Naturalization in Slovakia

Naturalization is a legal process of acquiring citizenship based on the voluntary will of the applicant. During the naturalization process, the candidate must meet certain requirements set by the law of the country, such as time spent in the country, knowledge of the language, compliance with legal norms. After meeting all the conditions, the candidate can apply for naturalization and, if approved, become a citizen of that country. Not all countries allow citizenship to be acquired through naturalization. The timeframes also vary greatly. In some countries it is two years, in others more than twenty years.

In the Slovak Republic, to obtain citizenship by naturalization, you must:

• reside in the country for 10 years continuously and obtain permanent residence before submitting an application;
• be a minor and have lived in the SR on a permanent residence permit for three years;
• be married to a citizen of Slovakia and have lived in the territory of the state for five years or longer;
• have special merits to the country in science, culture, sports, etc.;
• be a stateless person who has resided in Slovakia for three years continuously;
• remain in the country for four years with refugee status.