You qualify for Slovak citizenship by descent, also known as Slovak citizenship by ancestry, if at least one of your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of present-day Slovakia. That is the condition regarding your family, and since July 15, 2026, it sits in Section 7(8) of the Citizenship Act. Qualifying does not make you a citizen automatically. The Ministry of the Interior may grant citizenship by application.
The rule is the same for everyone, wherever they live. It does not ask you to move to Slovakia, to hold a residence permit, or to speak Slovak. It does ask for proof of every link between you and the ancestor, and of the ancestor’s Czechoslovak citizenship.
Slovak citizenship by descent requirements at a glance
| The law | Section 7(8) of Act No. 40/1993 Coll. on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, in force since July 15, 2026. The provision in English · Official Slovak text on Slov-Lex |
| The ancestor | a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent, on either side of the family |
| Two conditions | born in the territory of present-day Slovakia, and a Czechoslovak citizen |
| Residence in Slovakia | not required |
| Slovak language exam | not required |
| Proof about the ancestor | a document or record showing that the ancestor was a Czechoslovak citizen born in present-day Slovakia, required with every application since July 15, 2026 |
| Your current citizenship | Slovakia does not ask citizenship-by-descent applicants to give it up |
| Who decides | the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic; the proceedings currently take 6–10 months, and the statutory maximum is 24 months |
| Government fee | EUR 30, due only after approval, at the oath; applicants over 65 are exempt |
| Documents | the vital records linking you to the ancestor, the document or record about the ancestor, a structured CV, and criminal record checks; each foreign document with an apostille and a sworn Slovak translation |
| Ancestor further back | a different route, through a Slovak Living Abroad certificate |
The ancestor: Parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent
Section 7(8) reaches three generations back from you. One qualifying ancestor is enough, and the line can run through your mother or your father. A great-grandparent born in Slovakia qualifies you, provided they were also a Czechoslovak citizen.
| Your Slovak-born ancestor | Section 7(8) |
|---|---|
| Parent | qualifies |
| Grandparent | qualifies |
| Great-grandparent | qualifies |
| Great-great-grandparent or earlier | does not qualify; see “How far back” below |
The route is open only to applicants who have never been Slovak citizens. If one of your parents was a citizen of the Slovak Republic when you were born, you may already be Slovak by birth under Section 5, and Section 7(8) is not your route. Former citizens who lost Slovak citizenship cannot use it either; regaining Slovak citizenship follows a separate set of rules.
Two conditions: Born in present-day Slovakia, and a Czechoslovak citizen
Both conditions must be true of the same ancestor, and neither is enough alone.
Born in present-day Slovakia. What counts is where the place of birth lies today. Many ancestors were born in the Kingdom of Hungary, decades before Slovakia or Czechoslovakia existed. A birthplace in Upper Hungary qualifies if it is in Slovakia now.
A Czechoslovak citizen. Czechoslovakia existed from October 28, 1918, to December 31, 1992. The ancestor must have held its citizenship at some point in that period. For an ancestor who lived in Slovakia between the wars, this is usually a matter of records. For one who emigrated earlier, the case turns on that question.
Since July 15, 2026, Section 8(3)(k) requires every application under Section 7(8) to include a document or record showing that the ancestor was a Czechoslovak citizen born in present-day Slovakia. The burden is on the applicant. What the 2026 amendment changed is the subject of a separate article.
Qualifying is not the same as being a citizen
Section 7(8) says that citizenship “may be granted.” The decision belongs to the Ministry of the Interior, and the other conditions of Section 7(1), apart from residence, still apply, chiefly a clean criminal record in every country of citizenship and every country of residence in the past 15 years.
You become a citizen only at the end. After approval, you take the oath of a citizen of the Slovak Republic and receive a Deed of Granting Citizenship. A Slovak grandparent therefore makes you eligible to apply, not a citizen. Children under 14 can be included in a parent’s application and become citizens together with the parent; from 14, each child applies separately.
Do you need to live in Slovakia, speak Slovak, or give up your citizenship?
- Residence in Slovakia. Until July 14, 2026, the descent route, then Section 7(2)(j), applied only to applicants with a Slovak residence permit. Section 7(8) has no such requirement. You do not have to live in Slovakia before, during, or after the proceedings.
- A Slovak language exam. Section 7(1)(h) exempts applicants under Section 7(8).
- Giving up your current citizenship. Slovakia does not ask descent applicants to renounce it, so you can hold dual citizenship, and as a Slovak citizen you are also a citizen of the European Union, entitled to a Slovak passport.
U.S. citizens: Dual citizenship and where to file
U.S. citizens qualify on exactly the same terms as anyone else. Three points matter most to them.
- The United States permits its citizens to hold another citizenship, and U.S. citizenship acquired at birth is not affected by becoming Slovak. Acquiring a further citizenship after you are Slovak is a different matter, covered in Can you lose Slovak citizenship?
- You file in person at the Slovak embassy or consulate that serves your place of residence or citizenship. Where to file in the United States has its own article.
- An ancestor who naturalized in the United States before 1918 is the case described above: not automatically a no.
How far back: When the Slovak ancestor is further back
Section 7(8) stops at great-grandparents. If your Slovak-born ancestor is a great-great-grandparent or earlier, the descent route is not available, but another one may be. A Slovak Living Abroad certificate, issued by the Office for Slovaks Living Abroad, opens Section 7(3): citizenship may be granted after three years of continuous residence in Slovakia, or, with a Slovak residence permit, to an applicant who has made a significant contribution to the community of Slovaks abroad they come from. SLA certificate holders are also exempt from the language exam.
How to apply for Slovak citizenship by descent
You apply in person at the Slovak embassy or consulate that serves your place of residence or citizenship, or at a District Office in Slovakia (only in Bratislava if you’ve never resided in Slovakia). The Ministry of the Interior decides. After approval, you take the oath and receive the Deed of Granting Citizenship, and you then apply for your Citizenship Certificate and your Slovak passport. Each phase is set out on our Slovak citizenship by descent page.
If you are not sure whether you qualify
Many families know the name of the village and little else. Whether your ancestor qualifies turns on dates and records: where they were born, when they left, and what happened to their citizenship afterward. At FALATH & PARTNERS, our record stands at 285+ approvals, and none of our applications have ended in a denial.
Submit your case for review. The complimentary case review is confidential. You can expect to hear from us within three business days.
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.