The question asked
This question most often comes from people who have sons approaching the age of nineteen (19). We also receive this question from Slovak citizens preparing to move back home, as well as Slovaks who have lived abroad for years and are now reading European headlines more carefully than they used to.
Most of our clients asking this question are foreigners with Slovak ancestry, who typically want one thing: the passport, the freedom of movement, and the connection to where their family came from, but not an obligation to any foreign army.
The question is nearly always phrased the same way: does Slovakia have military conscription, and does it apply to men?
The short answer is no. But the discussion has more context.
Slovakia doesn’t have conscription, meaning neither Slovak men nor Slovak women are required to undergo military training for a set period. However, Slovak men do have something different: the ‘national defense duty’, which means they can potentially be called up to the front during war or a state of war.
Why this is an important matter to consider now
Many countries in Europe have been changing their mind, and quickly.
Some European Union member states have had conscription in place continuously. While in recent years, another trend has emerged across the EU: member states are gradually reintroducing it. For example, Lithuania reinstated conscription in 2015, and it lasts nine (9) months. Latvia reinstated it in 2024, and it lasts eleven (11) months. Sweden reinstated it in 2017, and it lasts between nine (9) and fifteen (15) months. Perhaps the most recent example is Croatia, which reinstated it in 2026, and it lasts two (2) months.
When a headline about one of these countries lands in your feed, you’ll naturally wonder if Slovakia will be next.
Does Slovakia plan to reinstate conscription?
Conscription has been abolished in Slovakia since January 1, 2006. Since then, Slovak men are not required to serve conscription, which lasted six (6) months. Historically, men had to undergo a medical examination upon reaching the age of eighteen (18), and if they were found medically fit for conscription, they would enter a military camp the following year and begin military training.
You may have seen a headline suggesting Slovakia is about to reverse that. If so, it is worth knowing exactly what was said and by whom to fully understand the context.
In September 2025, a member of the Slovak government publicly proposed reintroducing compulsory military service of at least three (3) months, based on the Swiss model. The minister who proposed this idea decides on the tourism and sport portfolio. The minister who actually decides defense policy, the Minister of Defense, has publicly taken the opposite position, saying in February 2026 that a smaller number of motivated volunteers is far more effective than a much larger group of demotivated people.
Slovak public opinion is close to evenly split: a poll reported by the Slovak public broadcaster STVR in February 2026 put support for reintroducing conscription at 49.3%, and the opposition at 50.7%.
What Slovakia actually did in 2025
Since July 1, 2025, an entirely new Act No. 150/2025 Coll. has been in effect. The Act concerns measures to increase the resilience of the Slovak Republic in defense and security, and on national defense duty. It has replaced the previous Act No. 570/2005 Coll. on national defense duty. At first glance, it might seem that this new legislation also changed conscription; however, it has not.
If you find an English-language article that still cites Act No. 570/2005 Coll., it’s out of date. That statute was repealed with effect from July 1, 2025.
The National Defense Forces
The new legislation created the ‘National Defense Forces’, which replaced the ‘Armed Forces Reserves’. This opens the door to a much broader circle of Slovak citizens, both men and women, who want to assist the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic. The National Defense Forces consist of four (4) types of reserves: (i) operational; (ii) emergency; (iii) national defense; and (iv) other reserves. In the event of war or a state of war, the operational and emergency reserves are the main source for replenishing the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic’s capacity.
Joining the National Defense Forces is voluntary for non-military Slovak citizens. Slovak citizens aren’t required to participate in any conscription or compulsory military training, but may do so if they wish. According to the Ministry of Defense, membership remains open and paid. The Ministry announced allowances of EUR 3,000 for twenty (20) days of training or EUR 1,500 for fourteen (14) days of training.
The purpose of the National Defense Forces is essentially to prepare citizens not only for a potential war or state of war, but also to assist in crisis situations, such as natural disasters, industrial accidents, terrorist attacks, or a mass (and illegal) immigration of foreigners into the territory of Slovakia.
Since 2025, Slovakia has adopted new legislation that has chosen a milder path — voluntary, paid participation in assisting the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic. Given this, we strongly believe Slovakia does not plan on reinstating conscription in the near future.
