Who qualifies
- Likely SlovakA parent who was Slovak when you were born
- Can applyA parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was a Czechoslovak citizen born in SlovakiaYou need documents proving their citizenship, birthplace and your family line. Since July 15, 2026 you don’t need a Slovak residence permit, and there’s no language test. The good-character rules still apply, and the grant is at the authorities’ discretion.
- Longer routeSlovak roots that don’t fit the aboveA Slovak Living Abroad certificate can lead to citizenship after three years living in Slovakia, or with permission to live there and a significant contribution to the Slovak community abroad.
What changed in July 2026
From 2022 to July 2026, this route needed a valid Slovak residence permit, though not living in Slovakia. Since July 15, 2026, section 7(8) of the Citizenship Act lets Slovakia grant citizenship to a parent’s, grandparent’s or great-grandparent’s descendant without the residence condition, and there’s no language test. The other conditions, such as a clean criminal record, still apply. The law allows up to 24 months for a decision.
How to apply
- Prove your ancestor’s citizenship and birthplaceBirth certificates, census sheets or passports.
- Get criminal record checksFrom each country you’ve lived in, as the embassy asks.
- Apply for citizenship in personAt a Slovak embassy or consulate, or a district office in Slovakia. The law allows up to 24 months for a decision.
Documents
- Your valid passport and birth certificate
- Birth certificates linking you to your Slovak-born ancestor
- Proof your ancestor was a Czechoslovak citizen born in Slovakia
- Criminal record checks, including an FBI Identity History Summary for US applicants
- Apostilles and Slovak translations
For UK, Irish and US certificates, see where to order certificates.
Common questions
Can I keep my other passport?
Slovakia doesn’t ask you to give it up. But a Slovak who later chooses another citizenship can lose Slovak citizenship, with exceptions.
Do I need to speak Slovak?
No, not on the route for descendants.
Does an ancestor born in what’s now Slovakia before 1918 count?
The route needs a Czechoslovak citizen, so they need to have held Czechoslovak citizenship after 1918. Ask the embassy if they emigrated earlier.
What a Slovak passport gives you
The right to live, work, study and retire across all 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. See what an EU passport lets you do.
Living there
A Slovak passport lets you live and work in any EU country, and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Not eligible? The long way round
If descent doesn’t work for you, you can still become a citizen by living in Slovakia and applying to naturalize. It takes longer, but it’s open to anyone who meets the conditions.
A shortcut for people with Slovak roots
With a Slovak Living Abroad certificate the wait drops to 3 years, and you’re exempt from the language test. Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens born in Slovakia have their own route, in the guide above.
- Time living there first
- 8 years’ continuous permanent residence.
- Language and tests
- An interview, and a test of Slovak and general knowledge.
- Keep your current passport?
- Giving up your other citizenship isn’t listed as a condition. Check with the Slovak authorities.
- Main ways to get residence
- Work, business, family and study.
Already have, or able to get, a passport from an EU country through another family line? Then you can live and work in Slovakia without a visa. See what an EU passport lets you do.
General information, not immigration advice. Residence rules change often, so check the official source before you plan a move. Sources: IOM Migration Information Centre, Slovakia: conditions for Slovak citizenship; Slovak Consulate General in New York: Slovak citizenship.