The main reasons and motives foreigners have for coming to Slovakia, are in many cases unfavorable economic situation and/ or bad security situation (high crime or war) in the country of origin and also labor migration.
According to one survey made in August 2019 the main reasons for coming to Slovakia were mostly family reasons, when foreigners were invited to come by their direct family member. Some of the respondents left their home country for purposes of establishment or expansion of business activities in the territory of Slovak republic. Most of the respondents were working in Slovakia before they started their own business, but none of them was studying here.
We can see that foreigners not only move to Slovakia and search for suitable job, but they are also the ones who start or continue their own businesses in this country. One analysis says that between the years 2012 and 2018, every year there were more foreign companies established than they were terminated. On average, twice as many foreign companies were established than they were terminated.
Also the number of valid temporary residences for the third-country nationals, who would like to do business in Slovakia, was increasing since the year 2015. For comparison, in the year 2018 the number was almost three times higher than in 2017. When we compare for example the year 2012 with 415 valid temporary residences with the number 6559 in year 2018, we can really see the big increase.
In the year 2018 citizens of Ukraine with 51% accounted for the largest share of the growing number of temporary residences for the purpose of doing business within the third-country nationals. In general, between the years 2012 and 2018 entrepreneurs interested in Slovakia were mainly from countries like Ukraine, Russian Federation, Vietnam, China, South Korea, Macedonia, Turkey or Serbia. Bratislava region was ahead of others, in this regard it was the busiest area – almost a quarter of all temporary stays for business purposes belonged to the region with its seat in Bratislava, the capital of this country. The second busiest was Trnava self-governing region.
Another survey took place in August 2019 and it was focused on qualitative conditions of business for foreigners in Slovakia. Answers were given by 8 different entrepreneurs mostly of the third countries origin: Tunis, India, China, Turkey, Vietnam and Macedonia, and one EU country: France. According to the survey, most of them worked in the area of catering services. However, responses were also received from entrepreneurs doing business with higher added value like informatics and telecommunications. Most of the respondents before starting their own business, when they came to Slovakia, they worked here as employees of someone else. The necessary information to start their own business, they acquired by work in similar facilities as they now operate – it was usually the assistance in family business or normal employment.
Many businessmen, whose families have already gained previous experience and received necessary information for doing business in this country, could start a business immediately after arrival in Slovakia with this kind of family support and wisdom. And thus many of them have been doing business here for more than 15 years.
However, most of the foreigners have started with their own business on average 6-10 years after arrival in Slovakia. Some of the foreigners got into such a specific situation, when they had to alternate working beyond the borders of Slovakia and working within Slovakia. Therefore they started their business only 13 or even 28 years after their arrival to this country.
The survey reveals also the fact that those businessmen do not cooperate with the entrepreneurs from the country of their origin. In some cases they cooperate with their family members, who do business in the same country – Slovakia, and in the same or similar type of business.
Source: sbagency.sk