Slovakia is a realistic move from Kazakhstan if you match a residence route to your situation early. The short version: a one-bedroom rents for about €600 a month in the bigger cities, typical net salaries run around €1,200, personal taxes sit at 19/25%, and permanent residence usually takes about 5 years of legal stay. Here is how the move actually works for Kazakhstani citizens.
Getting in: your route options
As Kazakhstani citizens you need a visa even for short visits, so plan the paperwork early. For an actual move you need a residence permit tied to a reason; the visit visa and the residence process are separate tracks.
- Remote work: Slovakia has no dedicated digital nomad visa. No nomad visa; trade-licence (zivnost) residence is the closest route.
- Work: a job offer plus a work permit; for higher-paid qualified roles ask employers about the EU Blue Card, which speeds up residence across most of the bloc.
- Study: university admission converts into a student permit, usually with part-time work rights and a post-graduation job-seeker option.
- Family and ancestry: joining an EU spouse or partner, or claiming citizenship by descent if you have an EU-citizen parent or grandparent.
What life in Slovakia costs
Budget roughly €600 for a one-bed plus about €780 for essentials and transport, per person. English friendliness scores 58/100 here.
Healthcare here rates 64/100 in this model and everyday safety 80/100, while public transport comes in at 62/100.
Administration is middling by EU standards at 62/100, which usually means a few slow appointments rather than a saga.
The rental market has real competition (52/100) but is manageable with planning.
The local language (SK) is one of the harder ones to pick up, rated 35/100, which is worth knowing if residence later requires a language test.
Coming from Kazakhstan, one thing worth knowing early: Slovakia has a large, long-established Russian and Ukrainian speaking community, so shops, schooling advice and paperwork help are easy to find in your own language.
What you would pay in tax
If you keep earning from abroad and register as self-employed, Slovakia charges 15% on business income up to ~€100k turnover, with generous 60% lump-sum expenses, plus ~47% combined on the assessment base (monthly minimum ~€250).
The lump-sum expense deduction plus 15% band keeps small trades attractive.
Slovakia is workable but not built around remote earners, rated 68/100. The full picture, including the company route and the special regimes, is on the taxes in Slovakia page, and the take-home index ranks all 27 countries on what actually reaches your account.
The long game
Permanent residence in Slovakia takes about 5 years of legal residence, and citizenship about 8 years from arrival, subject to language and integration requirements. If an EU passport is part of your plan, weigh this timeline against neighbouring countries before you commit.