Visit #UPJŠ in Košice
Slovakia and Košice offer many opportunities for international students and researchers to study and to work. As the second largest city of Slovakia Košice is the centre of education and research of the eastern part of the country.
The universities, science parks, innovation centres and IT firms make this city a vibrant and youthful place with many possibilities and beauties.
Enrich Your Career
Seize the opportunity to enrich your career in a wide range of research fields and a vibrant learning environment that nurtures personal and professional growth.
Q&A for Students
Entry and Stay
IOM Migration Information Centre
Do you have questions about your legal obligations related to your residence in Slovakia? IOM Imigration Information Centre offers several useful articles on various topics as well as free counselling service.
Take a look at a concise brochure Welcome to Slovakia which provides information on entry and stay, healthcare, social issues, employment, doing business, housing, childcare and other interesting topics.
Everyday Life
As of January 1, 2023, scholarship holders of eligible programmes (e.g. incoming Erasmus students) are entitled to full coverage within the public health insurance if staying in Slovakia for a period greater than one month. The insurance is for free (i.e. paid for by the government of the Slovak Republic).
To arrange the insurance and for more information, the prospective applicant has to directly contact one of the following health insurance companies below:
Dôvera
Application is possible only at an insurance office.
VšZP
Application is either possible by submitting a filled in form at an insurance office or online. Both online and .pdf form are available in Slovak only. The Slovak Academic Information Agency has prepared a Slovak application form with comments in English.
Union
Application is possible either online or at an insurance office.
Before departing from your home country, make sure that you are in possesion of the European Helath Insurance Card. The card is issued by your national health insurance provider. Most, but not all, basic medical treatments are covered by the European health insurance. The insurance is covering only treatments related to urgent medical problems. For this reason, we receommend all incoming students and staff members to secure a supplementary health insurance before arriving to Slovakia.
The European health insurance does not cover assisted transport to home country.
The European Health Insurance Card:
- is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property,
- does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment,
- does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country.
Health insurance secured before arriving to Slovakia, either in your home country or with an insurance agency in Slovakia. We recommend that you arrange it in advance as it is necessary for the visa application.
If necessary, medical treatment must be paid for immediately to the provider (i.e. the doctor). The cost of medical treatment will be refunded after you contact your insurance provider.
The insurance must cover the cost of repatriation to the home country due to health problems or death.
We divided hospitals into those with an emergency room, which is open around the clock, and those with an ambulatory emergency service for less serious problems (open from 17:00 to 22:00 on weekdays and from 7:00 to 22:00 on weekends).
With non-stop emergency
Stará nemocnica (Old Hospital)
Rastislavova 43
Nová nemocnica (New Hospital)
Trieda SNP 1 (Faculty of Medicine)
With ambulatory emergency service
Poliklinika Sever (North Hospital)
Komenského 37
Poliklinika Terasa (Terasa Hospital)
Toryská 1
Without emergency service
Nemocnica sv. Michala (St. Michael’s Hospital)
Murgašova 1
Železničná nemocnica (Railway Hospital)
Masarykova 9
Incoming students, staff, and guests are responsible for communication and arrangement of private accommodation. Below, you can find several tips on housing possibilities in Košice.
Facebook Groups
Hostels
- Hostel Barno
- Hostel Vodna
- Hostel Happy Bull
- White Coral Club
- Hostel Hlavná 100
- Hostel 26
- Hostel City (30-45 minutes of travel from the University)
Real Estate Agencies
Search Engines
Information about accommodation can be also found at the webpage of Erasmus Student Network in Košice. ESN also offers its service to incoming students in need of securing communication with the accommodation provider or landlord in case of language barrier.
The dormitory is located at Pražská street No. 2 in Košice approximately 20 minutes of walking from the Faculty of Medicine and 15 minutes from the town centre. This dormitory does not belong to our university – it is an external provider that offers accommodation to our students.
