Fundamental Issues of the Citizenship Agenda of the Slovak Republic.

We present the core issues of the citizenship agenda of the Slovak Republic in an accessible manner, focusing on foreigners with any authorized residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic who meet the legal requirements for acquiring Slovak Republic citizenship under § 7 of the Act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic No. 40/1993 Coll. on the State Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, as amended (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”).

Preparation Checklist for EU Citizens Before Commencing the Process (Tools, Documents, Certificates…) and Where to Find/Obtain Them. A foreigner residing in the territory of the Slovak Republic, primarily meeting the residency condition, can apply for Slovak Republic citizenship under § 7 of the Act. These conditions are the same for all EU citizens as well as for citizens of third countries.

Steps for the Applicant.

The applicant/foreigner must primarily meet the residency condition in the territory of the Slovak Republic. If met, they can:

• Submit a citizenship application in person to the relevant district office in the regional capital (based on the place of residence in the Slovak Republic, e.g., the city of Turzovka corresponds to the Žilina District Office), or at the embassy/consulate,
• Include a written statement with the application outlining the reasons along with a questionnaire,
• According to § 8 para. 3 of the Act, the applicant submits relevant documents, including:
  • Brief curriculum vitae (providing basic personal information, written by hand in the form of an essay),
  • Identification document, birth certificate, marital status certificate, residence permit issued by the alien police, certificate of good conduct (not older than 6 months, a criminal record extract from every state where the applicant is or was a citizen, and an extract from the criminal record of every state where the applicant had residence in the last 15 years before applying for Slovak Republic citizenship),
  • Document releasing from the state union of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Slovak Socialist Republic, or Slovak Republic, or a naturalization certificate or proof of acquiring citizenship in another state if the applicant is a former citizen,
  • Certificate proving the status of a Slovak living abroad (if applicable),
  • Additional documents such as tax payment confirmation, employment details, health insurance payment confirmation, proof of study, pension receipt, unemployment registration, and proof of sufficient income to finance the applicant’s stay and that of close relatives in the Slovak Republic if voluntarily unemployed.

The applicant submits only those documents confirming compliance with the obligations under § 7 para. 1 letter i) concerning the applicant and replaces documents not applicable to them with a sworn declaration explaining their non-submission.

Additionally, the applicant must take a Slovak language proficiency test at the relevant district office in the regional capital or at the embassy/consulate.

The application for Slovak Republic citizenship is submitted to the district office in the regional capital or embassy/consulate, but the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic decides on the application.

The administrative fee is determined by the Fee Schedule for Administrative Fees in the Field of State Citizenship under the Act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic No. 145/1995 Coll. on Administrative Fees, as amended, in item No. 20 – Granting of Slovak Republic Citizenship.

Consequences for Non-Compliance with Obligations.

If the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic finds obstacles during the examination of the application for Slovak Republic citizenship, it may:

• Issue a decision to terminate the proceedings,
• Issue a decision to reject the application for Slovak Republic citizenship, or
• Suspend the proceedings on the application for Slovak Republic citizenship.

Where Citizens Can Seek Assistance. According to § 8 para. 1 of the Act, the application for Slovak Republic citizenship is submitted in person to the district office in the regional capital, diplomatic mission, or consular office of the Slovak Republic (employees of these offices will assist or advise on the procedure for submitting the application for Slovak Republic citizenship).

Example contact: District Office Bratislava Department of General Internal Administration – Division of Administrative, Citizenship, and Registry Matters

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers.

• When will Slovak Republic citizenship be granted? How long does the process take? The average duration of the process for an application for Slovak Republic citizenship is not specified, as the process begins with the delivery of the application to the Ministry – Citizenship Department from the relevant district office in the regional capital and ends with the receipt of the document or the legal effectiveness of the decision issued.

According to § 8a para. 7 of the Act, the Ministry has a statutory deadline of 24 months from the delivery of the application. However, this deadline does not run during the delivery of requested opinions by authorities according to § 8a para. 3 of the Act necessary for the decision.

Supplementary Laws: Act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic No. 40/1993 Coll. on the State Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, as amended.