Slovakia

Last Updated: 2026-03-31

Official Portal: Ministry of the Interior — Citizenship

Embassy Finder: Slovak Embassies and Consulates

Quick Facts

Category	Details
Residency for naturalization	8 years of continuous permanent residence in Slovakia
Language requirement	Slovak language proficiency — at least B1 level (assessed through interview, may include written component)
Civics test	Yes — knowledge of Slovak history, geography, and civic institutions (assessed during the language/knowledge interview)
Processing time	6—24 months
Naturalization fee	EUR 663.50 (standard); EUR 33 (for applicants married to a Slovak citizen for 5+ years)
Dual citizenship	Effectively prohibited — voluntary acquisition of a foreign nationality results in automatic loss of Slovak citizenship (since 2010)
Citizenship by birth in Slovakia	Limited jus soli — only for children born on Slovak territory to stateless parents or parents whose child would otherwise be stateless
Citizenship by descent	Automatic for children of Slovak citizens
Governing law	Zakon o statnom obcianstve Slovenskej republiky (Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, as amended, particularly by Act No. 250/2010)

Dual Citizenship

Slovakia has one of the strictest dual citizenship policies in the EU, enacted in response to Hungary’s 2010 dual citizenship law that allowed ethnic Hungarians abroad (including approximately 500,000 in Slovakia) to acquire Hungarian citizenship without residence.

The 2010 Amendment (Act No. 250/2010, effective 17 July 2010):

A Slovak citizen who voluntarily acquires the citizenship of another state automatically loses Slovak citizenship on the date the foreign citizenship is acquired (Section 9(16)). This is one of the harshest provisions in European nationality law.

Key consequences:

The loss is automatic — no administrative decision is required.
The affected person must report the acquisition of the foreign citizenship to the District Office within 90 days.
Failure to report is an administrative offense punishable by a fine of up to EUR 3,319.
Loss applies even if the person was born a Slovak citizen.

Exceptions (citizenship is NOT lost):

The foreign citizenship was acquired automatically (e.g., by birth in a jus soli country, by marriage under laws that automatically confer citizenship, by adoption).
The foreign citizenship was acquired by a minor through a parent.
The person acquired foreign citizenship before the 2010 amendment entered into force (17 July 2010).

2022 partial relaxation: An amendment effective 1 April 2022 introduced a limited exception: a Slovak citizen who has been continuously resident abroad for at least 5 years at the time of acquiring the foreign citizenship does not lose Slovak citizenship, provided they report the acquisition. This somewhat softened the 2010 rule for the Slovak diaspora, but the core prohibition remains for residents of Slovakia.

Political context: The 2010 law remains deeply controversial and politically charged, tied to Slovak-Hungarian ethnic tensions. Multiple constitutional challenges have been brought; the Constitutional Court has upheld the law’s core provisions.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Soli)

Slovakia follows a strict jus sanguinis system. Birth on Slovak territory does not confer citizenship except in limited cases:

A child born in Slovakia to parents who are stateless or whose nationality cannot be determined, and the child does not acquire any other nationality, is a Slovak citizen (Section 5(b)).
A child found on Slovak territory whose parents are unknown (foundling) is a Slovak citizen until the contrary is proven.

By Descent (Jus Sanguinis)

A child acquires Slovak citizenship at birth if at least one parent is a Slovak citizen (Section 5(a)), regardless of where the child is born.

Key provisions:

Both mothers and fathers transmit citizenship equally.
There is no generational limit for descent, provided the chain of citizenship is unbroken.
Children born abroad to Slovak parents should be registered with a Slovak embassy or consulate for documentation purposes.

Historical complexities: Slovakia became independent on 1 January 1993 upon the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. Persons who were citizens of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic and had a “republic-level citizenship” (statne obcianstvo) of the Slovak Republic under the 1968 Federation Act were automatically Slovak citizens. Descent claims often require tracing this republic-level citizenship.

By Adoption

A child adopted by a Slovak citizen acquires Slovak citizenship on the date the adoption becomes final under Slovak law (Section 6).

