Slovak citizenship by descent: who qualifies, the law, and what it takes

Q: Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a parent?

Likely. With a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia, you can be granted Slovak citizenship without living there, and keep your other citizenship. If you have a criminal conviction or charges pending: possible. If your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918: possible.

Q: Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a grandparent?

Likely. With a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia, you can be granted Slovak citizenship without living there, and keep your other citizenship. If you have a criminal conviction or charges pending: possible. If your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918: possible.

Q: Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a great-grandparent?

Likely. With a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia, you can be granted Slovak citizenship without living there, and keep your other citizenship. If you have a criminal conviction or charges pending: possible. If your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918: possible.

Through a parentLIKELYDescendants of Czechoslovak citizens Through a grandparentLIKELYDescendants of Czechoslovak citizens Through a great-grandparentLIKELYDescendants of Czechoslovak citizens

Ways to apply: Citizenship for descendants of Czechoslovak citizens (2022 law)
Dual citizenship: Kept, however you apply
Comes with: EU citizenship: the right to live and work in 27 countries

Each answer assumes none of your ancestors became a citizen of another country before their child was born. Below is what changes each answer.

On this page

01Who qualifies
02Dates that matter
03Through your mother
04Keeping your citizenship
05Ways to apply
06The documents
07What it takes
08Where the records live
09Places that changed countries
10Law changes
11Other options
12Sources

Who qualifies, generation by generation

LIKELY

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a parent?

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

With a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia, you can be granted Slovak citizenship without living there, and keep your other citizenship.

Citizenship may be granted without residence to a person whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants
The Slovak language test does not apply to this option. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(h)

What changes the answer

POSSIBLE
If you have a criminal conviction or charges pending
The applicant must be of good character: not someone convicted of an intentional crime within five years of the conviction being expunged, and not under criminal prosecution. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(b) and (d)
POSSIBLE
If your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918
An ancestor who left before 1918 was a Hungarian subject, not a Czechoslovak citizen. The option can still work if a relative who stayed became a Czechoslovak citizen, or through the ancestor’s own later documents.

LIKELY

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a grandparent?

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

With a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia, you can be granted Slovak citizenship without living there, and keep your other citizenship.

Citizenship may be granted without residence to a person whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants
The Slovak language test does not apply to this option. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(h)

What changes the answer

POSSIBLE
If you have a criminal conviction or charges pending
The applicant must be of good character: not someone convicted of an intentional crime within five years of the conviction being expunged, and not under criminal prosecution. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(b) and (d)
POSSIBLE
If your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918
An ancestor who left before 1918 was a Hungarian subject, not a Czechoslovak citizen. The option can still work if a relative who stayed became a Czechoslovak citizen, or through the ancestor’s own later documents.

LIKELY

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a great-grandparent?

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

With a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia, you can be granted Slovak citizenship without living there, and keep your other citizenship.

Citizenship may be granted without residence to a person whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants
The Slovak language test does not apply to this option. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(h)

What changes the answer

POSSIBLE
If you have a criminal conviction or charges pending
The applicant must be of good character: not someone convicted of an intentional crime within five years of the conviction being expunged, and not under criminal prosecution. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(b) and (d)
POSSIBLE
If your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918
An ancestor who left before 1918 was a Hungarian subject, not a Czechoslovak citizen. The option can still work if a relative who stayed became a Czechoslovak citizen, or through the ancestor’s own later documents.

The dates that matter

1918
Czechoslovak citizenship as a status dates from 1918; emigrants who left earlier acquired it only if they were treated as citizens under the 1920 laws. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants
2026
July 2026
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

Slovakia’s rule gives the same answer whether the line runs through a mother or a father.

Dual citizenship with your home country

You keep your citizenship.

On every open route, the rule lets a citizen of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina or South Africa keep that citizenship.

Citizenship granted to descendants under the 2022 amendment may be held with another citizenship. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

Open to you through a parent, a grandparent or a great-grandparent

LIKELY
Through a parent
POSSIBLE
Through a parent, if your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918

The law

Citizenship may be granted without residence to a person whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants
The Slovak language test does not apply to this option. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(h)
The applicant must be of good character: not someone convicted of an intentional crime within five years of the conviction being expunged, and not under criminal prosecution. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(b) and (d)
The applicant’s parent, grandparent or great-grandparent must have been a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the present Slovak Republic. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Czechoslovak citizenship as a status dates from 1918; emigrants who left earlier acquired it only if they were treated as citizens under the 1920 laws. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants

What would settle an unsure case

Whether the conviction was for an intentional crime and has been expunged for five years; the grant is discretionary.
Whether your ancestor, or their parent who stayed, is recorded as a Czechoslovak citizen after 1918.

