With regard to entry into forceact 242/2025 Coll. on Psychological Activity and on the Amendment of Certain Laws(hereinafter referred to as the Psychological Activity Act) laying down new rules for the regulated exercise of the profession of psychologist and the provision of psychological activity in the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic (MZ SR) publishes a technical overview of the most common questions and answers (FAQ) concerning the application of the Psychological Activity Act in practice in order to provide psychologists and employers operating in non-health sectors (e.g. education, social affairs, transport, internal, defence and private advisory practices) with clear guidance on the obligations arising from the new legislation:
1. What are the main changes for legislative psychologists?
- The previous Act on Psychological Activity (Law No 199/1994 Coll. on Psychological Activity and the Slovak Chamber of Psychologists as amended) was repealed. After the new profession of psychologists in Slovakia is regulated as follows:
- Occupation of psychologistin health care remains regulated by Law No 578/2004 Z. z. z.on healthcare providers, health professionals, health professionals and health professionals and amending certain laws as amended.
- Outside the health sector(in sectors and private practice in the open market) is a fundamental law for professional regulationact No 242/225 Coll. on Psychological Activity. Legislation regulating the exercise of the profession of psychologist in individual departments (e.g. Act No 305/2005 Coll., Act No 138/2019 Coll. and Others) continues to apply. The health department is not concerned with the new law.
2. What are the main changes in psychologists' responsibilities?
- For health psychologists, the obligations remain unchanged and continue to be registered in the health professional register. The register shall keep Slovak Chamber of Psychologists (SKP) for NCZI as a separate register with special codes.
- Psychologists outside the health sector have the obligation to register within 30.3.2026, or within 10 days of the establishment of the employment relationship, in the new register of psychologists leading the SKP.
3. Who has an obligation to register in the new register?
Any psychologist who pursues a profession of psychologist outside the health sector (in one of the other departments or in private practice).
4. Does the registration in the Chamber (SKP) also concern psychologists in the public and public service?
Yes. Psychologists employed as psychologists are required to register. They shall indicate in the application that they are engaged in the profession of psychologist pursuant to a special regulation pursuant to Article 3 (1) (a). a) Act 242/2025 Coll. Psychologists who perform only methodological or academic activities in the field of psychology (working as pedagogical staff or other professional staff) are registered voluntarily (they have the right to registration but do not have the obligation).
5. Are there exceptions to registration in the new register?
Yes. Psychologists who are not employed as psychologists (e.g. Methodists, Teachers at HEIs) or perform a limited range of psychological activity in the open market (so-called consulting activities) are not obliged to register in the new register. However, the law allows them to register voluntarily.
6. What is consultancy?
It is an exercise of psychological activity that does not have significant interference with the integrity of the personality of the client (it is not a psychological advice in the narrow sense of the word, e.g. in dealing with life problems and crises) and does not use psychodiagnostic methods or psychological interventions directly targeted or having an impact on an area related to mental health. This activity is mainly aimed at increasing performance and skills (in sport, in the field of work and p.) or has the character of expert consultations in different sectors.
In more detail, this activity is defined in § 2 (2) of Law No 242/2025 Coll. as follows:Consulting for the purposes of this Act is the exercise of psychological activity aimed at providing expertise, opinions and recommendations to natural persons and legal persons who do not have the character of health evaluation or intervention or psychological advice to an individual or group. Consulting activities are provided mainly in the field of psychology of architecture and urbanism, psychology of marketing, media and communication, psychology of organization and work, political psychology, psychological applications and methodical and professional direction of psychological activity in public administration, self-government and in the development of public policies, transport psychology, crowd psychology and behaviour in crisis situations or sports psychology
7. Can psychologists who carry out consulting activities do business?
Yes, the law allows consulting in any way (in employment, in its own name as a BER and as a legal person).
8. Can psychologists who only conduct consultancy or academic activities in the field of psychology register?
Yes. In case these psychologists decide to register voluntarily in the new register, they state in the application for registration that the profession is carried out pursuant to § 2 (2) of Act No 242/2025 Coll.. Only natural persons (employees, SZČO), not legal persons can register.
9. What if the psychologist has previously been registered in the SKP in the medical professional register and is now engaged in a profession outside the health sector? Is the original registration valid and can it remain the original registration number?
No, there is a special (new) register for non-health professionals. The health professional register is only for the registration of healthcare professionals. From the point of view of the law, these are two different registers (each according to a different law and with different obligations), data in them cannot be mixed.
10. What if the psychologist has previously been registered in the SKP in the register of health professionals and is now engaged in a profession outside the health sector, must submit an application for registration or is sufficient if the SKP announces that he is now working as a non-health professional?
Such a psychologist must submit a new application for registration, as it is a different register from the point of view of the law. His personal data provided in the previous administrative procedure (in the application for registration of a healthcare professional) cannot be used for any purpose other than that granted under the Act No 18/2018 Coll. on the Protection of Personal Data and on the Amendment of Certain Acts as amended (hereinafter "the Act on the Protection of Personal Data'); In order to be legally effective, an application for registration in a new register requires a manifestation of will, i.e. a psychologist must submit an application and expressly state that he is applying for registration under a new law and that application must be signed by hand or electronically and properly delivered (by mail, via a central public administration portal or in person).
11. What responsibilities does a psychologist who simultaneously pursues a health and non-health profession (in a non-profit organisation, in another department, e.g. CPP, or in a free market in private advisory practice) have?
Such a psychologist performs two different regulated professions (health, non-health). For each of these professions it must fulfil the relevant obligations. Following the adoption of the new law, it is therefore obliged to register in the new register as a non-medical profession. The obligation to register in the health professional register remains unchanged. It is therefore registered simultaneously in two registers under two different registration numbers (each with a code for the regulated profession concerned).
