Obtaining Slovak citizenship

Citizenship of Slovakia is a person’s status, which gives him a full list of rights and freedoms provided for by law. The holder of a Slovak passport is under state protection and can count on appropriate support abroad. The main ways to obtain citizenship of the Republic of Slovakia are birth, adoption, as well as acquisition by naturalization or other grounds. For Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians, an acceptable option is legalization through long-term residence in the country.

A Slovak passport is an opportunity to move freely, travel, live without time restrictions and find work in any EU country. GDP growth, level of economic development, attractiveness for investment, proximity of language and culture are factors that make Slovakia the best choice for obtaining EU citizenship .

Opportunities for citizens with a Slovak passport

Slovak citizenship opens up favorable prospects for a comfortable life and development in economically stable conditions in the European space. Holders of Slovak and EU citizenship are entitled to:

• residence in any country of the European Union without restrictions;
• employment without special permits;
• receiving benefits and social payments provided for by law;
• entry without entry permits into most countries of the world and simplified regime for obtaining visas to many other countries;
• use of profitable banking products from leading European institutions;
• purchasing real estate in the EU using simplified procedures available to European citizens;
• participation in elections as a voter and candidate.

According to the global Passport Index, the Slovak passport was ranked 5th in strength in 2022. The document opens the way to 182 visa-free countries.

Nationality Law

The conditions for the provision, loss and confirmation of a passport of a citizen of Slovakia are regulated by the Law on Citizenship of January 19, 1993. The first part of the document, including articles 2-8, describes the process of acquiring citizenship on the basis of birth, adoption and reception. The regulations provide for the requirements for candidates and the general procedure for obtaining a passport.

Features of obtaining Slovak citizenship

You can become the owner of a Slovak passport in the following ways:

• birth – for children of Slovaks, as well as those born in the country from foreigners or stateless persons, as well as persons found on the territory of the state who do not have an established origin;
• adoption – for a child who has come under the guardianship of parents who (or one of them) are citizens of the RS;
• naturalization – for foreigners who have legally lived in the country for at least 8 years under a residence permit and permanent residence (or less due to special circumstances).

To obtain Slovak citizenship according to the general procedure, you need to live in the state for at least 8 years – first 5 years with a temporary residence permit and 3 years with a permanent one. This period can be reduced to 5 years in case of marriage to a Slovakian. Slovak citizenship can be obtained in an accelerated manner when making special contributions to the economic, cultural, scientific or other fields, as well as when applying for asylum.

Grounds for obtaining citizenship

• Employment.
  Official work under a contract in Slovakia is the basis for obtaining a residence permit. After 5 years of living in the country as a temporary resident and maintaining the conditions for its issuance, it is possible to apply for permanent residence, which after 3 years gives the right to citizenship. When receiving a residence permit card, you must provide an employment contract, a work permit or confirmation that it is not required, a written application with a document on education.
• Business.
  To establish a business in the country, the applicant must register in the trade register, draw up a business plan, provide a notarized act of becoming the statutory body of the company and other documents that confirm commercial activities. The process of legalization for investment in business is standard – obtaining a residence permit, permanent residence and citizenship after a total of 8 years of residence in the country.
• Education.
  To obtain a temporary residence permit in Slovakia with subsequent settlement in the country for the purpose of study, the applicant must provide confirmation of enrollment in the ranks of pupils/students from the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic or an educational institution. A residence permit is issued for the period of study (maximum 6 years). 5 years of residence as a temporary resident will allow a foreigner to obtain permanent residence, and after another 3 years you can obtain Slovak citizenship.
• Research activities.
  To stay in the country for the purpose of scientific research, when applying for a residence permit, you must provide a temporary cooperation agreement. You can continue your temporary resident card while maintaining your contract, and after 5 years of legal stay you can apply for permanent residence. After 8 years of legal residence, the applicant can apply for citizenship.
• Family reunification.
  Obtaining a residence permit with subsequent legalization is available to the spouse of a foreigner, minors and unmarried children, and a child placed under the guardianship of a single parent. As supporting documents, you must provide marriage and birth certificates, as well as evidence of permanent residence in Slovakia of the person with whom you intend to reunite.
• Marriage.
  A registered marriage with a citizen of Slovakia allows you to quickly apply for citizenship – after 5 years of legal residence in the union on the territory of the republic. Initially, the spouse of a Slovak citizen on the basis of marriage (concluded both in the Republic of Uzbekistan and abroad) obtains a permanent residence permit. After the expiration of the 5-year period of permanent residence and with the preservation of the marriage, you can begin the procedure for acquiring citizenship.
• Refugee.
  Having been in Slovakia on the basis of an asylum application for at least 4 years, a foreigner receives the right to apply for citizenship. Previously, applicants who were forced to leave their home country can stay in the Slovak Republic on the basis of refugee status or temporary asylum.