The documents, as the rule lists them

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

Through a parent or grandparent or great-grandparent

Your ancestor’s birth record from today’s Slovakia
Proof of their Czechoslovak citizenship (passport, domicile certificate, census or municipal record)
Birth and marriage records for each generation to you
A clean criminal record certificate

Through a parent or grandparent or great-grandparent

Your ancestor’s birth record from a parish or registry in today’s Slovakia
Any document showing Czechoslovak citizenship
Birth and marriage records for each generation to you

Most countries also want proof that your ancestor didn’t become a citizen somewhere else before their child was born: the naturalization record with its date, or a letter saying there isn’t one.

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

Time: 6–18 months; a July 2026 reform dropped the residency-permit step and has shortened some cases.
Cost: About $400–800: the government fee is small (~€30); most of the cost is translations and apostilles.
The hard part: Proving your ancestor was a Czechoslovak citizen from the territory of today’s Slovakia: a birth record and a citizenship or domicile record.
Who decides: The Slovak consulate for your address.
The first record: Your ancestor’s birth record from a town in today’s Slovakia, from The matričný úrad (registry office) of the town. Write to the registry office; records before 1895 are church registers held by the state archives. mzv.sk

How it’s filed

Where: In person: Embassy in Washington (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, HI, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NV, NM, NC, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, DC, U.S. territories); Consulate General New York (all other states) office list
How: In person; you appear in person
Form: Žiadosť o udelenie štátneho občianstva Slovenskej republiky (application with questionnaire)
Appointments: Email to the Embassy consular section or the Consulate General in New York. Citizenship appointments at the Embassy are about 6 to 12 months out from the request.
Fee: About $35
Decision: 6–24 months

Your consulate

Every office in the United States (2)

Consulate General of the Slovak Republic, New York

Serves Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming

How: In person; you appear in person
Address: 167 East 73rd Street, New York, NY 10021

Covers every U.S. state not served by the Embassy in Washington.

source ↗

Embassy of the Slovak Republic, Washington DC

Serves Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, District of Columbia

How: In person; you appear in person
Address: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

source ↗

What goes in the file (13)

Completed application form with questionnaire (one per applicant aged 14 and over)
Detailed CV
Valid passport
Family tree (genealogical overview)
Your birth certificate, apostilled and translated into Slovak
Marriage certificate, divorce decree or spouse’s death certificate, apostilled and translated
Proof the parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen
The ancestor’s Slovak birth certificate
Complete lineage documents linking you to the ancestor
Written affidavit that you are not and have never been a Slovak citizen
FBI Identity History Summary, plus criminal records from every country of citizenship or 180+ consecutive days’ residence in the last 15 years (not older than 6 months, apostilled and translated)
Certificate of Slovak Living Abroad, if held
Tax, employment, insurance and pension documents, or an affidavit in their place

What goes wrong (5)

Fee: €30 ($35) when at least one parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen (Administrative Fees Act, consular item 247(e)). It is collected only after the grant; applicants over 65 are exempt.
The Interior Ministry must decide within 24 months of receiving the application.
If approved, you collect the citizenship certificate in person and take the citizen’s oath at the mission.
Since 15 July 2026 (Act No. 128/2026) the route needs no Slovak residence permit: §7(8) of the Citizenship Act grants it to a non-citizen whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia.
From CA/GB/AU/NZ/BR/AR/ZA: apply at the Slovak mission for your residence (e.g. Ottawa for Canada); translation and apostille rules are the same.

source ↗

Fees are each office’s published fee, converted to U.S. dollars.