Reception is open during the following hours:
- 04:30 AM – 00:00 AM
- 01:00 AM – 01:15 AM
- 02:00 AM – 02:15 AM
- 03:00 AM – 03:15 AM
Contact Person
Ms. Ľubomíra Mníchová
The Dormitory Manager
00421 918 971 796
mnichova@zbereko.sk
Prices & Additional Fees
| Room Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Suite – Smaller room (2 beds) | €162.00 |
| Separate room (2 beds) | €177.00 |
| Suite – Bigger room (2 beds) | €202.00 |
| Suite – Smaller room (1 bed) | €252.00 |
| Separate room (1 bed) | €297.00 |
The rent for the first month is to be paid as soon as possible after signing the Accommodation Contract by bank transfer according to the payment instructions in the contract. The rent for subsequent months must be paid no later than the by the 5th day of each month by bank transfer. The student is obliged to provide all the necessary details for payment identification (correct account number, variable symbol, and, in the case of a monthly payment, a specific symbol). The accommodation fee is considered paid only after the financial funds are credited to the accommodation provider’s account. Late payments for accommodation rent will be one of the main reasons for terminating the accommodation agreement.
Payment instructions are an integral part of the Accommodation Contract (Attachment No. 1).
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Deposit1 | €100 |
| Local Accommodation Tax2 | €2.50 per night |
| Laundry Fee3 | €4 per one laundry cycle |
| Additional Personal Appliances4 | €14 per month and appliance |
- Apart from the accommodation fee which is paid for on a monthly basis, you have to pay a deposit of €100 in advance. If there were no damages caused in the rooms or in the common rooms, you will receive it back at the end of your mobility.
- For the first 60 nights, you are also obliged to pay the local accommodation tax of €2.50 per night if you are 26 of age or more, and/or you lack the student status (student status is proved by a student card, e.g. ISIC). The first 60 nights are paid for each calendar year individually (e.g. if your stay lasts from November 2024 until February 2025, you are obliged to pay for 120 nights altogether).
- Laundry room for students can be found on the ground floor. Laundry services operate using tokens with the cost of one laundry cycle being €4.
- Personal appliances (e.g. refrigerators) may only be used after reporting to it to the dormitory manager and paying a monthly fee of €14, which can only be paid in cash at the manager’s office.
Accommodation Contract
- The agreement is signed for 5 months (Sep – Jan) or 10 months (Sep – Jun). The student is obliged to pay the fee for each month started (i.e. even if you are accommodated for a single day in the month, you must pay for the whole month).
- In case of the 5-month contract period, extension beyond January (i.e. into February) is possible only after paying the fee for February regardless of the amount of days spent by the student at the dormitory. For this reason, it is recommended that students finish their mobilities by the end of January.
- Early termination of the agreement is possible only upon settling the fees for the remaining months (even in case of force majeure).
- Should the student amass unpaid debt, they will not receive final documentation (e.g. Transcript of Records, Attendance Certificate, Confirmation of Study etc.).
Rooms
The dormitory provides accommodation in suites (i.e. apartments, flats) and separate rooms. Suites consist of two bedrooms (one smaller, one bigger), common hallway, toilet and a small bathroom.
Separate rooms consist of a single or double bedroom, a hallway, a toilet and a small bathroom.
Beds, a table, chairs, closets, shelves and bedside tables are available in each bedroom. The equipment is very old and very modest. The bathroom is very small and there is a sink and a shower hose going from the sink.
Suites and separate rooms are single-gender only. Mixed-gender rooms are possible after discussion with the dormitory manager. There are no balconies.
Cleaning of common rooms and emptying of trashcans is carried out daily. Cleaning of the rooms is the responsibility of the occupants. Bedsheets are available and changed every month.
There is a common kitchen for all the rooms on the floor. The kitchen has electric double plates, a microwave, a fridge, a table, chairs and a sink with a cabinet under the sink. There is also a study room with a table and chairs.
There is a small grocery store located in the building which is open from 8 AM to 8 PM. Furthermore, approximately 5 minutes of walking, there is a shopping centre with several stores.
Internet
When you arrive, there is no Internet connection in your room because the interested students need to purchase the Internet connection to the rooms individually after arrival. Therefore, we recommend you to charge your phone or notebook with internet data/roaming data at least at the beginning of your stay.