What is the national defense duty?
The national defense duty, unlike conscription, still exists under Slovak law. Under the Act, it consists of two (2) parts: the duty to undergo a call-up assessment, and the duty to perform either extraordinary or alternative service.
Extraordinary service is considered military service with a weapon in the armed forces, particularly in the event of war or a state of war. Alternative service is service without a weapon related to the defense of the state or civil protection, again, particularly in the event of war or a state of war.
It is important to clarify two (2) features of the Slovak system that individuals abroad often get wrong. First, there is no peacetime draft board. Under the Act, the call-up assessment occurs only during war and a state of war. The President decides, on the government’s proposal, which year-classes are called up. No one is summoned for a medical examination in peacetime. Second, the draft has an end date. The national defense duty arises for a man on January 1 of the calendar year in which he turns nineteen (19), and it ends on December 31 of the calendar year in which he turns fifty-five (55).
People often assume national defense duty applies to all men who are citizens of Slovakia, but that isn’t true. The national defense duty arises only for men (between the ages of 18 and 55) who are citizens of Slovakia, and who also simultaneously have registered permanent residence in Slovakia.
Permanent residence decides everything
On the other hand, if he does have registered permanent residence in Slovakia, then in the event of war or a state of war, he will be called up to appear for national defense duty. Within that process, the man’s fitness to perform extraordinary or alternative service is assessed. If he’s found fit, he will also be obliged to perform under a call-up order.
Permanent residence is not a formality in this context. It could be considered a legal ‘switch’. The Act makes permanent residence a condition of the duty, which also means that the end of permanent residence in Slovakia is one of the ways duty can cease, alongside loss of Slovak citizenship and/or reaching the end of the year in which the man turns fifty-five (55).
Another option, for those who want to pursue it: a citizen who doesn’t have permanent residence in Slovakia, and even a foreign national, can voluntarily assume national defense duty. The President of the Slovak Republic makes that decision. However, please take note that it is a choice, not an imposition.
Choosing alternative service instead of extraordinary service
If you would like to pursue alternative service, rather than extraordinary service, it is possible to serve without a weapon. Slovak citizens may, in a normal situation (that is, not in a war or a state of war), refuse to perform extraordinary service by declaration. They may do so in the year in which the national defense duty arose for them, or in January of each following year until the national defense duty ceases.
Three (3) practical points that the statute makes which are easy to miss:
- The declaration must be made in peacetime. A declaration submitted during a war or a state of war won’t be taken into account. The same applies to one submitted during a state of emergency or a state of crisis. In that case, the citizen is obliged to perform extraordinary service.
- It is a formal document, not an e-mail. You must file the declaration in writing, with a certified signature, at the District Office for your permanent residence.
- It can be withdrawn, but only until a call-up order for alternative service has been delivered.
In plain terms: this is a decision to be made calmly and in advance. It’s not an option you can take once the situation has changed.
Therefore, if a Slovak citizen wishes to help Slovakia in the event of war or a state of war but, for reasons of conscience or religious belief, doesn’t want to fight with a weapon, they may refuse to perform extraordinary service and, if necessary, perform alternative service.
Do you have to register permanent residence once you become a Slovak citizen?
No, a Slovak citizen is not obliged to have their permanent residence registered in Slovakia. Therefore, if a Slovak citizen genuinely lives abroad and has permanent residence registered there, he or she is not obliged to register permanent residence in Slovakia — and, as explained above, the national defense duty won’t apply.
The obligation to watch out for: Tax residency
Registering permanent residence in Slovakia affects not only the emergence of the national defense duty, but also the emergence of tax residency in Slovakia.
Permanent residence is only one of three (3) routes into unlimited tax residency. The Income Tax Act also affects any individual who has a “place of residence” in Slovakia — meaning his or her stay in Slovakia is not merely occasional, and shows an intention to live there; and also, an individual who is present in Slovakia for 183 days or more within one (1) calendar year, whether continuously or in several periods.
The practical consequence is important: deregistering permanent residence doesn’t by itself solve a Slovak tax exposure if you are actually living in Slovakia. Conversely, where a double taxation treaty applies and treats you as a resident of the other contracting state, the Act itself steps back and treats you as having limited tax residency in Slovakia.