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

birth1895–2026
The matričný úrad (registry office) of the municipality; civil registration from 1 October 1895 (Hungarian state registration), kept by the registry and requested from abroad through the Slovak mission or the Interior Ministry’s archives department
Registry office of the town as it is today. If the exact date or place is unknown and the event is over 30 years old, the Ministry of the Interior’s Archives and Records Management Department (Križkova 7, Bratislava) runs genealogical research on written request.
Ask
By post, in Slovak · request page ↗
Fee
25 EUR (about $28)
Takes
2–8 months
Good to know (3)
- Through the Embassy: vital record application €25 ($29), apostille €30 ($35) per document; paid by money order for this service (no cards or checks).
- Eligible requesters include the person’s children, grandchildren, siblings and their children, or a proxy with a certified signature.
- Copies ordered via the Interior Ministry’s archives are sent to the Slovak mission in the U.S., which contacts you.
source ↗
birth1700–1895
Church registers (Catholic, Lutheran, Greek Catholic, Reformed, Jewish), now held by the Slovak state archives (Ministry of the Interior’s archives network)
Identify the parish for the village; write to the Ministry of the Interior’s Archives and Records Management Department in Bratislava, which routes the search. FamilySearch has filmed most Slovak church books (free login).
Ask
By post, in Slovak
Fee
8 EUR (about $9)
Takes
2–8 months
Good to know (3)
- State archive fees are set by the Administrative Fees Act (item 4): €4 for an extract or copy from a register, plus €4 a page to certify a copy of a record in Latin, Hungarian or another foreign language (€2 in Slovak). Extracts on domicile or citizenship cost €6.
- The archive writes when the search is done with how to pay; the records are sent once the fee arrives.
- A pre-1918 baptismal record proves birth in today’s Slovakia but not Czechoslovak citizenship; pair it with a post-1918 citizenship proof.
source ↗
citizenship1918–1992
Proof that the ancestor was a Czechoslovak citizen: Czechoslovak passport or citizenship certificate, a register or census entry stating Czechoslovak citizenship, a domicile certificate (domovský list), military or school records, or U.S. immigration and naturalisation records listing the nationality as ‘Czechoslovak’
Start with the family’s papers and U.S. records (passenger manifests after 1918, naturalisation files); then Slovak municipal or state archives for domicile and census records.
Ask
By post, in English · request page ↗
Takes
2–12 months
Good to know (1)
- The Embassy accepts U.S. records that describe the ancestor as Czechoslovak; these must be public documents with apostille and Slovak translation.
source ↗

Translations

Into: Slovak
Who may translate: A translator on the consulate’s list
About: $23–$51 a page

Documents not in Slovak or Czech must be apostilled and officially translated into Slovak by a certified translator; the Embassy in Washington publishes a list of certified translators. The state tariff for certified translators (Decree 491/2004) is €19.92 ($23) per 1,800-character page from English; for a private order, agree the price with the translator. The Embassy itself translates and certifies a vital record for €45 ($51) and certifies a translation you bring for €30 ($35) a page.

source ↗

The passport

Where: At the Slovak Embassy or Consulate General after the grant, once your U.S. birth is entered in the Special Registry (osobitná matrika, €35 / $41 application at the Embassy)
Fee: About $69
Time: 4–17 weeks

source ↗

Places on old papers that lead to Slovakia

If your family’s records name one of these, Slovakia’s law may be the one that applies. The town decides.

Austria-Hungary · also Austro-Hungarian Empire, Habsburg
Austria-Hungary became a dozen countries in 1918. Pick the one the town is in today.
Today: Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Italy, Serbia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia became Czechia and Slovakia in 1993; both count the old citizenship.
Today: Czechia, Slovakia

Recent and pending changes

IN FORCE
Descendants no longer need a residence permit first15 July 2026
Act 128/2026, in force 15 July 2026, removed the requirement for descendants of Czechoslovak citizens to hold a Slovak residence permit before applying, and took the Immigration Police out of the process.
Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship, consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)ZIP Citizenship: July 2026 changes to Slovak citizenship by descent

Already in the rule

Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants

We re-read the official pages behind this guide every day. When one changes, a person checks the rule before we update anything here.

If descent doesn’t reach you

2 residence programs lead to Slovakia without an ancestor, each with its own law and road to citizenship.

Every source on this page

2 laws and official pages behind the answers, then the offices and pages behind the records and filing, then the bills and rulings we follow.

Not legal advice. Every answer comes from the country’s own laws and is tested against real cases. Where the law isn’t clear, we say “possible” rather than guess.