There is a possibility for Internet connection offered by the SWAN company (www.swan.sk). In order to purchase this Internet connection, you will need to visit the SWAN office in OPTIMA shopping centre (https://ocoptima.sk/). You will sign the agreement with the company, they will give you a router and you will pay the amount for the whole period at once. The price is about €23 per month for a router connection + €5 for a one-time installation. One router can be shared by one room (and maybe also both rooms in the cell, but you need to verify this with SWAN as we do not know how strong the connection is).
There are also other Internet providers.
Rules
Visitors to the rooms are only allowed after signing in the visitor’s book at the reception, exclusively between 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM.
Students are required to observe silent hours from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
The following actions are strictly prohibited:
- Smoking in the premises of the entire accommodation facility, sticking posters on walls in rooms, common areas, floors, throwing waste out of windows, damaging fire hydrants and property.
- Disturbing the silent hours after 10:00 PM.
- Allowing the presence of outsiders – visitors in rooms before 3 PM or after 8:00 PM.
- Using stoves and heaters in rooms.
Violation of these general instructions will be grounds for immediate eviction of the student from the accommodation facility with notification to the relevant faculty.
Check-in
On the working day following your arrival, you will visit the dormitory manager to sign the accommodation contract.
When checking in, the student must present a valid ID card or a passport, 2 passport-sized photos (3×3.5 cm), and provide an email address and telephone number.
The student will receive two accommodation cards, one of which must be handed in at the reception, while the student should keep the other card with them and present it at the reception when collecting the room key and when entering the accommodation facility for inspection by the security staff.
When leaving the accommodation facility, the room key must be returned to the reception. Upon arrival at the accommodation facility, the key will be issued to the student only upon presentation of the accommodation card.
Check-out
Students are obliged to inform the dormitory of their departure in advance.
If you are interested in staying at the dormitory, please, contact your coordinator at UPJŠ.
Students coming for short-term stays or long-term stays with non-standard mobility duration (i.e. coming over the course of the academic year and not at the beginning of the semesters) and staff coming for both long-term and short-term stays are accommodated at the university Halls of Residence.
The dormitory is located on Medická st. 6 in Košice approximately 5 minutes of walking from the Faculty of Medicine and 15 minutes of walking from the town centre.
The reception is open 24/7. Entrance to the Halls of Residence is permitted between 5 AM and 10 PM. Entrance after 10 PM is possible only after the approval by the receptionist.
Prices & Additional Fees
Long-Term Accommodation
| Room Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Single Bedroom | €200 per bed and month |
| Double Bedroom (two separate beds) | €170 per bed and month |
| Double Bedroom (one person only) | €250 per bed and month |
| Barrier-Free Room1 | €350 per room and month OR €250 per bed and month |
- Barrier-Free Room consist of two separate single bedrooms – one for a person with special needs, and one for an accompanying person.
Short-Term Accommodation
| Room Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Single Bedroom | €20 per bed and night |
| Double Bedroom (two separate beds) | €18 per bed and night |
| Double Bedroom (one person only) | €25 per bed and night |
The choice of rooms is limited by current capacities. The rent is paid in cash at the reception.
If you do not stay for full month, the best price for the occupant is calculated.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Local Accommodation Tax1 | €2.50 |
- For the first 60 nights, you are also obliged to pay the local accommodation tax of €2.50 per night if you are 26 of age or more, and/or you lack the student status (student status is proved by a student card, e.g. ISIC). The first 60 nights are paid for each calendar year individually (e.g. if your stay lasts from November 2024 until February 2025, you are obliged to pay for 120 nights altogether).
Rooms
The dormitory provides accommodation in suites (i.e. apartments, flats), which consist of a single bedroom and a double bedroom, a common hallway, a toilet, and a bathroom.
Each bedroom is equipped with bed/s, a couch, a table, chairs, a TV, a fridge, an electric kettle, a closet, and wall shelves. Cleaning of the common rooms is carried out daily. Cleaning of bedrooms is the responsibility of the occupants. Bedsheets are available and changed every two weeks.
The suites are single-gender only. Mixed-gender rooms are available only to couples.
The dormitory also provides accommodation in rooms for people with special needs. The rooms consist of a bathroom and two single bedrooms, thus allowing the student or staff with special needs to bring accompanying person. The rooms and promises of the dormitory are adapted for people with mobility issues.
