Slovakia

Dual Citizenship Slovak Republic

Restricted

The law regulating citizenship in the Slovak Republic is Act No. 40/1993 Coll. on State Citizenship of the Slovak Republic as amended (the “Act on Citizenship”). The Act on State Citizenship was enacted following the breakdown of Czechoslovakia. Citizenship in the Slovak Republic is based mainly on the principle of ius sanguinis and can be acquired by birth, adoption or by grant, subject to a number of conditions, including a residency period of 8 years.

The Act on State Citizenship does not require foreigners acquiring Slovak citizenship to renounce their original citizenship, meaning that they are allowed to keep their dual citizenship status provided that the law of their country of origin does not stipulate otherwise.

With regards to the dual citizenship of Slovak citizens acquiring foreign citizenship, the Act on State Citizenship stipulates certain restrictions. In particular, a Slovak citizen shall lose the Slovak citizenship on the date when the person voluntarily acquires, based on an explicit expression of will which can be a request, a declaration or another act leading to the acquisition of a foreign citizenship. However, the loss of Slovak citizenship will not occur if a Slovak citizen acquires foreign citizenship by getting married to a foreign citizen, provided that the foreign citizenship was acquired during the time of their marriage, or if acquired at birth. In all cases of dual citizenship, the Slovak citizenship is considered to be dominant.