The travel document is a public instrument by which a citizen proves their identity, citizenship, and other facts stated in the travel document. The travel document is the property of the Slovak Republic (a citizen may hold a maximum of two valid travel documents of the same type). A citizen has the right to obtain a travel document unless there are reasons to deny issuance or revoke it.

The following types of travel documents are distinguished:

• Travel passport,
• Diplomatic passport,
• Service passport,
• Substitute travel documents,
• Foreigner’s travel document,
• Substitute travel documents of the European Union,
• Other document.

Data in the travel document: The travel document must contain the following identity information about its holder:

• First and last name,
• Day, month, year, and place of birth,
• Birth number,
• Gender,
• State citizenship (this does not apply to the travel document of a foreigner),
• Diplomatic or service rank, if it is a diplomatic or service passport,
• Facial image,
• Signature (a handwritten statement of the holder’s last name or name and last name in any order – not required if the citizen is unable to sign),
• Biometric data, if a special regulation does not stipulate otherwise; biometric data for the law on travel documents include the facial image and fingerprints in the data carrier according to a special regulation (the special regulation is Regulation (EC) No. 2252/2004 of December 13, 2004, on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States in force – click here for its display).

The travel document must also include information on:

• The absence of biometric fingerprint data of the holder in the data carrier if the citizen is older than 12 years, from whom it is physically impossible to take fingerprints,
• Time validity, or other data stipulated by an international treaty,
• Restriction of legal capacity or deprivation of legal capacity.

Upon the citizen’s request, the following information can be entered into the travel document:

• The abbreviation of an academic title, scientific-pedagogical title, artistic-pedagogical title, or other title, or scientific-academic degree, artistic-academic degree, or scientific degree of a university graduate upon presenting a document on the award or abbreviation of the title that the citizen is entitled to use; if it is not possible to list all the required titles or degrees due to a lack of space, the citizen will specify which ones to include,
• Information about a severe health disability is based on the certificate of a person with a severe health disability with an escort; the type of disability will also be recorded if the citizen requests it.

Biometric data may be used exclusively to verify the authenticity of the travel document and verify the identity of the citizen using personal data recorded in the travel document or to compare biometric data incorporated into the data carrier through a technical device enabling the comparison of currently displayed biometric data of the citizen with biometric data processed in the data carrier of the travel document.

A citizen to whom a travel document with biometric data has been issued, or their representative, may request verification of the functionality of the data carrier with biometric data and the accuracy of the biometric data incorporated into it.

Practical advice: Biometric fingerprint data may not be included in travel documents until June 29, 2009.

Information about crossing the state border of the Slovak Republic – this information is recorded in the travel document by the police unit (it must be recorded in the travel document if the holder of the travel document requests it), Membership in the civilian component of the armed forces of the Slovak Republic or the status of a dependent person (this information is recorded in the travel document by the bodies of the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic), Based on an international treaty or if a special regulation provides for it.

Application for the issuance of a travel document: The application for the issuance of a travel document is submitted on official forms of the authority issuing the travel document, abroad to the diplomatic mission. The application includes data stated in the travel document and additional data and documents, namely:

• Previous last name and maiden name,
• Address of the current permanent residence, and if it is less than 10 years, also the address of the previous permanent residence with the indication of its beginning,
• Data on the travel document if it has already been issued; the previously issued travel document is submitted for inspection,
• Justification for the application if it is for the issuance of a diplomatic passport or service passport,
• Information about the identity of the spouse or parent of a child under 25 years of age, if it is for the issuance of a diplomatic passport or service passport to the spouse or child of the holder of a diplomatic passport according to § 9 paragraph 1 letters a) and e), paragraph 2 letters a) and j) or § 9 paragraph 3 letter b) or the holder of a service passport according to § 10 paragraph 1 letter g) of Act No. 647/2007 Coll. on travel documents and amending certain laws,
• Information on the citizenship of the Slovak Republic from the submitted valid travel document or another document proving the citizenship of the Slovak Republic,
• Information stated in the extract from the special registry submitted instead of the registry document of a foreign authority,
• Other information required by an international treaty as a condition for issuing a travel document,
• Document on the award of an academic title, scientific-pedagogical title, artistic-pedagogical title, or other title, or scientific-academic degree, artistic-academic degree, or scientific degree of a university graduate; this document is not required if the title or degree is recorded in the identity card or in the submitted travel document. For a document on the award of a title or degree issued by a foreign university or another authorized authority, a decision on the recognition of this document as equivalent to a document on the award of a title or degree issued by a university in the Slovak Republic under a special regulation is submitted,
• A certified translation of foreign-language documents into the state language if an international treaty does not provide otherwise.

