Permanent residence for the purpose of a family reunion

Last Updated: 02 April 2024

Permanent residence for the purpose of family reunion in Slovakia may be obtained in several ways, either as a permanent residence for five years, permanent residence for an unlimited time, or as a long-term residence.

Permanent residence for five years may be granted to a foreign national who is:

a spouse of a Slovak citizen with permanent residence in the SR or a dependent direct-line relative of a Slovak citizen with permanent residence in the SR;
a single child aged less than 18 yrs under the custody of a foreign national, who is a spouse of a Slovak citizen with permanent residence in the SR;
a single child younger than 18 yrs of age, whose parent is a foreign national with permanent residence for five years or a single child younger than 18 yrs of age under the custody of a foreign national with permanent residence for five years;
a dependent child older than 18 yrs of age, not able to take care of himself/herself due to a long-term unfavourable health condition, whose parent is a foreign national with permanent residence.

A single child younger than 18 yrs of age, under the custody of one of his/her parents and who is an applicant for permanent residence for the purpose of family reunion, can be granted permanent residence only if written consent has been given also by the other parent who has not been granted the custody of this child but is entitled to meet the child.

Permanent residence for an unlimited time period for the purpose of family reunion shall be granted to a foreign national, who:

has held permanent residence for five years at least for a period of 4 years;
is a child younger than 18 yrs of age of a foreigner with permanent residence for an unlimited time.

Long-term residence for the purpose of family reunion may be granted to a foreign national:

who has legally resided in Slovakia for an uninterrupted period of at least 5 years directly prior to the application submission (e.g. as a holder of temporary residence for the purpose of family reunion).

Documents needed to prove the purpose of the family reunion (applicable for permanent residence for five years):

In the case of a foreign national who is married to a Slovak citizen with permanent residence in the SR:

Slovak marriage certificate;
Proof of permanent residence of the Slovak citizen, who married a foreign national (identification card).

Notice: If the couple married outside the territory of the Slovak Republic, it is necessary to submit to the Foreign Police Department a Slovak marriage certificate issued by the Special Registry Office in Bratislava. An official translation of your foreign marriage certificate is not sufficient. Please note that the Special Registry Office in Bratislava does not accept applications and you must apply for the Slovak marriage certificate issuance at the competent Registry Office.

In case of a single child younger than 18 yrs of age under the custody of a foreign national, who is a spouse of a Slovak citizen with permanent residence in the SR (e.g. children from the first marriage):

Birth certificate of the child (authenticated by an apostille or a consular legalization and translated into the Slovak language by an official translator)
Written affidavit of the parent that this child is not married
Slovak marriage certificate
Proof of permanent residence of the Slovak citizen, who married a foreign national (identification card)
Copy of the relevant decision issued by a competent foreign authority, according to which the child has been placed into the custody of a foreign national who is a spouse of a Slovak citizen (official translation)
Written consent of the second parent of the child who, according to the decision mentioned above, also has the right to meet the child

Aside from the proof of residence, a foreign national must submit other documents when applying for permanent residence. For more information see the section permanent residence.

Warning:
In case of permanent residence for five years and permanent residence for an unlimited time period granted based on marriage with a Slovak citizen, the Police Authority will reject the application for permanent residence, if the foreign national concluded a marriage of convenience. The Foreign Police Department will cancel the permanent residence for the period of five years, if the spouses do not lead a joint family life, or if the marriage terminates sooner than 5 years following the granting of the permanent residence for the period of five years. Termination of marriage sooner than five years after being granted permanent residence for the period of five years is equally a reason for cancellation of the permanent residence status for an unlimited period of time. The Police Authority will also reject the application in case the foreign national has a record in the Schengen Information System as an undesired person (i.e. administrative expulsion).

RELEVANT LEGISLATION

Act No. 36/2005 Coll. on Family
Act No. 154/1994 Coll. on Registry Offices
Act No. 97/1963 Coll. on International Private and Procedural Law
Act No. 404/2011 Coll. on Residence of Foreigners