By Marriage

Slovakia does not grant automatic citizenship through marriage. However, a foreign spouse of a Slovak citizen benefits from a reduced residency requirement:

5 years of continuous permanent residence in Slovakia (reduced from 8 years) at the time of application.
The marriage must be genuine and subsisting.
All other naturalization conditions apply.
The fee is significantly reduced: EUR 33 (compared to EUR 663.50 for the standard pathway).

By Naturalization (Residency)

Standard pathway (Section 7, Act No. 40/1993):

Requirement	Details
Permanent residence	8 years of continuous permanent residence in Slovakia
Slovak language	B1 level proficiency — assessed through an interview and possible written test conducted by the District Office
Civics knowledge	Knowledge of Slovak history, geography, and civic institutions — assessed during the interview
Good character	No convictions for intentional criminal offenses in the past 10 years
Public order	Must not pose a threat to public order or national security
No outstanding obligations	Must have fulfilled tax, social insurance, and health insurance obligations
Renunciation	Not explicitly required, but acquiring Slovak citizenship while holding another may trigger loss of the other citizenship under that country’s law; and re-acquiring a foreign citizenship afterward triggers loss of Slovak citizenship under the 2010 rule
Fee	EUR 663.50 (standard); EUR 33 (spouses of Slovak citizens married for 5+ years)

Reduced residency:

5 years for spouses of Slovak citizens.
3 years for recognized refugees in Slovakia.
Waived for persons who have rendered exceptional services to Slovakia (granted by the Ministry of Interior at its discretion).

Slovakia is an EU and Schengen Area member state. Slovak citizens enjoy full EU freedom of movement, including the right to live, work, and study in any EU/EEA country.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

A Slovak citizen may renounce citizenship by submitting a written declaration to the District Office (Section 9(1)), provided:

The person holds or has been guaranteed the citizenship of another state.
The person has no outstanding criminal proceedings, tax obligations, or social insurance debts in Slovakia.

Renunciation takes effect on the date of delivery of the document confirming release from citizenship.

Involuntary Loss

Ground	Details
Voluntary acquisition of foreign citizenship	Automatic loss under Section 9(16) (the 2010 amendment), unless an exception applies (automatic acquisition, minor, or 5+ years abroad under the 2022 exception).
Fraud	Citizenship obtained through false or fraudulent documents may be revoked within 3 years of the fraud being discovered (Section 8a).

Restoration of Nationality

Former citizens who lost citizenship under the 2010 amendment may apply for re-naturalization under the standard pathways. There is no simplified restoration procedure for persons who lost citizenship by operation of the 2010 law.

Former Czechoslovak citizens: Persons who held Czechoslovak citizenship and republic-level Slovak citizenship before 1 January 1993 but became Czech citizens upon dissolution (because they elected Czech citizenship or were assigned it by default) may have claims to Slovak citizenship. These cases are assessed individually by the Ministry of the Interior.

The 2022 amendment created a pathway for former citizens who lost citizenship under the 2010 rule and have resided abroad for 5+ years to re-acquire Slovak citizenship by naturalization with a reduced residency requirement (in practice, they may not need to re-establish residency in Slovakia if they can demonstrate continued ties).

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

Foundlings (Section 5(c)): A child found on the territory of Slovakia whose parents are unknown is considered a Slovak citizen until the contrary is proven.

Stateless persons: Slovakia is party to both the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. A stateless child born in Slovakia acquires citizenship at birth. Stateless adults may naturalize under the standard pathway, with the possibility of a reduced residency period at the Minister’s discretion.

Document Checklist

Sources

Zakon c. 40/1993 Z.z. o statnom obcianstve Slovenskej republiky — Act on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, as amended. https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/1993/40/
Zakon c. 250/2010 Z.z. — 2010 amendment on dual citizenship. https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2010/250/
Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic — citizenship procedures. https://www.minv.sk/?citizenship
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs — embassy finder. https://www.mzv.sk/web/en/diplomatic-missions
Constitution of the Slovak Republic, Article 5. https://www.prezident.sk/upload-files/46422.pdf

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