If the application for the issuance of a travel document or the application for the amendment of data in the travel document does not contain the data and documents as stated above, the authority issuing the travel document will request the applicant to supplement them. In the request, it will specify a reasonable deadline for their completion, but at least 15 days; if the application was submitted abroad at least 90 days.

A citizen to whom a travel document is to be issued must be present in person when applying, except for a citizen who cannot do so due to disability.

A citizen to whom a travel document is to be issued is obliged to undergo the scanning of the facial image, fingerprints, and signature if the travel document contains such data. Scanning of the facial image is done in civilian clothing, without a head covering, and dark glasses. In justified cases, scanning of the facial image with a head covering is possible for health or religious reasons; this covering must not cover the facial part in a way that would prevent identification.

If a visually impaired person who uses dark glasses requests the issuance of a travel document, they are required to attach a medical certificate on the use of dark glasses issued by the relevant health facility or submit an identity card of a person with a severe health disability with a guide indicating the type of health disability “blind”; the facial image is scanned with dark glasses.

Where to apply for a passport? A passport is issued to a citizen by the district directorate of the Police Corps, according to the place of the citizen’s permanent or temporary residence or the location where the citizen applies for a passport.

The passport is issued with territorial validity to all countries in the world.

The passport is issued to:

• a citizen who has reached 16 years of age, valid for 10 years,
• a citizen under 16 years of age, valid for 5 years, and
• a citizen under 6 years of age, valid for 2 years. If a citizen holds a passport valid for 10 years, the second passport is issued with a validity of 5 years.
• a citizen for whom fingerprinting is temporarily not possible will be issued a passport valid for one year.

Important instructions for parents: Since June 26, 2012, every citizen of the Slovak Republic, whether an adult or a small child, must have a valid passport when traveling abroad. This means that from this date, entries for children in the passports of their parents are no longer made. While an adult can travel within the EU with an ID card, every child traveling abroad must have a valid passport.

A passport application is submitted by the parent of the child, accompanied by the child’s birth certificate and the parent’s ID card or passport (if the parent does not have an ID card). It is necessary to pay the administrative fee for issuing the passport.

If the parents of minor children are separated or divorced, both have equal rights when obtaining a passport for the child.

This means that even the parent to whom the child has not been entrusted for upbringing can have a passport made for their child and does not need written consent from the other parent.

Responsibilities of the passport holder: A citizen holding a passport is obliged to:

• protect the passport from loss, theft, damage, or misuse,
• immediately submit an invalid passport to the authority that issued it, abroad to the diplomatic mission, and upon request to the police department. This obligation does not apply to a replacement passport,
• immediately submit a passport issued for the period of performing a function or for the time necessary to fulfill specified tasks if the reasons for which it was issued have ceased,
• and report the loss or theft of the passport immediately to the authority that issued it or to any police department,
• report the loss or theft of the passport abroad to the diplomatic mission and, upon returning to the Slovak Republic, also to the authority that issued the passport. If the citizen submits a document on the loss or theft of the passport in a language other than Slovak or Czech, an authenticated translation into the state language must also be attached,
• immediately submit the passport to the authority that issued it if a decision has been made to revoke it or if it can be reasonably expected that it will be revoked. An invalid passport may be left to the holder upon request if it has a valid visa from another country or a similar document required for a stay on its territory. After the visa expires, the citizen is obliged to submit such a passport.

The passport must not be handed over or accepted as collateral, and it must not be handed over or taken upon entering a facility or land. The citizen is not allowed to leave the passport as collateral during their stay abroad.