🛤️ Three Pathways to Slovak Citizenship
There are two basic routes for individuals with Slovak heritage to obtain citizenship in Slovakia: citizenship by descent (CBD) and citizenship based on a Slovak Living Abroad Certificate (SLAC).
🟠 Orange Route: Citizenship by Descent (CBD)
Citizenship by descent (CBD) (Orange route) is granted if at least one of an individual’s parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic.
🟢 Green Route: Slovak Living Abroad Certificate (SLAC)
Citizenship based on an Slovak Living Abroad Certificate (Green route) is granted to individuals who preserve national awareness and have a direct ancestor who was of Slovak nationality, which is usually proven with census records.
🔵 Blue Route: Children of (Former) Citizens
The third path (Blue route) to Slovak citizenship exists for some, usually those whose parents were former citizens. They might be eligible for immediate certification of their citizenship.
💡 Strategic Tip: The graphic below shows three basic routes to citizenship for people with Slovak ancestors.
❓ Top 5 Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we provide answers to the top questions that we often receive from potential clients.
1️⃣ Who qualifies for citizenship by descent according to the new rules valid from April 2022?
🔧 We have automated the assessment to the extent possible. Try our online tool to find out if you are eligible.
In essence, there are three basic routes. What we call Orange, Green and Blue options. We summarise the main requirements above in the table. Many people with Slovak heritage will be eligible for citizenship through the Orange and Green options. However, there are cases where only one of the routes is available to applicants (eg too distant ancestors). In cases of more recent emigration, the Blue option might also be available.
🟠 The Orange Option – The Typical Slovak Citizenship by Descent
Citizenship by descent (CBD) (Orange route) is granted if at least one of an individual’s parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic.
- The law does not require that your ancestors were citizens or lived in Czechoslovakia their entire lives.
- Your ancestors could have been of other nationalities, e.g., Rusyn, Jewish, German, Hungarian, etc.
- It is enough that your ancestors gained Czechoslovak citizenship at some point in their lives.
If your ancestors do not qualify (eg because they were born outside the territory, or were not Czechoslovak citizens), you can still gain citizenship through a certificate of Slovak Living Abroad – the Green Option.
🟢 The Green Option
The Green option exists for individuals with a certificate of Slovak Living Abroad Certificate (SLAC) who can convert it into Slovak citizenship after three years of residency. In order to obtain a SLAC, you have to fulfil different requirements for ancestry. Generally, your direct ancestor must have self-identified as being of Slovak ethnicity.
- There is no explicit requirement that your ancestors were citizens, or that they ever lived in Slovakia or Czechoslovakia.
- But you must have proof of their self-identification as Slovaks, such as through census documents.
2️⃣ Is residency in Slovakia a necessary requirement for Slovak Citizenship by Descent?
No, it is not. According to the administrative practice, physical presence in Slovakia is neither necessary for filing the application nor for obtaining citizenship. Each applicant is automatically registered for administrative residency in a city of choice without a specific address, however, only if his/her ancestors emigrated after 1918.
We explain this in more depth in this article.
3️⃣ How long is the citizenship application process?
As of August 2025:
- ✅ Slovak authorities are deciding fairly quickly
- ✅ Ministry of Interior usually decides within several months
- ✅ Main bottlenecks are embassy appointments and document acquisition (or occasionally translations for smaller languages)
What can you expect in your case? That depends, but:
- Legal maximum: 27+ months (if full 24-month decision period used)
- Best case: 6-12 months (simple case, available appointments)
- Typical case: 12-18 months (moderate complexity)
- Complex case: 18-27 months (difficult documents, embassy delays)
We explain more details here.
4️⃣ Who exactly qualifies as a Czechoslovak citizen?
This is a complex question, which usually requires reviewing your particular circumstances. Here are three simple rules of thumb:
🎯 Rules of Thumb for Czechoslovak Citizenship
✅ Really Good Chances:
If at least one of your direct relevant ancestors (parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents) remained in Czechoslovakia after July 1920, your chances are really good.
🤔 Still Good Chances (Evidence Required):
If at least one of your direct relevant ancestors emigrated after July 1910, your chances are still really good, but the tricky part will be finding the evidence.
⚠️ Limited Chances:
Finally, if all your direct relevant ancestors emigrated before July 1910, your chances are limited and mostly confined to various exceptional situations.
5️⃣ Is double citizenship allowed?
Slovak law does not limit your ability to keep other citizenships that you have acquired before Slovak citizenship. However, once you gain Slovak citizenship, Slovak law can limit your ability to acquire further citizenship if you do not want to lose it.
🎯 You Should Apply for Other Citizenships First — Before Slovak Citizenship by Descent
Under Slovak law, acquiring another citizenship after becoming a Slovak citizen can lead to an automatic loss of your Slovak citizenship.
This means that under Slovak law, you can have multiple citizenships; however, after obtaining Slovak citizenship, gaining further citizenships risks losing Slovak citizenship.
We explain this a bit more in this article.
Do you have more questions? These articles will help.
- Does Slovak law allow double citizenship?
- How long does it take to gain Slovak citizenship by Descent?
- Who Qualifies for Slovak Citizenship by Descent: A Complete Guide
- Is residency required for Slovak Citizenship by Descent?
- Slovak Citizenship by Descent: Emerging Practice
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