Slovak citizenship for a child born abroad

Question

I am a Slovak living in the UK for 18 years, I have a son. He was born in England and has a 3r. I want to give him Slovak citizenship. How should I proceed?

Answer

If the child is born abroad, he / she automatically acquires citizenship from his / her parents. It is sufficient if only one of the parents is a citizen of the Slovak Republic. In order for the Slovak Republic to legally recognize a child as its citizen, it is necessary for the parents to obtain a birth certificate for it in Slovakia. The birth number for a child born outside the territory of the Slovak Republic will be assigned by the Special Registry of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, based in Bratislava.

Pursuant to § 23 par. 2 of Act no. 154/1994 Coll. on registries, as amended, the application for registration in the registry is not submitted directly to the Special Registry, but through:

  • embassy of the Slovak Republic in the respective state
  • registry office in which the citizen has a permanent residence
  • registry office in which the citizen had his last permanent residence
  • any registry office, if the citizen did not have a permanent residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic

The application must be accompanied by:

  • birth certificate of a child born abroad, which must be translated by a certified translator into Slovak. Some embassies also require an apostille – verification of the signature and stamp of an authentic instrument for use abroad
  • marriage certificate (if the parents are married)
  • identity card or passport of parents
  • birth certificates of parents

According to the law, the special registry office has a three-month period for issuing a birth certificate. Should this period be extended, the registry office is obliged to inform you about it. However, embassies do not have a legal deadline, which may delay your application procedure.

At the same time, we draw attention to the possibility of an electronic service of submitting an application for a birth certificate, via the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

Otázka

I came across your website and would be interested in help regarding obtaining Slovak passport for my daughter. I am Slovak national living over 24 years abroad. I am married to british citizen. My daughter is 22 years old and never lived in Slovakia. She is British citizen as well. My question is if she is eligible to obtain Slovak passport and if so what documents and procedures are necessary. Thank you for your help. 

Odpoveď:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Under Slovak law, your daughter likely acquired Slovak citizenship at birth if you were a Slovak citizen at the time of her birth. To confirm this, it is necessary to apply for a Certificate of Slovak Citizenship, which will confirm that she has been a Slovak citizen since birth.

Procedure for obtaining a Slovak passport:

  1. Application for a Certificate of Slovak Citizenship:
    The application can be submitted at Slovak embassies or directly at the relevant district offices in Slovakia. Documents such as your daughter’s birth certificate, proof of your Slovak citizenship (at the time of her birth), marriage certificate, and other relevant documents will be required. Authorities may request additional documents depending on the specific case.

  2. Registration in the Special Registry:
    Once your daughter’s Slovak citizenship is confirmed, it is necessary to register her birth in the Special Registry in Slovakia. Based on this registration, she will be issued a Slovak birth certificate.

  3. Application for a Slovak passport:
    With the Certificate of Slovak Citizenship and the Slovak birth certificate, you can apply for a Slovak passport. This application can be submitted at Slovak embassies or directly in Slovakia.

We would be happy to assist you throughout the entire process, including the preparation and review of documents, communication with the relevant authorities, and guidance during the application process. If you are interested in our services or have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.