List of required documents

Depending on the grounds for obtaining Slovak citizenship, the dossier may vary, but the general list for any candidate includes:

• a completed application with a signature, a sample of which can be downloaded on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Slovakia ;
• biographical information (personal information, place of birth and residence, education, interests, abilities, etc.);
• identification document;
• birth certificate and marital status (if available);
• a certificate of good conduct from the country of origin or residence for the last 15 years before submitting the request;
• certificate of naturalization;
• applicant’s application form, which can be downloaded on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Slovakia .

Additionally, confirmation of payment of taxes and health insurance, copies of an employment contract or proof of the source of income to ensure residence in Slovakia (bank statement) may be required.

Requirements for an applicant for citizenship

A foreigner who seeks to obtain a Slovak passport must:

• have confirmed continuous residence in Slovakia for 8 years before submitting the request (or 5 years in case of marriage to a foreigner);
• demonstrate your reliability by providing a certificate of good conduct (there are exceptions if 5 or more years have passed since repayment);
• show a sufficient level of knowledge of the Slovak language (tested at an interview during the application process);
• provide a full package of documents provided for by the Law “On Citizenship”;
• meet special conditions (not be subject to deportation, expulsion, criminal prosecution, or revocation of asylum).

The procedure for obtaining the status of a citizen of Slovakia

Acquiring Slovak citizenship through the general naturalization procedure includes 4 stages and takes a total of 8 years (except in special cases, for example, marriage to a Slovakian). The procedure includes:

1. Opening a visa.
   Such an entry permit is issued in connection with the further provision of a residence permit (for a period of 90 days), taking language courses or other purposes in the interests of the Slovak Republic (for a period of 3 months).
2. Obtaining a residence permit.
   A temporary residence permit can be issued to a foreigner on one of the grounds – business, study, work or seasonal employment, research and development, family reunification. The first residence permit card is issued for a different period depending on the purpose of your stay. For example, for employment – for a period of no more than 5 years, and for research – up to 2 years. When submitting a request for temporary resident status, the applicant must document the reasons for his stay. If the purpose of staying in Slovakia remains the same, the residence permit can be extended for 3 or 5 years.
3. Registration of permanent residence.
   If a foreigner has lived in the Slovak Republic for 5 years legally, he can apply for long-term residence. The applicant must confirm the fact of being in the country for the required amount of time. The applicant must have a stable and regular income so that there is no need to use social assistance, housing or health insurance.
4. Acquiring citizenship.
   3 years of residence in Slovakia as a permanent resident and 8 years in total entitles an immigrant to citizenship. In the case of marriage, the residence permit stage is skipped – spouses of Slovak citizens can immediately apply for a permanent residence card and receive a passport after 5 years.

Price

State fees for granting Slovak citizenship are:

• for adults – 700 EUR;
• for children – up to 15 years old 100 EUR, from 15 to 18,150 EUR.

The fee is paid after completing the application process and, in case of a positive decision, upon the immediate issuance of a citizenship certificate. Persons who received citizenship in connection with seeking asylum, foreigners over 65 years of age and people with disabilities are exempt from payment.

Preliminarily, the legalization process in Slovakia includes the following expenses:

• visa registration in connection with the provision of a temporary residence permit – 60 EUR;
• Residence permit – depending on the grounds (35 EUR – for seasonal employment, 170 EUR – for employment, 100 EUR – for special activities, 135 EUR – for family reunification, 240 EUR – for entrepreneurship);
• Permanent residence – for issuing a card about 4.5 EUR.

Additionally, you need to take into account the costs of translation and legalization of documents.

Refusal to obtain citizenship

Reasons for a negative decision on the issuance of Slovak citizenship may be:

• unreliable or deliberately false data in the dossier, incomplete package of documents;
• fictitious certificates;
• failure to comply with the period of stay in the country to be able to apply for citizenship;
• having a criminal record for which the statute of limitations of 5 years has not passed;
• facts of expulsion, deportation or criminal prosecution of the applicant;
• insufficient level of language proficiency.

Cooperation with migration specialists will help to obtain an objective assessment of the prospects for acquiring citizenship and avoid inaccuracies with documents.

Passport of a citizen of Slovakia

A modern biometric passport has a format standardized for the EU – a book format with a maroon cover, the inscription “European Union” and the Republic of Slovakia. Since 2009, the country has been issuing identity documents with the owner’s fingerprints. There is no need to attach a photo to the package of documents for issuing a passport – it is taken on the spot in accordance with current requirements. For trips abroad, Slovaks use a biometric passport, but for internal use and travel within the EU, an ID card is sufficient.

Procedure for obtaining a Slovak passport

After a positive decision by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the assignment of citizenship and the issuance of a certificate, the applicant can begin the process of obtaining a Slovak identity card. You must submit an application to the district police department at your place of residence with:

• citizenship certificate;
• birth certificate;
• confirmation of registration of permanent residence;
• other documents, data from which is necessary to indicate in the passport.

The period for producing an identity card is 30 days from the date of application.