Ways of acquiring Slovak Citizenship

Slovak citizenship can be acquired in several ways - for example, by birth or adoption, or by naturalisation. In the past, it was also possible to acquire Slovak citizenship by determination under the law or by choice.

Determination of Slovak citizenship by law

A person who was a citizen of the Slovak Republic on 31 December 1992 under the Act of the Slovak National Council on the Acquisition and Loss of Citizenship of the Slovak Socialist Republic is a citizen of the Slovak Republic.

Choice of citizenship of the Slovak Republic

Citizenship of the Slovak Republic shall be acquired by choice if expressly provided for in the Act on State Citizenship. The acquisition of citizenship by choice is possible by expressing the will of a person who thus makes a choice between several citizenships which, according to the circumstances, are available. 

The choice of nationality was possible in the past in connection with the division of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic in 1993 when citizens could choose between Slovak or Czech citizenship.

Gaining Slovak Citizenship (Naturalization)

Citizenship of the Slovak Republic may be granted to an applicant who is not a citizen of the Slovak Republic and who has had continuous permanent residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic for at least eight years immediately preceding the application for Slovak citizenship. Citizenship of the Slovak Republic may also be granted earlier than after eight years, for example, if the applicant is the spouse of a Slovak citizen, an asylum seeker, etc.

For more detailed information on the granting of Slovak citizenship, please refer to this booklet.

Citizenship of Children

Minors may acquire Slovak citizenship by naturalization, by birth or by adoption.

BIRTH

A child acquires Slovak citizenship if:

• at least one of his/her parents is a Slovak citizen (regardless of the place of birth);
• he/she was born in Slovakia and the parents are stateless;
• he/she was born in Slovakia, his/her parents are foreign nationals and he/she does not acquire the citizenship of either of them by birth.

If foreign citizenship is not proved, a child shall be considered a citizen of the Slovak Republic if he/she:

• was born in Slovakia;
• was found in Slovakia and his/her parents are unknown, unless it is proved that he or she acquired the citizenship of another state by birth.

A child of a foreign citizen and a citizen of the Slovak Republic is a Slovak citizen even if it is later proved that the citizen of the Slovak Republic is not the child's parent.

ADOPTION

If a child who is not a Slovak citizen has been adopted by a court decision of the Slovak Republic by an adoptive parent(s), at least one of whom is a citizen of the Slovak Republic, the child acquires citizenship of the Slovak Republic by adoption.