Slovakia Citizenship By Ancestry

• Published date: 31 May 2022
• Subject Matter: Immigration, General Immigration, Work Visas
• Law Firm: Harvey Law Group
• Author: Harvey Law Group

Since 1 April 2022, anyone with a Slovak Republic residence permit and a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent who was born as a Czechoslovak citizen in the territory of Slovak Republic may apply for Slovak citizenship. This citizenship pathway is available regardless of the applicant's place of birth or knowledge of the Slovak language, history, or culture.

Notably, those with ancestors who had lost their Slovak citizenships may also apply to become a citizen of Slovakia if certain conditions are met, making Slovakia one of the most generous EU member states in terms of facilitating a pathway to grant citizenships to foreign-born descendants of its citizens.

Aside from the citizenship pathway, Slovakia allows anyone of Slovak origins to apply for a Slovak Living Abroad ("SLA") certificate to live in Slovakia. In other words, Slovak descendants who do not qualify for the above-mentioned citizenship program due to the generational limit imposed may now have the opportunity to apply for SLA certificates to reside in Slovakia. Additionally, SLA holders may either apply for Slovak citizenship if they can demonstrate with evidence that they have contributed significantly to their respective SLA communities or maintained continuous residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic for three years immediately preceding submission of the citizenship application.

"We have received a spike in queries about the Slovak citizenship-by-ancestry program since the Slovak government announced its decision to relax immigration rules to allow ethnic Slovaks born outside of Slovakia to apply for citizenship or SLA to reconnect with their heritage," said Mr. Jean-Francois Harvey, Global Managing Partner of Harvey Law Group, an international law firm that specializes in investment and business immigration...