Through a parentLIKELYDescendants of Czechoslovak citizens Through a grandparentLIKELYDescendants of Czechoslovak citizens Through a great-grandparentLIKELYDescendants of Czechoslovak citizens

Ways to apply: Citizenship for descendants of Czechoslovak citizens (2022 law)
Dual citizenship: Kept, however you apply
Comes with: EU citizenship: the right to live and work in 27 countries

Each answer assumes none of your ancestors became a citizen of another country before their child was born. Below is what changes each answer.

On this page

01Who qualifies
02Dates that matter
03Through your mother
04Keeping your citizenship
05Ways to apply
06The documents
07What it takes
08Where the records live
09Places that changed countries
10Law changes
11Other options
12Sources

Who qualifies, generation by generation

LIKELY

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a parent?

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

With a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia, you can be granted Slovak citizenship without living there, and keep your other citizenship.

Citizenship may be granted without residence to a person whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants
The Slovak language test does not apply to this option. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(h)

What changes the answer

POSSIBLE
If you have a criminal conviction or charges pending
The applicant must be of good character: not someone convicted of an intentional crime within five years of the conviction being expunged, and not under criminal prosecution. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(b) and (d)
POSSIBLE
If your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918
An ancestor who left before 1918 was a Hungarian subject, not a Czechoslovak citizen. The option can still work if a relative who stayed became a Czechoslovak citizen, or through the ancestor’s own later documents.

LIKELY

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a grandparent?

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

With a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia, you can be granted Slovak citizenship without living there, and keep your other citizenship.

Citizenship may be granted without residence to a person whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants
The Slovak language test does not apply to this option. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(h)

What changes the answer

POSSIBLE
If you have a criminal conviction or charges pending
The applicant must be of good character: not someone convicted of an intentional crime within five years of the conviction being expunged, and not under criminal prosecution. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(b) and (d)
POSSIBLE
If your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918
An ancestor who left before 1918 was a Hungarian subject, not a Czechoslovak citizen. The option can still work if a relative who stayed became a Czechoslovak citizen, or through the ancestor’s own later documents.

LIKELY

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a great-grandparent?

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

With a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia, you can be granted Slovak citizenship without living there, and keep your other citizenship.

Citizenship may be granted without residence to a person whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants
The Slovak language test does not apply to this option. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(h)

What changes the answer

POSSIBLE
If you have a criminal conviction or charges pending
The applicant must be of good character: not someone convicted of an intentional crime within five years of the conviction being expunged, and not under criminal prosecution. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(b) and (d)
POSSIBLE
If your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918
An ancestor who left before 1918 was a Hungarian subject, not a Czechoslovak citizen. The option can still work if a relative who stayed became a Czechoslovak citizen, or through the ancestor’s own later documents.

The dates that matter

1918
Czechoslovak citizenship as a status dates from 1918; emigrants who left earlier acquired it only if they were treated as citizens under the 1920 laws. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants
2026
July 2026
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

Slovakia’s rule gives the same answer whether the line runs through a mother or a father.

Dual citizenship with your home country

You keep your citizenship.

On every open route, the rule lets a citizen of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina or South Africa keep that citizenship.

Citizenship granted to descendants under the 2022 amendment may be held with another citizenship. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

Open to you through a parent, a grandparent or a great-grandparent

LIKELY
Through a parent
POSSIBLE
Through a parent, if your ancestor left Slovakia before 1918

The law

Citizenship may be granted without residence to a person whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants
The Slovak language test does not apply to this option. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(h)
The applicant must be of good character: not someone convicted of an intentional crime within five years of the conviction being expunged, and not under criminal prosecution. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026), §7(1)(b) and (d)
The applicant’s parent, grandparent or great-grandparent must have been a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the present Slovak Republic. Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic, §7(8) (descendants of Czechoslovak citizens), consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)
Czechoslovak citizenship as a status dates from 1918; emigrants who left earlier acquired it only if they were treated as citizens under the 1920 laws. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants

What would settle an unsure case

Whether the conviction was for an intentional crime and has been expunged for five years; the grant is discretionary.
Whether your ancestor, or their parent who stayed, is recorded as a Czechoslovak citizen after 1918.

The documents, as the rule lists them

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

Through a parent or grandparent or great-grandparent

Your ancestor’s birth record from today’s Slovakia
Proof of their Czechoslovak citizenship (passport, domicile certificate, census or municipal record)
Birth and marriage records for each generation to you
A clean criminal record certificate

Through a parent or grandparent or great-grandparent

Your ancestor’s birth record from a parish or registry in today’s Slovakia
Any document showing Czechoslovak citizenship
Birth and marriage records for each generation to you

Most countries also want proof that your ancestor didn’t become a citizen somewhere else before their child was born: the naturalization record with its date, or a letter saying there isn’t one.