Before changing permanent residence from a foreign one to a Slovak one, carefully consider the tax consequences of such a “simple” change of permanent residence.
Bear in mind that if a Slovak citizen has permanent residence in Slovakia only formally and doesn’t actually reside there, they must regularly check the mailbox, as failing to respond to important mail may have serious legal consequences.
Can you serve in another country’s army?
As a Slovak citizen, serving in another country’s army requires approval from the Slovak President. However, the new legislation does contain a provision allowing a Slovak citizen to serve in another country’s army without the Slovak President’s approval, but only if both Slovakia and the other country are members of the same international military organization.
Slovakia is part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Therefore, a Slovak citizen can serve in any NATO member army without the Slovak President’s consent. It is viewed as a single, unified whole; therefore, Slovak citizens can serve in the armies of, for example, the United States of America and Canada.
The alternative case is more serious. If a Slovak citizen decided to serve in the army of a country that is not a member of NATO (even if they are a citizen of that country) and didn’t first request the Slovak President’s approval, they would commit a criminal offense and could be sentenced to prison.
Where this leaves you
To summarize, Slovakia does not have conscription, and currently it doesn’t appear that this will change in the near future. However, Slovak men with permanent residence in the territory of Slovakia are subject to the national defense duty and, in the event of war or a state of war, are obliged to take part in the defense of Slovakia.
It should be noted that failure to appear for national defense duty is a criminal offense. However, this isn’t a reason to avoid Slovak citizenship. Rather, it’s a reason to know where you stand before a crisis, not during one, should such a situation occur.
For the great majority of the people who write to us, Slovaks by descent, living in the United States, Canada or elsewhere, with no permanent residence registered in Slovakia, the answer to the question in the title is a clear-cut ‘no’.
If this topic has caught your interest, or if you’d like to consult with us about your specific situation, please don’t hesitate to contact us, and we’ll be happy to discuss it with you. Some situations are genuinely specific, and it can sometimes happen that although the national defense duty doesn’t arise, tax obligations do.
Frequently asked questions
Not unless he has permanent residence registered in Slovakia. National defense duty applies only to men who are Slovak citizens and have permanent residence in Slovakia. Slovakia has no applicable conscription.
No. The national defense duty cannot arise before January 1 of the calendar year in which a man turns nineteen (19), and even then only if he has permanent residence in Slovakia.
No. The duty arises only for male Slovak citizens. However, women may join the National Defense Forces voluntarily.
No. The national defense duty ends on December 31 of the calendar year in which a man turns fifty-five (55). It can only be extended voluntarily, based on the citizen’s own application.
If the national defense duty hasn’t arisen for you because you have no permanent residence in Slovakia, there is nothing to call you up for. If you do have permanent residence in Slovakia and you’re abroad when mobilization is announced, Slovak law does require you to return without delay.
Serving in the armed forces of a NATO member state doesn’t require the Slovak President’s approval.
Yes. You may declare, in peacetime, that you refuse extraordinary service on grounds of conscience or religious belief, and perform alternative service instead. The declaration must be filed in the year the duty arose or in January of any following year, in writing and with a certified signature.
Currently, there are no signs that it’ll be brought back. To support this, the Slovak Minister of Defense rejected the idea in February 2026 in favor of motivated volunteers.
Yes, the most significant is tax. Permanent residence makes you a Slovak taxpayer with unlimited tax residency, taxed on worldwide income, subject to any applicable double taxation treaty.
Conscription is peacetime military training of a fixed length; Slovakia abolished it in 2006. National defense duty is the obligation to undergo a call-up assessment and serve in a crisis situation; it still exists and depends on permanent residence.
The Slovak national defense duty depends on permanent residence in Slovakia, and there is no peacetime call-up. The U.S. Selective Service registration requirement applies to dual nationals regardless of where they live, and exists independently of Slovak citizenship.
General information on Slovak citizenship and national defense law, current as of publication. Not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice on your own circumstances.
Last reviewed: August 8, 2026. Based on Act No. 150/2025 Coll., as in force from March 1, 2026.