If you are registered as a job seeker, the government may reimburse you for the full cost of a retraining course. This is part of the national project Skills for the Labor Market, which is administered by the Offices of Labor, Social Affairs, and Family and is co-financed by EU funds. This article will guide you through the entire process—from choosing a course to receiving your reimbursement.
Quick overview: Course fees are covered at 100%, the average indicative course price is €1,250 (up to €2,500 for advanced IT courses for young job seekers). The application must be submitted no later than 30 calendar days before the start of the course.
What Is the Retraining Allowance and Who Provides It
This is an active labor market measure pursuant to Section 54(1)(d) of Act No. 5/2004 Coll. on Employment Services. The allowance is provided by the locally competent Office of Labor, Social Affairs, and Family based on an application submitted by the job seeker themselves.
It is important to note that there is no legal entitlement to the allowance. The office reviews each application individually, and the office director decides on its approval.
Activity No. 1 vs. Activity No. 2
The project distinguishes between two groups of applicants:
| Activity No. 1 | Activity No. 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Target Group | Job Seekers and Disadvantaged Job Seekers | Young Job Seekers in the NEET Situation (up to 30 years old) |
| Allocation | €14,079,226 | €12,045,126.28 |
| Number of people supported | 14,000 | 10,000 |
NEET means that the person is not employed, nor is he or she continuing education or vocational training. Age up to 30 years (30 years minus 1 day) and NEET status are assessed as of the date of the actual start retraining.
Who Can Apply for the Grant
Basic Requirement
As of the date your application is received, you must be registered as a job seeker. According to Section 6(1) of the Employment Services Act, this means that you are able to work, want to work, are looking for a job, and at the same time:
- you are not an employee,
- you are not in an employment relationship under a contract (with exceptions under Section 6(2)),
- you are not self-employed,
- you do not engage in gainful employment in another EU country or abroad.
You must also be at least 16 years old (Section 9(2) of the Adult Education Act).
Disadvantaged Job Seekers — Additional Entitlement
If you fall into one of the categories listed in § 8(1), you are eligible for a lump-sum allowance in addition to the course fee. Disadvantaged job seekers include, in particular:
- school graduates under 26 years of age (who completed their studies less than 2 years ago and do not have regular paid employment),
- citizens over 50 years of age,
- long-term unemployed—registered for at least 12 consecutive months,
- a person with an educational level below secondary vocational,
- a person who did not have regular paid employment for 12 months prior to being registered,
- a third-country national granted asylum or subsidiary protection,
- a single parent or a person caring for a dependent family member,
- a person with a disability,
- a person who stopped receiving maternity/parental benefits less than 2 years before being registered.
Important: Disadvantaged status is assessed as of the date the application is received by the office—no later.
If you were self-employed
Former self-employed individuals must, pursuant to Section 70(7), meet the following additional conditions: fulfilled tax obligations and social security contributions, no fines for illegal employment in the last 2 years, no outstanding obligations to the tax office, no bankruptcy or liquidation, and no unsatisfied employee claims. The tax office will the office verifies these itself; you are responsible for proving the last condition.
Where the Grant Is Not Available
This announcement does not apply to applicants with permanent or habitual residence and registration with the authorities in the following districts:
Partizánske, Prievidza, Banská Štiavnica, Brezno, Revúca, Rimavská Sobota, Zvolen, Košice, Michalovce.
A separate project is underway there: Labor Market Skills in Transforming Regions. In other districts of Slovakia, these guidelines apply without restriction.
Which course can I choose?
Requirement No. 1: Certified Educational Institution
The provider must be certified under Section 10 of the Adult Education Act and registered in the Register of Certified Educational Institutions in the ISVD system. The Office will verify this. The course must be conducted within the territory of the Slovak Republic.
Condition No. 2: Eligible Type of Educational Program
Three types are recognized:
Accredited Educational Program (AVP)
It leads to a new professional qualification published in the National Qualifications Framework (kariernabrana.sk) and is listed in the Register of Accredited Educational Programs. Each class period lasts 45 minutes, with a maximum of 10 hours per day.
Non-Accredited Educational Program (NVP)
It must be listed in the Register of Non-Accredited Educational Programs — all programs funded by public sources must be entered there. This does not include internal company training, occupational safety and health (OSH) training, conferences, seminars, or workshops without verification of results and certification.
Program Leading to a Micro-Certificate
Scope at least 25 instructional hours; the institution must be listed in the relevant ISVD registry, including the specific name of the program.
