Under the international treaty between the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation on the prevention of dual citizenship, it is not possible to retain Russian citizenship when Slovak citizenship is granted. The treaty was promulgated by Decree No. 71/1981 Coll. on 23 June 1981.

Under Article 5 of the treaty, the competent authority of the Slovak Republic may decide on the acquisition of citizenship of one state subject to the submission of proof of release from the citizenship of the Russian Federation.

Prerequisites for the grant of Slovak citizenship:

Slovak citizenship may be granted only if:

  1. The foreign national has held permanent residence in the Slovak Republic for at least eight years continuously and immediately before applying for Slovak citizenship, or
  2. The foreign national has resided in the Slovak Republic continuously for at least ten years (for example on temporary residence in Slovakia) and, at the time of applying for Slovak citizenship, has already been granted permanent residence, or
  3. The foreign national is married to a citizen of the Slovak Republic, the marriage still subsists, and the couple have lived together in a shared household in the Slovak Republic for at least five years immediately preceding the application for Slovak citizenship.

The residence requirement is established from a statement by the Foreign Police department and is evidenced by documents such as proof of tax payments in Slovakia and employment contracts for work performed in Slovakia.

Residence in another country (for example the Czech Republic) is not sufficient, nor are Schengen visas issued for stays within the European Union.

In addition to the residence requirement above, the following conditions must all be met for citizenship to be granted:

  • proficiency in spoken and written Slovak must be demonstrated, together with general knowledge of the Slovak Republic
  • proper fulfilment of the obligations arising from generally binding legislation on the residence of foreigners in the Slovak Republic, public health insurance, social insurance, old-age pension saving, taxes, contributions, fees, the employment of foreigners and other obligations
  • the person must have a clean criminal record, must not have been sentenced to expulsion, and must not be subject to criminal prosecution, extradition proceedings, proceedings on the execution of a European Arrest Warrant, administrative expulsion or withdrawal of asylum.

The grant of citizenship is governed by Section 7 of Act No. 40/1993 Coll. on Citizenship of the Slovak Republic

There are exceptions, although these concern specific cases, for example:

  • a person who has made a significant contribution to the Slovak Republic
  • a person who has held continuous permanent residence in the Slovak Republic for at least three years before reaching the age of 18,
  • a minor whose legal representative or guardian is a citizen of the Slovak Republic or a legal entity appointed by a Slovak court, and who has resided continuously in the Slovak Republic for at least two years immediately before the application for Slovak citizenship
  • a person who has held asylum for at least four years immediately preceding the application for Slovak citizenship,
  • a person born in the Slovak Republic who has held permanent residence there for at least three years immediately preceding the application for Slovak citizenship,
  • a person who has resided continuously in the Slovak Republic for at least ten years and, at the time of applying for Slovak citizenship, has already been granted permanent residence, or
  • a stateless person who has resided continuously in the Slovak Republic for at least three years immediately preceding the application for Slovak citizenship,
  • a person who was released from Slovak citizenship and has resided continuously in the Slovak Republic for at least two years immediately preceding the application for Slovak citizenship,
  • a person one of whose parents was a Czechoslovak citizen at the time of their birth and the other a foreign national, where the parent who was a Czechoslovak citizen did not apply to the regional national committee for consent to the acquisition of Czechoslovak citizenship, and who has resided continuously in the Slovak Republic for at least two years immediately preceding the application for Slovak citizenship.