The adaptation of refugees in the country of protection, first of all, begins with the search for work. The European Commission has adopted a general directive on Ukrainian refugees, which greatly simplifies this process. Slovakia, as a member of the EU, has, of course, joined these rules.

Read further about which documents will be useful to you, how to prepare for employment and what will help in it. Let us warn you at once, the right to work applies only to those who apply for a residence permit, ie, temporary asylum. If you just have a legal 90-day visa-free stay in the country, you can't look for a job.

Language learning

Without knowing at least at the level of B1 Slovak, it will be, of course, very difficult for you not just to get a good job - but to take this step at all. Now you can sometimes find the label "for Ukrainians" on vacancy sites, sometimes even in the requirements they say that it is possible to get employed without knowledge of the language. However, this is more a matter of luck and isolated cases than a trend. Therefore, you will have to learn Slovak.

You can start with a free 10-hour course of much-needed conversational practice from the Leitus language school. It is led by a Ukrainian woman, so it will be easier for you to understand each other. The current course has already been completed, but you can fill out a questionnaire and you will be contacted on how to join the next group.

You can also register online for beginner courses at IOM. Or get one online / offline from Junior Achievement Slovakia by filling out the form. There are currently no vacancies, but you will be invited when they appear.

This is in Bratislava. In other cities the situation is as follows:

Kosice, a significant discount for Ukrainians (3 months, 12 classes);

Pryashev - fill out the application, in person.

There are also other free courses from IOM, and in these - for the current training enrollment is already completed, but you can contact them and stand in line for the next.

There are also teachers on Telegram who are recruiting refugee students. For example, https://mssg.me/dana_slovak.

Documents

You can find a job in Slovakia without even applying for temporary protection, but only if you have the appropriate permit or a certificate that you are a highly qualified employee. In this case, the procedure will be as follows. First, to obtain a temporary residence permit for employment, you must apply at the Migration Police Office at the place of residence: https://www.minv.sk/?ocp.

Approach with notarized copies of documents (Originals are not returned! Caution!):

• foreign passport,

• two photos (passport ones),

• employment contract or prior consent of the employer to hire you, invitation, etc.,

• data on official registration in the country (lease agreement, certificate from the refugee reception center, etc.).

The procedure also refers to the presence of a certificate of no criminal record and proof of financial security - this is a general procedure, as it was before the influx of our refugees.

However, unfortunately, it is not known now whether these two points are relevant, because given the way the Ukrainian document issuing agencies work, this is not feasible for many people. Therefore, check on the spot with the migration police (contacts - above). There is also information that you have to pay an administrative fee of 165.50 euros and 4.50 euros - similarly, it is unknown whether it is currently relevant.

When you receive a residence permit, go to the Employment Center (send by mail or write a power of attorney to your employer and he will do it himself) to obtain a work permit (application form). The following is attached to the application:

• a copy of the residence permit,

• employment contract or written assurance from the employer that you have a job,

• educational documents (for skilled workers).

All documents must be translated into Slovak and notarized. It is recommended to apply to institutions accredited by the Government of Slovakia for the legalization of any papers.

BUT, if you are granted temporary protection / asylum / additional protection, you do not need a work permit - you just have an identity card and a certificate of such protection and you can already apply to the Labor Center (see below) or look for a job .

Of course, if you managed to get at least some documents about education, acquisition of a profession, certificates, recommendations from previous employers - it will be of huge help in employment. If you need a translation of such papers - contact the notarized translation centers (see above).

Also, of course, there should be a resume. Fill in and save or print out a resume template: https://www.profesia.sk/en/create-CV/1. Tips for writing in Slovak: https://www.profesia.sk/kariera-v-kocke/. There are a lot of useful documents there (templates, writing tips, interview preparation, etc.).

Slovak labor market

The only exception to the employment of Ukrainian citizens here is the holding of civil servants` positions.

In general, even without knowledge of the language you can get a job of maid, dishwasher, cleaner, caretaker, as well as some work in the fields of pharmaceuticals, construction and agriculture. Demand for nurses, engineers, programmers, financiers, marketers, bakers, and drivers is continuing. There is work in factories in various industries (for example, for dairy operators, packaging equipment), and agro-complexes sometimes invite whole families to work, providing them with housing and food.

Here is a current table with the level of average salaries in Slovakia for specific professions. Note that the minimum wage in this country is set for 2022 by the government at 623 euros. On average, they earn about 1,177 euros here, and they say that two people, feeling quite comfortable, can live here for 758 euros, and a one-room apartment in the city center will cost 466 euros.

Job search

It is very convenient to register immediately at the Center for Labor, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia: there you will be consulted on all related issues, if necessary, get tested to determine your profession and qualifications, referred to improve them or retrain, and, finally, start receiving matching vacancies. To do this, you must submit an application form, at the place of residence. Here you can send a request with your question. Hotline: 0800 191 222.

After you register and have a login / password to log in, on this page you will set up your profile so that your data is visible to employers, and you will be able to view available vacancies, contact them, etc.

You can also get a free job search consultation at the IOM Migration Information Center (https://www.mic.iom.sk/ru/kontakt.html). They will help you write a resume in Slovak, tell you about the recognition of education and work experience, your rights and responsibilities, give explanations about employment contracts. They can also assist in professional retraining and training.

To search for a job yourself, you can use:

International platforms for Ukrainians:

https://helpukrainians.jooble.org/slovakia

https://www.uatalents.com

https://www.jobaidukraine.com/jobs

https://layboard.com/ua/vakansii/slovakiya

Online job: https://app.remoteukraine.org/register

Slovak platforms:

https://cutt.ly/UF9VIoK – fill out the form and review the offers

https://cutt.ly/LF9VHi0 

https://cutt.ly/DF9VMdA 

https://cutt.ly/KF9BqhF 

https://praca.sme.sk

Personal offers:

SAP, IT - software developers and designers, pre-sales / sales, support, consulting, personnel policy, finance.

What to do after employment?

Personally, you have nothing to do. But the employer will have to inform about you according to the law on the employment service of the country with a special information card within seven days with a copy of the employment contract and your refugee certificate. By the way, he/she is no longer forced to ask about the absence of applicants from among the residents before hiring you.