Basic information

On Sundays and public holidays from 00:00 to 22:00
on Saturdays from 1st July to 31st August from 07:00 to 19:00

Vehicles

Heavy goods vehicles of over 7.5t maximum permissible weight (MPW)

Applies to roads

On motorways, trunk roads and main roads (Class 1)

Detailed information

Vehicles concerned: special motor vehicles and carts with the width exceeding 0.60m

Prohibition: between 1st July and 31st August on the last working day before a Saturday or a public holiday and on the last day of a series of public holidays, from 15:00 to 21:00

Exceptions:

• coaches, caravans
• vehicles of armed forces, police and the Slovak Security Service
• vehicles used for indispensable seasonal agricultural work
• vehicles transporting medical instruments, or biological or pharmaceutical products to hospitals or medical institutions, or to ensure the operation of medical equipment in hospitals or medical institutions
• vehicles used in combined transport or for loading or unloading ships or trains on the territory of the Slovak Republic
• vehicles used for cultural or sporting events, and in particular for the transport of boats, motorcycles, horses, birds etc.
• aid vehicles required at scenes of accidents or natural disasters
• vehicles used for the supply of petrol stations
• vehicles transporting perishable goods or livestock

If so requested by a police officer, during the period of the driving ban, a driver must be able to prove that his vehicle is being used for one of the above-mentioned purposes.

Derogations:

In accordance with Act 9, §140 of the 2009 Digest of Law, authorization to drive during the hours of the driving restriction may be obtained in extraordinary and inevitable cases, if to do so would not endanger public safety. If the authorization is required for the territory of one region, the relevant Regional Traffic Inspectorate is competent to deal with the request for exemption. If the authorization is required for an area covering more than one region, the request for exemption should be addressed to the Department of Traffic Police of the Presidency of the Police Corps (Odbor dopravnej policie Prezidia policajneho zboru), Racianska 45, 812 72 Bratislava, Tel.: +421 9610 11111. The issue of authorizations is subject to administrative fees. An authorization is granted if the request is justified and on presentation of certified documents indicating the necessity of the transport operation. The authorization remains valid for a period of 30 days.

Holidays

Public holidays 2022:

• 1st January New Year’s Day
• 6th January Epiphany
• 15th April Good Friday
• 18th April Easter Monday
• 1st May Labour Day
• 8th May Armistice 1945
• 5th July St Cyril and St Methodius
• 29th August Anniversary of the Slovak national uprising
• 1st September Constitution Day
• 15th September Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
• 1st November All Saints’ Day
• 17th November Day of fight for freedom and democracy
• 24th, 25th, 26th December Christmas Holidays

Public holidays 2023:

• 1st January New Year’s Day
• 6th January Epiphany
• 7th April Good Friday
• 10th April Easter Monday
• 1st May Labour Day
• 8th May Armistice 1945
• 5th July St Cyril and St Methodius
• 29th August Anniversary of the Slovak national uprising
• 1st September Constitution Day
• 15th September Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
• 1st November All Saints’ Day
• 17th November Day of fight for freedom and democracy
• 24th, 25th, 26th December Christmas Holidays

Tires

Tires

Winter tires (M+S mud and snow) are obligatory for heavy goods vehicles of over 3.5t maximum permitted weight from 15th November to 31st March

Chains

Obligatory car equipment. Fitting up at the moment of such obligation marked by signs or at the time of a layer of snow or ice.

Studded tires are forbidden.

Source: Continental Information Service

Good to know

dipped headlights: it is obligatory to drive with dipped headlights on for 24 hours from 15th October to 15th March

A reflective vest must be placed in the passenger’s cabin and not in the boot

maximum blood-alcohol content – 0.00%

Driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicants is fined from 232 to 996 Euro and/or punished with driving license withdrawal for the period of 1 to 5 years.

Exemplary fines payable on the spot for some traffic offences:

• hit-and-run accident – a fine of 332 to 1328 Euro and/or driving license withdrawal for the period of 1 to 5 years.
• speeding - a fine of 166 to 830 Euro and driving license withdrawal for the period of up to 3 years.
• overloading the vehicle – a fine of 166 to 830 Euro and driving license withdrawal for the period of up to 3 years.
• other serious offences (ignoring a stop sign and red light, ignoring a policeman’s instructions, driving a vehicle without registration plates, driving without a registration card, ignoring the signal of emergency, ignoring the signs informing about approaching a railway crossing) - a fine of 67 to 332 Euro and driving license withdrawal for the period of up to 2 years.

Note: with reference to foreigners the Police may pass an entry about driving prohibition on the territory of Slovakia for a period of 3 months to 1 year.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

Assistance breakdown services are performed by the Slovak Automobileclub (SATC); numbers available 24h: 18-124 (only on the territory of Slovakia), or +421 2682 492 11.

Police, emergency, fire brigade - 112