When reporting a foreign guest’s stay through the Ministry of Interior SR’s “Zápis do knihy ubytovaných” e-service, you give a purpose of stay for every guest you enter. It is picked from a code list that the Ministry publishes in the e-service’s user manual as Table No. 1 — codes 84 to 97. You can only use the e-service itself after accommodation provider registration, but you can look at the code list beforehand. Below is the complete list exactly as the manual gives it, the difference between what the law requires and what the e-service asks for, and help with picking a code.
What the Law Requires and What the E-Service Asks For
The law. The host must make sure the official form reporting a foreigner’s stay is filled in and delivered to the police within five days of the start of accommodation (§113(c) of Act No. 404/2011 Coll.). What goes on the form depends on where the guest is from:
- for a third-country national, the details on the form expressly include the purpose of stay (§111(1)(l));
- for a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, the Act lists only name and surname, date of birth, nationality and the number of the travel document or identity card (§112(1)(j)) — purpose of stay is not among them.
The Act does not set a code list or any codes; those belong to the e-service.
The Ministry’s e-service. The “Zápis do knihy ubytovaných” e-service asks for a purpose for every foreign guest you enter. In the manual web form, exactly one of “Účel cesty” (a drop-down list) or “Účel cesty – voľným textom” (free text) must be filled in; in an XML import file, you give a code from Table No. 1 or the purpose as text. The manual makes no exception for EU citizens, so when you file through the e-service you fill in the purpose for every guest. Accompanying children are entered with the adult, with only name, surname, date of birth and nationality — no purpose is filled in for them.
Full Purpose-of-Stay Code List (Table No. 1)
As given in the Ministry’s manual “Evidencia cudzincov – portál, Príručka používateľa”, version 2.0.0. The official labels are Slovak; the English is our translation.
| Code | Official label | English |
|---|---|---|
| 84 | Liečebný pobyt | Medical stay |
| 85 | Obchodný pobyt | Business stay |
| 86 | Kultúrny pobyt | Cultural stay |
| 87 | Pobyt v rodine | Family stay |
| 88 | Pozvanie | Invitation |
| 89 | Oficiálne, politické dôvody | Official, political reasons |
| 90 | Profesionálny pobyt | Professional stay |
| 91 | Športová súťaž | Sports competition |
| 92 | Školenie | Training |
| 93 | Turistika a tranzit | Tourism and transit |
| 94 | Tranzit | Transit |
| 95 | Pracovné dôvody | Work reasons |
| 96 | Iný pracovný dôvod | Other work reason |
| 97 | Ostatné | Other |
The manual adds no explanations or examples — it is just a list of codes and names.
Which Code to Pick in Practice
Since the Ministry’s manual does not explain the codes, go by the category name and the guest’s actual reason for travelling. In these cases the name is clear:
- A guest on holiday, a trip or a weekend away (a typical Airbnb or Booking.com guest) → 93 Turistika a tranzit.
- A guest who only stays overnight on the way somewhere else → 94 Tranzit.
- A business trip with meetings or negotiations → 85 Obchodný pobyt.
- A guest who came to Slovakia to work (for example installation or construction work) → 95 Pracovné dôvody; for a work reason that fits neither 85 nor 95, there is 96 Iný pracovný dôvod.
- Visiting family or relatives → 87 Pobyt v rodine, the closest category by meaning.
- Medical or spa treatment → 84 Liečebný pobyt.
- A festival, concert or theatre → 86 Kultúrny pobyt.
- Taking part in a sports competition → 91 Športová súťaž.
- A course or training → 92 Školenie.
- None of the above fits → 97 Ostatné. The e-service also lets you write the purpose as free text; the manual provides this for a purpose that is not in the code list. There is no separate code for study, for example.
The manual does not define codes 88 Pozvanie, 89 Oficiálne, politické dôvody and 90 Profesionálny pobyt either — use them only if the name really matches the reason for the trip.
Fill in the purpose according to the guest’s actual reason for travelling, not by default. If in doubt, simply ask the guest; at online check-in, the guest selects it themselves.
Where the Ministry Publishes the Code List
The code list is public. It is in the manual “Evidencia cudzincov – portál, Príručka používateľa”, version 2.0.0, which the Ministry of Interior SR publishes on pes.minv.sk under Dokumenty a tlačivá, titled “E-služba cudzinci”. Table No. 1 is in the chapter on importing the guest register from a file, right after the sample XML file; the manual gives it so the XML file can be filled in correctly. The same chapter also has Table No. 2 with visa types and the XSD schema for programmers.
A word of caution about Czech guides: the Czech police use their own code list with different codes. Only codes 84 to 97 belong in the Slovak e-service.
How Best Guest Helps
If your property is in Slovakia, the guest selects the purpose of stay themselves in the Best Guest online check-in form — from the 14 categories of Table No. 1, in a language they understand (the form is available in 43 languages). For further guests in the same reservation, the form suggests the purpose a fellow traveller has already entered. The form does not offer free text; when nothing fits, 97 Ostatné is the choice. You can check and change the purpose in the reservation detail.
Best Guest writes the selected code into the XML file for import into the “Zápis do knihy ubytovaných” e-service and warns you before you download the file if a guest’s purpose is missing. You upload, sign and send the file in the e-service on portal.minv.sk yourself.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find the official list of purpose-of-stay codes?
The Ministry of Interior SR publishes it in the user manual for its e-service ("Evidencia cudzincov – portál, Príručka používateľa", version 2.0.0) as Table No. 1: codes 84 to 97. The manual is on pes.minv.sk under Dokumenty a tlačivá, titled "E-služba cudzinci". The table sits in the chapter on importing an XML file; in the manual web form you pick the purpose from the "Účel cesty" drop-down list.
Which code should I pick for a typical Airbnb or Booking.com guest?
For a guest on holiday, it is 93 – Turistika a tranzit (tourism and transit). The Ministry's manual does not explain the codes, so go by the category name and the guest's actual reason for travelling: business meetings 85 – Obchodný pobyt (business stay), coming to work 95 – Pracovné dôvody (work reasons), visiting family 87 – Pobyt v rodine (family stay). If you are not sure, ask the guest why they are travelling.
Do I have to give a purpose of stay for guests from the EU?
The Act lists purpose of stay among the details on the official form only for third-country nationals (§111(1)(l) of Act No. 404/2011 Coll.); for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, §112(1)(j) does not list it. The Ministry's e-service, however, asks for it for every foreign guest you enter: exactly one of "Účel cesty" or "Účel cesty – voľným textom" must be filled in, and the manual makes no exception for EU citizens. When you file through the e-service, you therefore fill it in for every guest.
What is the difference between codes 93 and 94?
The Ministry's manual does not explain them, so the name decides: 93 is "Turistika a tranzit" (tourism and transit), 94 is just "Tranzit" (transit). Choose 93 for a guest on holiday or a trip, and 94 for a guest who only stays overnight on the way somewhere else.
What if none of the categories fit?
Use 97 – Ostatné (other). The Ministry's e-service also lets you write the purpose as free text; the manual provides this for a purpose that is not in the code list (there is no separate code for study, for example). In the manual web form this is the "Účel cesty – voľným textom" field; in an XML file, text instead of a code.
Can I use the codes from Czech guides?
No. The Czech police use their own code list with different codes. Only codes 84 to 97 from Table No. 1 of the Slovak Ministry's manual belong in the Slovak "Zápis do knihy ubytovaných" e-service.
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This page is provided for general information and is not legal or tax advice. Rates, deadlines and exemptions are set by law and municipal ordinances and can change — always verify current requirements with your municipality or a qualified advisor.