you give fingerprints and a photo at passport control instead of getting a stamp.

Flights from the UAE

• There's no nonstop flight between the UAE and Bratislava; its airport mostly serves short European routes.
• Emirates flies non-stop from Dubai to Vienna every day, in about six hours, and Etihad flies non-stop from Abu Dhabi to Vienna. Vienna is under an hour from Bratislava by bus or train, so many UAE residents fly into Vienna and cross the border by land.
• Wizz Air, which flies widely out of Bratislava across Europe, suspended its UAE flights in 2026; part of its Abu Dhabi restart has been pushed back to January 2027. Check directly with the airline before counting on it.

From Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, you connect through Dubai or a European hub. Flights between the UAE and Europe were disrupted for much of 2026, so check your flight with the airline before you book, and make sure the reservation you submit matches your application dates.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for a Slovakia visa in Dubai?

At VFS Global's or BLS International's visa centre in Dubai, or at either centre in Abu Dhabi. The Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Abu Dhabi decides.

How much is the Slovakia visa fee in Dubai?

AED 390 for adults and AED 200 for children aged 6 to 11 through VFS, plus VFS's service charge of AED 172.40: AED 562.40 for one adult. Children under 6 pay no visa fee. BLS sets its own service charge separately.

How long does a Slovakia visa take from Dubai?

Usually 15 calendar days. The embassy's own pages allow up to 45 days in individual cases; VFS's processing page says up to 30. Apply as early as you can, and no later than 15 days before you travel.

Can I apply for a Slovakia visa through BLS instead of VFS?

Yes. The Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Abu Dhabi currently authorises both BLS International and VFS Global to take applications in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Check each provider's own site for appointments and fees before you choose.

Do Pakistani or Bangladeshi nationals need extra documents for a Slovakia visa?

Yes. The embassy's checklist says applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Morocco, Vietnam and Belarus must submit an invitation verified by the Slovak Foreign Police Department, whatever the purpose of the visit, or the application cannot be accepted. This doesn't apply to family members of EU citizens.

Do Emiratis need a visa for Slovakia?

No. UAE citizens can visit Slovakia without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. They will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once the EU starts it.

Planning a trip to Slovakia

Two days covers Bratislava's old town, the castle and a walk along the Danube; a week adds the High Tatras for hiking or skiing, and a day trip to Spiš Castle or the Dobšiná Ice Cave. Vienna is under an hour away by bus or train and in Schengen too, so one visa covers both. See our Schengen visa services for help preparing your Slovakia application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• Schengen visa for UAE residents
• Austria visa from Dubai
• Hungary visa from Dubai
• Czech Republic visa from Dubai

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Abu Dhabi's website and its September 2026 Schengen visa checklist, VFS Global's Slovakia pages and visa application centre pages for the UAE, BLS International's press announcements on its Slovakia visa contract, the EU Visa Code and fee regulation, the European Commission's ETIAS page, eu-LISA on the Entry/Exit System, and airline schedules and reports. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with VFS Global, BLS International or the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Abu Dhabi before you apply.