Short answer. In Slovakia, a 2-minute wavering siren means general threat: go to a safe place such as a cellar or closed room and follow radio and TV 12. A 6-minute steady tone means flood threat; a 2-minute steady tone, not repeated, means end of threat 2. A spoken message follows each siren. Tests are usually on the second Friday of the month at 12:00 1.
What are the Slovak warning signals?
The signals are set by law (Act 42/1994, § 3a) 2:
| Signal | Sound | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| General threat (VŠEOBECNÉ OHROZENIE) | 2-minute wavering (rising and falling) tone | Threat or occurrence of an emergency, or possible spread of its effects; in wartime also a possible air attack | Shelter in a safe place (cellar, closed room); with hazardous substances, close and seal windows, doors and vents; follow radio and TV 12 |
| Flood threat (OHROZENIE VODOU) | 6-minute steady tone | Threat from the destructive effects of water | Move to higher ground 2 |
| End of threat (KONIEC OHROZENIA) | 2-minute steady tone, not repeated | End of the threat or of the effects of the emergency | Listen to the spoken message that follows 2 |
| Siren test | 2-minute steady tone | Test, announced in advance; usually the second Friday of the month at 12:00 | None specified 1 |
What is the spoken message?
After the siren, a spoken message on radio, TV and municipal loudspeakers says what is happening, for example "POZOR, CHEMICKÉ OHROZENIE!" (chemical threat), "POZOR, VZDUŠNÝ POPLACH!" (air raid) or "POZOR, KONIEC OHROZENIA!" (end of threat) 1. Keep a battery or solar radio so you can hear it during a power cut: see emergency radio.
If the message concerns hazardous substances, our guide chemical shelter-in-place explains how to seal a room.
How much of Slovakia do the sirens cover?
Siren coverage of permanently inhabited built-up areas rose from 58% to 85% after 1,088 new sirens were installed in 720 municipalities 1.
Will I get an alert on my phone?
Not yet, as far as official sources show. Press reports from April 2026 say the Interior Ministry plans SK-Alert, based on cell broadcast, with testing in the second half of 2026 and full operation at the end of 2026, as a supplement to sirens, radio and TV 3. An earlier report described a planned tender for a public warning system 4. No official ministry page confirming the timeline was found, so we treat the launch date as unconfirmed.
Is there an official warning app?
No official national warning app was found. The ministry points to its Civilná ochrana/112 accounts on Facebook and Instagram, and to the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ, shmu.sk) for weather and flood warnings 1.
Frequently asked questions
When are the sirens tested in Slovakia?
Usually on the second Friday of the month at 12:00, with a 2-minute steady tone announced in advance 1.
What should I do when I hear a wavering siren?
Go to a safe place such as a cellar or closed room, close and seal windows, doors and vents if hazardous substances are involved, and follow radio and TV 1.
What does a 6-minute siren mean?
A flood threat. Move to higher ground 2.
Does a general threat signal mean an air raid?
In wartime, the general threat signal is also used for a possible air attack, according to the ministry guide 1. The spoken message that follows says which threat it is.
Sources
- Ministerstvo vnútra Slovenskej republiky, Sekcia krízového riadenia — Čo robiť v prípade krízy alebo ozbrojeného konfliktu — https://www.minv.sk/?co-robit-v-pripade-krizy-alebo-ozbrojeneho-konfliktu (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Slov-Lex, Ministerstvo spravodlivosti SR — Zákon Národnej rady Slovenskej republiky č. 42/1994 Z. z. o civilnej ochrane obyvateľstva (znenie od 1. 7. 2025) — https://static.slov-lex.sk/static/SK/ZZ/1994/42/20250701.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Techbyte.sk — Štát spustí nový varovný systém. Takéto SMS-ky čakajte (press, April 2026) — https://www.techbyte.sk/2026/04/stat-varovny-system-sms-ky-cakajte/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
- TASR — Ministry Plans to Launch Tender for Public Warning System by End of September (press, September 2024) — https://tasr.sk/tasr-clanok/TASR:2024091000000186 (accessed 2026-10-20)
Turn this into action
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Sources
- Ministerstvo vnútra Slovenskej republiky, Sekcia krízového riadenia · Čo robiť v prípade krízy alebo ozbrojeného konfliktu checked 2026-10-20
- Slov-Lex, Ministerstvo spravodlivosti SR · Zákon Národnej rady Slovenskej republiky č. 42/1994 Z. z. o civilnej ochrane obyvateľstva (znenie od 1. 7. 2025) checked 2026-10-20
- Techbyte.sk · Štát spustí nový varovný systém. Takéto SMS-ky čakajte (press, April 2026) checked 2026-10-20
- TASR · Ministry Plans to Launch Tender for Public Warning System by End of September (press, September 2024) checked 2026-10-20