In 2024, 2 200 citizens from selected third countries will be able to take up positions in 'shortage occupations' in Slovakia, such as bus or truck drivers.

According to data from labour authorities, at the beginning of this year Slovakia had a shortage of 12 000 drivers, a profession that has been consistently categorised as a shortage occupation. Citizens of Belarus, Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Georgia, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, or Uzbekistan will now be eligible for visas to fill such occupations. 

The need for a greater labour force is a persistent challenge in public discussion in Slovakia, in particular in relation to issues of migration. Employers and professional associations consistently highlight substantial labour shortages across various industry sectors, worsened by the sporadic departure of workers into early retirement. In addition, the procedure for the acceptance of migrant workers from third countries in Slovakia currently takes 12 to 18 months. The Slovak government is aiming to shorten this duration in 2024, in so doing streamlining access for third-country nationals (TCNs) to the Slovak labour market.