12. Just send a request by e-mail?
No, for an application to be made with the effects of the application to initiate the administrative procedure under Law No 71/1967 Coll. on administrative proceedings (administrative order) must be submitted in a "qualified' manner. The application can be signed by hand and sent by post or via the Central Public Administration Portal (Slovakia). (sk) signed by a qualified electronic signature.
13. What should be part of the application if it is a psychologist who pursues a profession in one of the departments (education, social affairs, defence and others)?
The application must be accompanied by a statement of will, i.e. a statement of the application, e.g. a request for a psychologist to be registered in a psychologist's register pursuant to § 28 (1) (a). (a) Law 242/2025. I perform the profession according to § 3 (1) (a). (a) The application should be accompanied by a copy of the HEI's diploma from the study of psychology of both first and second degree (one proof of the second degree achieved is sufficient for the diplomas until about 2002. It is also necessary to attach a certificate from the employer confirming that the psychologist is employed and in what position. It is also necessary to attach proof that you have paid an administrative fee of EUR 13 to the SCP account (other fees, e.g. for managing the registry in the following calendar year, can only be paid as a registered person, i.e. after the issue of the registration number, cannot be paid in advance because the administrative procedure has not yet been completed, i.e. the party to the registration proceedings is not a legally registered entity).
14. Is it necessary to document the employment contract?
No. It is only necessary to confirm that the psychologist is employed by the employer and in what position. Other labour law arrangements (type of employment, time, time) need not be indicated. If the job description is not a psychologist but a different position, e.g. a professional employee (methodik and p.), the job description must indicate that this is one of the psychological activities under Law 242/2025. Z. z. z.
15. Do I need an invoice or a payment order to pay the administrative fee?
The administrative fee for registration shall be paid together by application to initiate the administrative procedure, i.e. by lodging an application where the payment data are known to the party. Together with the request the psychologist will also deliver proof of payment (e.g. account statement, etc.). If the party to proceedings is not aware of the payment details, a payment order is sent to him after the application for registration. After registration, further payments, e.g. for keeping a register in the calendar year concerned, shall be made on the basis of a payment regulation issued or published by the CRD.
16. What should I do if I pursue the profession of psychologist in the open market?
If the scope of the activity does not exceed the scope of the consultation activity (e.g. sports and working psychologists, HR, communication, coaching and p.), you do not have a registration obligation (registration is voluntary). If you want to provide psychological activity beyond consulting, you have an obligation to apply for a licence. If you fulfil the conditions for a license, the SKP will then automatically register you in the register of psychologists and providers of psychological activity (the registration number will be issued together with the licence, for natural and legal persons, not for registration).
- To provide an activitypersonally and in its own name, you need to apply for a license to perform a separate psychological practice according to § 33 (1) (a). (c) Law 242/2025 Z. z. z.
- If you wantemploy other persons, you need a license to provide psychological activity pursuant to § 33 (1) (a). (d) Law 242/2025 Z. z. z.
- If you work only as aemployee(physical or legal) licensed persons, you need a license to pursue the profession of psychologist according to § 33 (1) (a). (a) Law 242/2025 Z. z. z.
- If you want to carry out a professional guarantor activity, you apply for a licence pursuant to § 33 (1) (a). (c) Law 242/2025 Z. z. z.
17. What about the issue of a licence? Is it already possible to apply for a licence?
Yes. If you fulfil the conditions under § 34 and § 35 of Act No. 242/2025 Coll., SKP has an obligation to issue you a licence within 30 working days. If you do not fulfil the conditions for carrying out an activity in your own name, you must apply for a licence to provide psychological activity under Paragraph 33 (1) (a). d) Act No. 242/2025 Coll. and to confirm that you have a professional guarantor for this activity (the professional guarantor must apply for a licence for the performance of the professional guarantor and indicate the registration number of the legal person for whom he will work).
18. Why are there other conditions for the exercise of the profession, e.g. integrity, fitness?
Psychologists who pursue a profession under a special regulation (based on employment in one of the departments) only support a diploma and a certificate of employment because their integrity and other conditions of professional conduct are being examined by their employer. However, if a psychologist wishes to operate on the free market (as a provider of psychological activity with a licence or an employee of a licensed provider), the conditions for the exercise of the profession is examined by the CRD. These psychologists therefore have to prove that all conditions for the exercise of the profession (e.g. integrity, medical fitness, etc.) are met.
19. How are the personal data that I present in the application for registration or licence protected and processed?
The legal basis for granting this personal data is Act 242/2025 Coll. Failure to supply these data would mean that your request cannot be further processed because it is required by law. Therefore, from a legal point of view, it is not about giving consent to the processing of your personal data - they are processed automatically pursuant to § 13 (1) (a). (c) Act No.18/2018 Coll. on Personal Data Protection. Therefore, consent to the processing of these data cannot be granted or revoked by the psychologist. The CRD is in the capacity of a public authority which decides on rights, rights of protected interests and obligations of psychologists and therefore has an obligation to keep records of all administrative proceedings under the law. However, the CRD has an obligation to process your personal data only to the extent permitted by law (cannot be used for other purposes). However, it is still possible to grant and withdraw consent for further (other) processing of your personal data (e.g. for the purpose of email communication, newsletter transmission, etc.) and you can do so according to § 1 (1) (a). (c) Act No 18/2018 Coll. Granting such consent is not a condition for initiating the administrative procedure (condition for processing your application).
Who can I turn to if I have a question I haven't found in the FAQ?
Further suggestions and questions we recommend to address to contact emailcheersalong with telephone contact, if possible, in order to make contact more quickly.