Each floor provides residents with a common kitchen and a common study room. The keys to the study room are available at the reception. Kitchens consist of a table, chairs/benches, stove, microwave oven, sink, and a washing machine. The Halls of Residence also house a canteen for students.
Approximately 3 minutes of walking is a grocery store and 10 minutes of walking a shopping centre with a variety of stores.
Rules
Residents must:
- Maintain cleanliness in their bedrooms and common rooms.
- Save electricity, water, etc.
- Observe safety and fire safety measures.
- Lock their bedroom and suite whenever leaving for any period of time.
- Observe the ethics of mutual respect and tolerance towards roommates and dormitory staff.
- Compensate for any damage caused to dormitory property within 15 days of receiving notification.
- Comply with hygiene regulations.
- Follow the instructions of the dormitory director in emergency situations.
Residents are forbidden from:
- Accommodating persons who are not registered at the dormitory.
- Moving to another room without the consent of the dormitory director.
- Damaging the property and equipment of the dormitory.
- Receiving visitors outside of visiting hours.
- Consuming alcoholic beverages and intoxicants.
- Keeping and/or manufacturing narcotic or psychotropic substances or poisons.
- Smoking on the premises of the dormitory.
- Carrying weapons and ammunition.
- Disturbing other residents during silent hours after 10:00 PM, throwing bottles and other objects or rubbish out of the windows and balconies.
- Interfering with installations of any kind.
- Using prohibited electrical appliances with an input of more than 200 W (e.g., cookers, fryers, heaters, etc.)
- Keeping and breeding animals, except for aquarium fish.
- Taking plates, salt shakers, and cutlery from the dining hall to the student rooms.
The silent hours are observed from 10:00 PM until 6:00 AM.
Visitors are allowed:
- From 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM in the dormitory lobby.
- From 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM in rooms after the visitor is registered in the Book of Visitors (residents must pick up their visitors at the dormitory lobby).
- In exceptional cases, close relatives can visit the residents outside of visiting hours.
If residents wish to accommodate short-term visitors, the visitors must pay for each night spent at the dormitory (only if accommodation capacities allow it). For more information, please ask at the dormitory office.
Internet
The Halls of Residence are covered by the Eduroam WiFi network. Each room is equipped with a router.
Check In
Upon your arrival to the Halls of Residence, please, check in at the reception. You will receive all instructions there.
Check Out
Please, return the room keys, pay all potential debts and check out at the reception.
Without settling potential debts, the students will not be provided with final documentation (e.g. Transcript of Records, Certificate of Attendance etc.).
If you are interested in staying at the dormitory, please, contact your coordinator at UPJŠ.
Banks in Slovakia are usually members of international corporations. The list of all banks is available at the website of the Slovak Banking Association.
When opening a bank account as a foreign national, the conditions vary across different banks. You should have several documents prepared:
- Identification document with a photo – Third country nationals may be asked to provide two documents. (e.g. passport + ID card, health insurance card, driver’s licence etc.).
- Permanent residence document – This is required only in case your permanent residence address is not included in your identification document/s. This document can be anything from the identification document to utility invoice. If the document is not in Slovak (or English), an official translation is required.
- Document stating the purpose of your stay – In case you are a student, a confirmation of your studies issued by the Study Department(in case of full-time students), or the Letter of Acceptance by the IRO (in case of exchange students) should suffice. If you are a staff member, you should submit your employment contract.
- Temporary residence document – You can also be asked to provide the address and the proof of your temporary residence in Slovakia (i.e. accommodation or rental contract).
Opening of a bank account is for free, and, in most banks, so is the closing of the account (under regular conditions and if you have no debts with the bank). Student accounts are free of charge. Some banks may require the deposit of a minimum balance.
In most banks, the issuance of debit or credit card can take a few days. Tatra Banka issues a debit card immediately. In the banking app of the SLSP, you can create a virtual card.
For more information, see researchinslovakia.saia.sk.
Transport
Survival Guide
Find out more about what Košice and #UPJŠ can offer. Our Survival Guide for Mobility Participants will provide you with all you need to know.
