Covid-19 and Travel of US citizen

Question:

I’ve been here in Slovakia since January because when I was in New York, I went to the Slovakian Embassy to give all my papers for certificate of Slovak living abroad (Krajanski). When I was there they told me that a copy of my birth certificate is fine, that they don’t need the original. So they said in 2 months it would be ready that’s why I came to Slovakia. When I cane here in January they said that a copy is not good enough, that they need the original. I brought them the original and then a month later they say that’s not good enough either, that they want an apostille on it. So I’ve been here in Slovakia since January without papers because of the information that the Slovak Embassy in New York game me.  If I was told in December that they need an apostille on my birth certificate I could’ve done it while I was still there. That is why I am scared of what’s going to happen. I can’t go to New York because if I leave now without getting my papers I don’t know if I’ll get a ban from coming back here since I’ve been here for more than 3 months. I’d appreciate it if you can help me figure out how to resolve this problem.

Answer:

According to current regulations, you will be permitted to enter Slovakia only if you are immediate family members of a Slovak citizen or resident or received a special exemption in advance of travel from the Ministry of Health. No travel for tourism or regular business from the United States to the Schengen zone, including Slovakia, is permitted.  

Flights to the Schengen zone through Vienna, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt permit transit as long as the traveler has proof that the final destination in the EU will allow their entry. Please carry a document that shows an immediate familial relationship to a Slovak citizen or resident, such as a marriage certificate or a birth record when boarding the flight. When transiting Austria from other country than Slovakia, it is required to complete a transit form.  When considering a flight through other countries, please verify if transit to Slovakia through those countries is permitted to non-citizens or non-residents at their respective Embassies in the United States and/or with the airlines. 

In addition to citizens and residents of Slovakia, citizens and residents of Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, China, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Germany, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Latvia, Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, San Marino, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Vatican are allowed to enter Slovakia without restrictions. Slovakia does not currently restrict exits. Third country nationals who are spouses, unmarried minor children, or parents of Slovak citizens are exempted from the entry restrictions. 

Transit through Slovakia for EU citizens and residents returning to their country of citizenship/ residency is permitted as of June 3, 2020. 

See also here: https://sk.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

Your options: 

  1. Ask someone in the USA to arrange your original birth record with apostille by a courier, if possible.
  2. Travel to the USA, deliver the birth record by a courier to the competent Slovak authority and wait for your certificate of a Slovak living abroad in the USA. You can give a power of attorney to an attorney in Slovakia to take over this certificate and send you to the USA. When receiving this certificate, you can ask for the residence permit of Slovak living abroad at the Slovak Embassy abroad and after granting the residence permit, ask for D visa and travel to Slovakia. Before choosing this option, check terms and conditions of the whole procedure.