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A Field of a Thousand Owners

Posted by Margarete on May 10

Spring is definitely here in Slovakia. Fields have been planted with whatever it is that will be grown, and it’s possible to see many fields with sprouts or shoots already. Just outside of my small town there is a newly planted field that we pass every time we walk to visit grandpa in the next village over. The tractor marks were fresh the first time we crossed, so I knew the field had been done all at once and planted with the same crop. I therefore created an image of a single owner in my imagination, having the responsibility of being overseer. That is not the case here and probably not the case with many large pieces of land across Slovakia.

Health Insurance in Slovakia

Posted by Margarete on Jun 24

A few weeks ago I received a question from a person who wants to obtain health insurance for a set period of time in Slovakia.

Since health care is provided to everyone through the social system, if you will be working for a Slovak company or an international organization/company that legally employs people in Slovakia, then your company will automatically take care of arranging coverage for you.

Canceling Travel Visa Requirements for Slovaks

Posted by Margarete on Nov 13

In just a few days U.S. law is going to change that will effect Slovaks. On November 17 the U.S. is ending travel visa requirements for citizens of Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and South Korea. After this date Slovaks will be able to travel to the U.S. without having to apply for a visa first.

This is huge news for my Slovak husband and I because finally his family will be able to come visit us without having to go through the hassle that obtaining a U.S. visa currently is.

Do Foreigners in Slovakia Face Discrimination?

Posted by Margarete on May 16

I’m often asked this question:

I’m thinking about spending an extended period of time in Slovakia and am curious about discrimination because I’m not of European descent. Will I have a difficult time integrating and do I need to be concerned about racially motivated crimes?

First I’d like to preface my answer to say that I am of Hispanic descent and never have had any racial issues living or working in Slovakia or Austria.

Now for my answer – Racial discrimination may or may not be a problem. I know that doesn’t help much, but I’ll explain.

Teaching English in Slovakia (part 3)

Posted by Margarete on Apr 07

In the previous two blogs about teaching English in Slovakia, I talked about the following:

  • what kind of certification is needed to teach
  • how does one go about finding a job
  • is it possible to secure a position if you are still in your home country and haven’t left for Slovakia yet
  • what is a “typical” salary in Bratislava and other parts of the county, and how does this compare with the cost of living
  • what is the difference in salaries between public and private schools

In this last blog, I’d like to talk about:

  • work visas and long-term stay visas: how to get them and how long is the process
  • how does Slovakia’s membership into the Schengen Zone effect people who come to Slovakia with tourist visas hoping to find work while there.

Putting a "Trademark" on Regional Foods

Posted by Margarete on Feb 19

While writing the blog about Hubert, I remembered something else interesting about protected food names within the EU.

In the Hubert blog I mentioned that the word “champagne” is protected, and only sparkling wine that is produced in Champagne, France can be called champagne. EU law recognizes something called Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), which protects the names of regional foods.

For example, feta is a particular cheese that is produced in Greece. Another similar “feta” cheese was produced in Denmark, but the EU ruled against the name being called “feta”. Any other cheese that is similar to feta but not the original product from Greece must be labeled with something similar to “feta-like” cheese or “Greek-like feta” cheese.

Note: The US generally opposes the idea of PDO, and therefore, you can buy “feta” and “champagne” in the US that are clearly not the original.

Last Names with -ová

Posted by Margarete on Aug 20

Last week I read an article in the Slovak Spectator about the fact that women in Slovakia will soon find it easier to have a last name that doesn’t end in ová.

Currently in Slovakia, it is the law that female Slovak citizens must have a name that ends in ová or á. The tradition of females using these suffixes is long, not only in Slovakia but in many Slavic nations such as Poland, Ukraine, and Russia.