In the summer of 2025, the Ministry of the Interior denied one of our clients’ citizenship-by-descent applications. The client’s ancestors emigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century and naturalized shortly after. We believed the decision was incorrect, and immediately appealed to the higher authority: the Minister of the Interior. The Minister agreed with our arguments, canceled the decision, and returned the case to the Ministry, which ultimately issued a favorable decision.
Why these cases seemed impossible
Since April 1, 2022, when the Slovak Citizenship Act was amended and the new citizenship-by-descent program was introduced, we have been receiving inquiries from individuals whose circumstances seemed, at first glance, impossible to make a case. Many had ancestors who emigrated or naturalized long before Czechoslovakia’s establishment, creating obstacles under the existing legal framework.
We strived to find a solution to this significant issue. From the beginning, our team committed itself to representing such clients and pursuing every possible legal avenue to achieve a positive outcome. For over a year and a half, our work involved daily research, studying historical laws, developing legal theories, and crafting arguments intended to break new ground. This required meticulous legal drafting and strategic planning to create opportunities where standard procedures would have failed.
The first favorable decisions
At the start, the only thing we could offer our clients was our belief that we were on the right path. We were fortunate that clients trusted us with their cases. They placed their confidence in our knowledge and engaged our services, allowing us to prove that they made the right decision. We began taking the most complex cases in 2023, and the first favorable decisions arrived in the summer of 2025.
Yes, one of the most complex cases we have represented was ultimately successful. However, behind that success stood a year and a half of dedicated work — preparing arguments tailored specifically to our client’s situation, and the biggest fight we have encountered. In this context, we would like to emphasize that the Ministry did not adopt a “new interpretation” of pre-1908/1910 cases. In fact, they simply accepted the arguments we developed for this particular case.
We understand this may appear new or surprising to other providers or individual applicants, as cases involving ancestors who emigrated and naturalized as U.S. citizens long before the establishment of Czechoslovakia are precisely the types other providers decline to handle due to a lack of expertise and legal knowledge. To serve applicants with pre-1908/1910 cases, we have developed a robust, persuasive legal framework that has proven successful.
No outcome is guaranteed
We stand firmly behind the quality of our work. We offer years of expertise, meticulous legal strategy, and the ability to navigate unforeseen challenges. We commit to doing everything within our power to secure the best possible result, as we have for many clients facing even the most challenging circumstances. Finally, please remember that a successful outcome cannot be 100% guaranteed. Even the most straightforward cases can be denied, as the Ministry makes the final decision.
If your case appears complex or unlikely to succeed, we invite you to consult with us. Our firm specializes in precisely these situations. With careful analysis and a strategic approach, we can determine whether your case offers a viable path to Slovak citizenship and work with you toward the best possible outcome.
General information on Slovak citizenship law, current as of publication. Not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice on your own circumstances. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
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