According to § 7(1) ZoŠO, Slovak citizenship may be granted to an applicant who:
- Has had uninterrupted permanent residence in the territory of Slovakia for at least 8 years immediately before submitting the application for Slovak citizenship.
- Is of good character; a person is not considered to be of good character if they:
- Have been sentenced to deportation by a court.
- Are subject to criminal proceedings.
- Are subject to extradition proceedings or a European arrest warrant.
- Are subject to administrative expulsion proceedings.
- Are subject to asylum revocation proceedings.
- Demonstrates proficiency in the Slovak language, both spoken and written, and general knowledge about Slovakia (§ 8(5) – (8)); this does not apply to an applicant under § 7(2)(b), (i), (j), (4) – (7), or an applicant who:
- Is under 14 years of age at the time of application.
- Is or was a citizen of the Czech Republic.
- Holds a valid certificate proving their status as a Slovak living abroad.
- Is older than 65 years.
- Has passed a high school graduation exam in the Slovak language, a state language exam in Slovak, or a university final exam in a Slovak-language study program, provided no more than 10 years have passed since taking the exam.
- Fulfills obligations arising from legal regulations concerning the residence of foreigners in Slovakia, public health insurance, social insurance, pension savings, taxes, levies, fees, employment of foreigners, and other obligations under Slovak law.
- Does not pose a threat to public order or the security of the Slovak Republic.
Under § 7(8) ZoŠO, when assessing the fulfillment of the residence condition in Slovakia, consideration is given to whether the applicant actually resided in Slovakia during this period and to the reasons for their absence.
According to § 7(2) ZoŠO: An applicant who has authorized residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic may be granted Slovak citizenship without meeting the condition specified in § 7(1)(a), unless otherwise provided by this law, if
- They have married a Slovak citizen, the marriage is ongoing, and they have lived in a common household in Slovakia for at least 5 years immediately before submitting the application.
- They have made a significant contribution to Slovakia in economic, scientific, technical, cultural, social, or sports fields, or granting citizenship is in the interest of Slovakia.
- They have had uninterrupted permanent residence in Slovakia for at least 3 years before turning 18.
- They are a minor whose legal guardian or custodian is a Slovak citizen or a legal entity designated by a Slovak court and have had uninterrupted residence in Slovakia for at least 2 years before applying (this residency requirement does not apply to children under 2 years old).
- They have been an asylum seeker for at least 4 years before submitting the application.
- They were born in Slovakia and have had permanent residence in Slovakia for at least 3 years before submitting the application.
- They have had uninterrupted residence in Slovakia for at least 10 years and have been granted permanent residence at the time of application.
- They are stateless and have had uninterrupted residence in Slovakia for at least 3 years before submitting the application.
- They lost Slovak citizenship by release from the state bond of the Slovak Republic under § 9(1)(a).
- They were never a Slovak citizen, but at least one of their parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of Slovakia.
Based on the above, the Ukrainian spouses can apply for Slovak citizenship only after they have had uninterrupted permanent residence in Slovakia for more than 8 years. However, their child can be granted Slovak citizenship without meeting this requirement if they have had permanent residence in Slovakia for at least 3 years immediately before submitting the citizenship application (§ 7(2)(s) ZoŠO).