Under Notice No. 501/2007 Coll. of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, the Slovak authorities competent to issue an apostille are:
- The regional courts of the Slovak Republic, which certify within their territorial jurisdiction:
- public documents issued by district courts
- public documents issued by notaries or court bailiffs
- documents whose accuracy has been certified by notaries (certified copies) or on which notaries have certified the authenticity of a signature (legalisation)
- translations produced by sworn translators or expert opinions produced by court experts
- The Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic certifies other judicial documents not listed in point 1.
- The Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic certifies public documents issued within its remit, with the exception of the documents listed in point 7.
- The Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic certifies public documents issued within its remit.
- The Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic certifies public documents issued within its remit.
- The Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic certifies public documents issued within its remit.
- District offices certify civil registry documents and public documents issued by local government bodies.
- The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic certifies all other public documents issued in the Slovak Republic (e.g. land registry extracts, criminal record extracts and documents issued by tax offices).
Whether you need an apostille from domestic state authorities or from abroad, for your company or for yourself, you can make use of our apostille services. For further information, please get in touch via our contact form.
Finding the Right Slovak Authority for Your Apostille
In Slovakia, responsibility for issuing apostilles is divided between several authorities. Which one you need depends on who issued the original document or who certified it. This system ensures that each document is verified by a body able to confirm the signatures and seals within its own area, but it can be confusing if you are not familiar with it.
Why the Division Matters
An apostille confirms the authenticity of a particular signature and seal. The authority issuing it must therefore be able to check those details against its records. For example, a document signed by a notary is verified by a body that oversees notarial signatures, while a certificate from a government ministry is verified within that ministry’s area of responsibility. Sending a document to the wrong authority means it will be returned, costing you time.
How to Work Out Which Authority You Need
- Look at who signed and stamped the document
- Consider whether it is an original, a notarised copy or a translation
- Check whether a translation needs its own apostille
- Remember that civil status documents and court documents follow different routes
- If several documents are involved, they may need to go to different authorities
Documents With Several Layers
Some documents need more than one step. A document may first be issued by one authority, then translated by a sworn translator, after which the translation itself is legalised. In such cases, the order of steps and the authorities involved must be planned carefully so that the final package is accepted abroad.
Saving Time
If you are living abroad or have several documents to legalise, visiting different offices in person can be impractical. Using a service that handles submissions on your behalf allows you to avoid travel and makes sure each document reaches the correct authority.
Before You Submit
Check with the receiving country or institution whether they have any specific requirements about the age of the document, the language or the translation.
Need help working out which Slovak authority should apostille your document? Contact eTuls and we will arrange the whole process for you, from submission to translation and delivery.
