Since the adoption of the amendement to Slovak Citizenship Act in 2022, the Slovak authorities granted 457 citizenships by descent in the period of April 2022 to June 2025.
Thousands of Slovaks emigrated from Austro-Hungarian Empire before 1910. When do their ancestors qualify for Slovak citizenship by descent? This article provides answers. In short, legal situation in pre-1910 cases is more complex, but increasingly optimistic. Zip Citizenship encourages and helps applicants to apply even with pre-1910 cases, as some of such cases clearly had success in the past. However, unlike in post-1910 cases, there are several caveats that we always convey to our clients to avoid any surprises down the line.
If you and your partner have different citizenships and want Slovak citizenship for your child, the path is usually straightforward—if at least one parent is a Slovak citizen at the time of birth. Below is a clear, step-by-step guide, followed by a Slovak translation.
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Does Slovak law allow double citizenship?
If you’re eligible for Slovak citizenship by descent, it might seem like a good idea to apply as soon as possible. But you need to be more strategic —especially if you plan to apply for another citizenship as well.
Slovak authorities are currently deciding fairly quickly. The main bottleneck is the system of appointments at some Slovak embassies and the acquisition of documents at the preparatory stage.
For a long period, acquiring foreign citizenship often led to an automatic loss of Slovak citizenship. In 2022, the Slovak parliament adopted an amendment that allowed these citizens to regain their Slovak citizenship. This article explains the process and conditions. It is followed by a Slovak translation.
This article explains who qualifies for citizenship based on their Slovak ancestry.
Do you have to stay physically in Slovakia to be able to apply for Slovak citizenship by descent? In this article, we explain the legal situation and practice.
Back in 2023, the Slovak citizenship by descent was adopted as a new regime. Naturally, it took a while until things settled a bit, and practice of some kind emerged. Here are some basic findings from the last couple of months:
- Residence is not effectively required for those applicants whose ancestors left Czechoslovakia after 1918. They are granted a pro forma residence permit only for the purposes of the procedure. However, for those whose ancestors left prior to 1918, this does not apply. It is unclear why. There is no legal basis for this distinction (read: this could be litigated).
- The authorities seem to place rather high requirements on the evidence for the citizenship of ancestors. For those who can be found in the 1930 census, the evidentiary situation seems simpler. There is no legal basis for this high bar (read: this could be litigated).
- The authorities accepting the applications differ for different types of routes. The application for citizenship by descent can be filed at embassies or in Slovakia. The Slovak Living Abroad Certificate (SLAC) can be temporarily submitted only at embassies.
This article explains who could have gained Czechoslovak citizenship.