Slovakia Citizenship by Descent: Government Backs Major Reforms to Simplify the Process
On April 7, 2026, Slovakia's government approved a draft law that would reshape the citizenship by descent process for descendants of former Czechoslovak citizens living abroad. The proposed legislation, now headed to parliament, would eliminate what has long been the most burdensome element of the current system: the requirement to apply for permanent residence alongside a citizenship application.
If passed, the changes are expected to take effect in July 2026.
For the thousands of people worldwide with Slovak ancestry who have considered pursuing citizenship, this represents a meaningful shift toward a process that finally matches the program's original intent.
How Slovak Citizenship by Descent Has Worked Since 2022
Slovakia introduced its "simplified" citizenship by descent pathway in 2022, offering a route for descendants of former Czechoslovak citizens to claim Slovak citizenship through their ancestry. In practice, though, the process was far from simple.
The law required applicants to simultaneously apply for permanent residence and citizenship, creating a dual-office system that involved two separate government bodies:
- The Foreigners' Police were responsible for verifying residency and processing the 5-year residence permit.
- The Ministry of the Interior had the authority to grant citizenship based on ancestry.
Neither track could conclude independently. The Ministry could not finalize a citizenship decision without the Foreigners Police first granting a residence permit. The result was a bottleneck where each department waited on the other, and applicants bore the consequences.
The residency requirement was contentious from the moment the law was ratified. For the majority of applicants, who live abroad and have no plans to relocate to Slovakia, the requirement served no practical purpose. It added months to processing times, created backlogs at the Foreigners Police, and forced applicants to navigate an extra layer of bureaucracy that had nothing to do with proving their ancestry.
What the Proposed Reforms Would Change
The draft legislation addresses the core inefficiencies of the 2022 framework. Three changes stand out.
Removal of the Foreigners Police from the Approval Process
Under the current system, the Foreigners Police function as a gatekeeper. Before the Ministry of Interior can approve a citizenship application, the police must first process and grant a residence permit. This requirement has been the single largest source of delays and frustration for applicants.
The proposed reform allows the Ministry of Interior to approve citizenship applications independently, without waiting for the Foreigners Police. The Ministry becomes the sole decision-maker. The police role shifts from a prerequisite to a post-approval service, limited to issuing ID cards and handling residency registration after citizenship has already been granted.
For anyone who has dealt with the current system, the significance of this change is difficult to overstate.
The Listina Becomes the Primary Document
When the Ministry of Interior approves a citizenship application, it issues a document called the Listina (formally, the listina o udeleni statneho obcianstva, or Grant of Citizenship). Under the current rules, a newly naturalized citizen cannot use the Listina directly to begin registering for an identity document.
Instead, they must first obtain a separate Certificate of Slovak Citizenship (osvedcenie o statnom obcianstve), an intermediate document that often takes weeks to issue and exists solely to confirm what the Listina already proves.
The proposed reform eliminates this extra step. Under the new system, the Listina alone would be sufficient to proceed with municipal registration. The draft provides a 90-day window from receipt of the Listina to complete this administrative step.
The result is no intermediate certificate or redundancy.
A Streamlined Process for Applicants Abroad
For descendants applying from the United States, Canada, or anywhere else outside Slovakia, the proposed changes address several practical pain points that have made the current process unnecessarily difficult.
No physical presence verification as a condition of approval. Under the current system, the Foreigners Police are tasked with verifying a Slovak address and, in some cases, checking physical presence before the Ministry can act on a citizenship application. The reform removes this from the equation entirely. The Ministry can approve your application based on your documented ancestry, regardless of where you live.
One decision-maker instead of two. By removing the Foreigners Police from the approval chain, the reform eliminates the back-and-forth that has characterized the current process. No more applications stalled because one department is waiting on another.
Residency as a formality, not a hurdle. The 90-day post-approval window means that residency registration becomes an administrative step to complete after the fact, not a barrier to overcome before your citizenship can be recognized.
Fewer in-person appointments for those applying in Slovakia. Under the current framework, applicants in Slovakia must attend appointments at two separate offices. The reform consolidates this to a single point of contact for the citizenship application itself.
Modernized Communication Between Embassies and Regional Offices
The draft law also addresses how applications and documents move through the Slovak government.
Applications for certificates and confirmations of Slovak citizenship could be submitted at Slovak embassies not only in person but also online or by post. Communication between embassies and regional administrative offices would be carried out electronically, which should accelerate processing times across the board.
Documents confirming citizenship, including both formal certificates and status confirmations, would typically be issued electronically and transmitted directly to embassies. Physical copies would only be produced upon specific request.
What Happens Next
The draft law has been approved by the government and sent to parliament for consideration. It has not yet been voted on. If passed, the changes are expected to take effect in July 2026.
This is a natural and welcome progression. The 2022 framework was a positive step in recognizing the right of descendants to reclaim their Slovak citizenship, but the residency requirement created barriers that were disproportionate to the program's purpose. These proposed reforms align the process with what it was always meant to be: a pathway for people of Slovak descent to connect with their heritage, without requiring them to uproot their lives to do so.
We will continue to monitor the parliamentary process and provide updates as the legislation advances.
How Roots Recovered Can Help
If you believe you may qualify for Slovak citizenship by descent, now is an excellent time to begin gathering your documentation and assessing your eligibility. Whether the new rules take effect in July or the current framework remains in place, early preparation positions you to move quickly once you are ready to apply.
Roots Recovered guides clients through every stage of the Slovak citizenship-by-descent process, from initial eligibility assessment and genealogical research to document procurement, translation, and application submission. Contact us to schedule a consultation.