Each course must meet four criteria
- is organized and planned,
- has defined objectives, methods, and formats,
- concludes with an assessment (exam, test, practical demonstration, interview),
- concludes with the issuance of a certificate of completion of the educational program.
Forms of Education
- In-person — face-to-face in a classroom, online at the same time, or hybrid
- Distance learning — e-learning without a schedule set by the institution
- Blended — a mix of both
⚠️ If the program is not subject to accreditation or authorization (typically language or communication courses), only in-person instruction is eligible. This does not apply to digital and green skills.
What the Office Will Not Support
- retraining for a Class B driver’s license,
- a course for which you have already received a grant in the previous 5 years for the same or similar training under § 46, § 46a, or § 54,
- concurrent receipt of another educational grant for the same period,
- a modular program where you receive a separate certificate for each module without a summary document.
How much money can I receive
Course fees
100% of the costs for retraining. The average indicative price is €1,250 — this is not a cap, but a guideline for the office when managing the budget. If the office approves more inexpensive courses, it may also approve more expensive ones.
For advanced IT courses for young job seekers and disadvantaged young job seekers (Activity No. 2), the indicative price is €2,500.
Course fees are not exempt from VAT under Section 31(1)(c) of the VAT Act.
Lump-Sum Allowance for Disadvantaged Individuals
€0.95 per instructional hour, up to a maximum of €190. Only disadvantaged job seekers and disadvantaged young job seekers who complete the course exclusively in person in a single room with an instructor (Section 3(3)(a) of the decree). There is no entitlement for blended or online formats.
If you interrupt the course
The subsidy will be provided in proportional amounts for the completed portion, provided the reason for the interruption falls under Section 36(4) (serious reasons for which you provide justification) or Section 36(1)(a), (b), (l), (p) of the Employment Services Act.
Step-by-Step Guide to Submitting an Application
Step 1: Find a course and a provider
The office will not search for or select a course for you — nor is it allowed to communicate with the provider during the selection phase, to avoid any preferential treatment. Recommended resources:
- ISVD registers (educational institutions and programs),
- list of the Alliance of Sector Councils — Digital and Green Skills.
However, through its professional advisory services, the office can help you identify your training needs and the appropriate field.
Step 2: Obtain the Forms
- Application for a Grant to Support the Retraining of Job Seekers (Appendix No. 1) — available at the office, at www.upsvr.gov.sk or electronically at www.slovensko.sk
- Confirmation from the retraining provider regarding the provision of retraining (Appendix No. 2) — to be completed and confirmed by your selected provider
Step 3: Conduct a price survey
This is the most commonly overlooked part. The provider must demonstrate that the price is competitive in the market. The survey must not be older than 3 months and is conducted in one of two ways:
- by contacting 2 other providers of the same or similar courses—attach your correspondence with them, or
- by providing information from the websites of 2 other providers — screenshots clearly showing the price, or downloaded documents, if applicable.
If the survey could not be conducted for objective reasons, you must clearly and explicitly explain why.
Step 4: Submit your application on time
No later than 30 calendar days before the expected start of the course. The date of receipt by the office is decisive, not the date of mailing.
The deadline is calculated retroactively: the first day of the deadline is the day preceding the expected start of the course, and the last day is the 30th day of this period.
If the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday:
- for electronic submissions, this date applies regardless,
- for in-person submission and mail, it is the nearest previous business day.
Submission methods: in person at the reception desk, by mail to the mailing address, or electronically via slovensko.sk — exclusively with a qualified electronic signature.
Step 5: Wait for the review
The office evaluates the following in particular:
- your individual employability in the labor market after completing the course—based on market demand, the ASR Labor Market Barometer, the sluzbyzamestnanosti.gov.sk portal, and job portals such as profesia.sk,
- effectiveness and cost-efficiency based on a price survey.
The Office verifies 18 eligibility criteria—in addition to those already mentioned, for example, whether whether the job position is related to education, whether it is in demand on the market, whether you have provided a relevant justification for the need for the course, and whether the expected completion date is no later than October 31, 2027.
If any correctable deficiencies are found, the office will ask you to provide additional information. If you do not correct them, the grant may not be approved.
Step 6: Sign the agreement
Without an agreement concluded before the start of the course, the grant cannot be provided. It is signed electronically via slovensko.sk, in person, or, in exceptional cases, by mail with an officially certified signature.