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

Time: 6–18 months; a July 2026 reform dropped the residency-permit step and has shortened some cases.
Cost: About $400–800: the government fee is small (~€30); most of the cost is translations and apostilles.
The hard part: Proving your ancestor was a Czechoslovak citizen from the territory of today’s Slovakia: a birth record and a citizenship or domicile record.
Who decides: The Slovak consulate for your address.
The first record: Your ancestor’s birth record from a town in today’s Slovakia, from The matričný úrad (registry office) of the town. Write to the registry office; records before 1895 are church registers held by the state archives. mzv.sk

How it’s filed

Where: In person: Embassy in Washington (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, HI, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NV, NM, NC, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, DC, U.S. territories); Consulate General New York (all other states) office list
How: In person; you appear in person
Form: Žiadosť o udelenie štátneho občianstva Slovenskej republiky (application with questionnaire)
Appointments: Email to the Embassy consular section or the Consulate General in New York. Citizenship appointments at the Embassy are about 6 to 12 months out from the request.
Fee: About $35
Decision: 6–24 months

Your consulate

Every office in the United States (2)

Consulate General of the Slovak Republic, New York

How: In person; you appear in person
Address: 167 East 73rd Street, New York, NY 10021

Covers every U.S. state not served by the Embassy in Washington.

source ↗

Embassy of the Slovak Republic, Washington DC

How: In person; you appear in person
Address: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

source ↗

What goes in the file (13)

Completed application form with questionnaire (one per applicant aged 14 and over)
Detailed CV
Valid passport
Family tree (genealogical overview)
Your birth certificate, apostilled and translated into Slovak
Marriage certificate, divorce decree or spouse’s death certificate, apostilled and translated
Proof the parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen
The ancestor’s Slovak birth certificate
Complete lineage documents linking you to the ancestor
Written affidavit that you are not and have never been a Slovak citizen
FBI Identity History Summary, plus criminal records from every country of citizenship or 180+ consecutive days’ residence in the last 15 years (not older than 6 months, apostilled and translated)
Certificate of Slovak Living Abroad, if held
Tax, employment, insurance and pension documents, or an affidavit in their place

What goes wrong (5)

Fee: €30 ($35) when at least one parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen (Administrative Fees Act, consular item 247(e)). It is collected only after the grant; applicants over 65 are exempt.
The Interior Ministry must decide within 24 months of receiving the application.
If approved, you collect the citizenship certificate in person and take the citizen’s oath at the mission.
Since 15 July 2026 (Act No. 128/2026) the route needs no Slovak residence permit: §7(8) of the Citizenship Act grants it to a non-citizen whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in today’s Slovakia.
From CA/GB/AU/NZ/BR/AR/ZA: apply at the Slovak mission for your residence (e.g. Ottawa for Canada); translation and apostille rules are the same.

source ↗

Fees are each office’s published fee, converted to U.S. dollars.