Attachments to the agreement: Education Voucher, Application for Grant Payment, Specification of Completed Retraining, Power of Attorney for Payment of Course Fees.
Step 7: Start the course and submit the forms
No later than the course start date, submit the Education Voucher and Specification of Completed Retraining (which they will fill out after the course ends).
You must notify the office of your enrollment in the course within 8 calendar days of the start date. The same deadline applies if the location of the in-person course changes.
How the subsidy is paid out
Request for payment — within 30 days after completion
The application must be submitted no later than 30 calendar days after the expected end date of the course specified in the agreement.
Required attachments:
- Invoice for course fees (original) — the provider will issue it to you, not to the authorities, no later than 10 calendar days after the course ends. It must include the program name, number of hours, actual start and end dates, the Education Voucher number, a description of the service, and the IBAN.
- Specification of the Completed Retraining (original)
- Certificate of Completion (copy) — not required in case of early termination
- Documents regarding any absences (copies)
- Authorization for Tuition Payment (original)
Please note: the certificate must not be issued earlier than the last day of the course.
When Will the Funds Be Disbursed
Within 30 calendar days of submitting the payment request and fulfilling all conditions, the office will pay:
- the course fee directly to the provider based on a power of attorney,
- a lump-sum payment to you via bank transfer or postal money order.
Verification of Course Attendance
The Office has the right to verify your attendance in in-person courses, generally on business days during regular business hours (and in the evenings for evening courses).
Consequences:
- if the provider prevents the inspection and fails to cooperate → the course fee will not be reimbursed,
- if you are not present, the office will contact you, verify your schedule, and conduct a new inspection; if your attendance does not match the findings → the course fee will not be reimbursed.
The Most Common Mistakes That Will Cost You Your Benefit
- Late filing. The 30-day deadline is strict and is calculated from the date of delivery.
- Starting the course before the agreement takes effect. Automatic grounds for non-payment.
- Missing or outdated price survey. Maximum of 3 months; at least 2 comparative sources.
- Incorrect invoice recipient. The invoice is sent to the graduate, not to the employment office.
- Removal from the registry during the course. You must remain on the registry until the end of the course.
- Incorrect format for claiming the lump-sum payment. A disadvantaged job seeker must complete the course exclusively in person in a classroom with an instructor.
- Course not listed in the ISVD registry. Verify both the provider and the specific program before signing anything.
- Participation in a course while on sick leave (PN) or temporary disability leave (OČR). Not permitted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I receive the contribution more than once?
Yes, you can be enrolled in activities #1 and #2 up to two times. Follow-up courses are primarily supported, and the second grant can be awarded only after fulfilling the obligations from the first agreement. For unrelated courses, the
Can I submit multiple applications at the same time?
No, not at the same time. If your application is denied, you can submit a new one—but the circumstances should have changed or the application should include new facts relevant to approval.
Will the agency reimburse me for my driver’s license?
Not for Group B. The notice does not rule out other driver’s license categories, but they must meet all other conditions.
Can the course be reimbursed even if I take it abroad?
No. Retraining must take place within the territory of the Slovak Republic.
How long will the project run?
Applications are accepted until August 2027, courses are held until October 2027, and grants are paid out until December 2027. The expected end date of your course must be no later than October 31, 2027.
Do I have to start working after the course?
The announcement does not impose such an obligation. The goal is to increase your employability; however, when evaluating your application, we place great emphasis on whether the course leads to a position that is actually in demand.
Summary: Checklist Before Submitting Your Application
- I am registered as a job seeker and am not located in any of the 9 excluded districts
- I have selected a course offered by a certified institution registered in the ISVD
- The program is listed in the relevant registry (AVP / NVP / micro-certificate)
- The course concludes with an exam and a certificate
- The course takes place in Slovakia and will end by October 31, 2027
- This is not a Class B driver’s license
- I have not received a grant for the same training in the last 5 years
- I have completed the Provider Confirmation
- I have a price survey no older than 3 months (2 sources)
- In the form, I explained how the course will help me succeed in the workforce
- I will submit my application at least 30 calendar days before the course begins
This article is based on the Notice on the Possibility of Submitting Applications for a Grant to Support the Retraining of Job Seekers No. 9/NP ZpTP/RK-UoZ, Update No. 8, effective as of July 1, 2026, as part of the national project “Skills for the Labor Market” (code 401400FGL4). Conditions are subject to change—before submitting your application, please check the current version at www.upsvr.gov.sk or at your local employment office.