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

birth1895–2026
The matričný úrad (registry office) of the municipality; civil registration from 1 October 1895 (Hungarian state registration), kept by the registry and requested from abroad through the Slovak mission or the Interior Ministry’s archives department
Registry office of the town as it is today. If the exact date or place is unknown and the event is over 30 years old, the Ministry of the Interior’s Archives and Records Management Department (Križkova 7, Bratislava) runs genealogical research on written request.
Ask
By post, in Slovak · request page ↗
Fee
25 EUR (about $28)
Takes
2–8 months
Good to know (3)
- Through the Embassy: vital record application €25 ($29), apostille €30 ($35) per document; paid by money order for this service (no cards or checks).
- Eligible requesters include the person’s children, grandchildren, siblings and their children, or a proxy with a certified signature.
- Copies ordered via the Interior Ministry’s archives are sent to the Slovak mission in the U.S., which contacts you.
source ↗
birth1700–1895
Church registers (Catholic, Lutheran, Greek Catholic, Reformed, Jewish), now held by the Slovak state archives (Ministry of the Interior’s archives network)
Identify the parish for the village; write to the Ministry of the Interior’s Archives and Records Management Department in Bratislava, which routes the search. FamilySearch has filmed most Slovak church books (free login).
Ask
By post, in Slovak
Fee
8 EUR (about $9)
Takes
2–8 months
Good to know (3)
- State archive fees are set by the Administrative Fees Act (item 4): €4 for an extract or copy from a register, plus €4 a page to certify a copy of a record in Latin, Hungarian or another foreign language (€2 in Slovak). Extracts on domicile or citizenship cost €6.
- The archive writes when the search is done with how to pay; the records are sent once the fee arrives.
- A pre-1918 baptismal record proves birth in today’s Slovakia but not Czechoslovak citizenship; pair it with a post-1918 citizenship proof.
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citizenship1918–1992
Proof that the ancestor was a Czechoslovak citizen: Czechoslovak passport or citizenship certificate, a register or census entry stating Czechoslovak citizenship, a domicile certificate (domovský list), military or school records, or U.S. immigration and naturalisation records listing the nationality as ‘Czechoslovak’
Start with the family’s papers and U.S. records (passenger manifests after 1918, naturalisation files); then Slovak municipal or state archives for domicile and census records.
Ask
By post, in English · request page ↗
Takes
2–12 months
Good to know (1)
- The Embassy accepts U.S. records that describe the ancestor as Czechoslovak; these must be public documents with apostille and Slovak translation.
source ↗

Translations

Into: Slovak
Who may translate: A translator on the consulate’s list
About: $23–$51 a page

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The passport

Where: At the Slovak Embassy or Consulate General after the grant, once your U.S. birth is entered in the Special Registry (osobitná matrika, €35 / $41 application at the Embassy)
Fee: About $69
Time: 4–17 weeks

source ↗

Places on old papers that lead to Slovakia

If your family’s records name one of these, Slovakia’s law may be the one that applies. The town decides.

Austria-Hungary · also Austro-Hungarian Empire, Habsburg
Austria-Hungary became a dozen countries in 1918. Pick the one the town is in today.
Today: Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Italy, Serbia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia became Czechia and Slovakia in 1993; both count the old citizenship.
Today: Czechia, Slovakia

Recent and pending changes

IN FORCE
Descendants no longer need a residence permit first15 July 2026
Act 128/2026, in force 15 July 2026, removed the requirement for descendants of Czechoslovak citizens to hold a Slovak residence permit before applying, and took the Immigration Police out of the process.
Act No. 40/1993 on Citizenship, consolidated as amended by Act 128/2026 (in force 15 July 2026)ZIP Citizenship: July 2026 changes to Slovak citizenship by descent

Already in the rule

Applicants under this provision are not required to renounce their existing citizenship, and since July 2026 no longer need a Slovak residence permit first. Ministry of the Interior: acquisition of citizenship by descendants

We re-read the official pages behind this guide every day. When one changes, a person checks the rule before we update anything here.

If descent doesn’t reach you

2 residence programs lead to Slovakia without an ancestor, each with its own law and road to citizenship.

Every source on this page

2 laws and official pages behind the answers, then the offices and pages behind the records and filing, then the bills and rulings we follow.

Not legal advice. Every answer comes from the country’s own laws and is tested against real cases. Where the law isn’t clear, we say “possible” rather than guess.

Who qualifies, generation by generation

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a parent?

What changes the answer

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a grandparent?

What changes the answer

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a great-grandparent?

What changes the answer

The dates that matter

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

Dual citizenship with your home country

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

The law

What would settle an unsure case

The documents, as the rule lists them

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

How it’s filed

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

Translations

The passport

Places on old papers that lead to Slovakia

Recent and pending changes

Already in the rule

If descent doesn’t reach you

Every source on this page

Check your family for Slovakia.

Who qualifies, generation by generation

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a parent?

What changes the answer

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a grandparent?

What changes the answer

Can you claim Slovak citizenship through a great-grandparent?

What changes the answer

The dates that matter

Claiming through your mother or grandmother

Dual citizenship with your home country

Every way to apply, and the law behind it

The law

What would settle an unsure case

The documents, as the rule lists them

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides

Descendants of Czechoslovak citizens

How it’s filed

Where each record lives, and how to ask for it

Translations

The passport

Places on old papers that lead to Slovakia

Recent and pending changes

Already in the rule

If descent doesn’t reach you

Every source on this page

Check your family for Slovakia.