Guidance

Slovakia: Knowledge Base profile

Updated 9 April 2024

Version 3.0

About: Slovakia

This document contains useful information about Slovakia which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 3.0
• published for Home Office staff on 9 April 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Slovakia: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Slovakia.

Names in Slovakia consist of:

• 1 or more forenames
• 1 surname

All female surnames must end in “ová” unless the person holds a different nationality or ethnic background.

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Slovakia.

Slovakia: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Slovakia.

Dual nationality is recognised in Slovakia provided it is obtained automatically through birth or marriage.

Slovakia: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Slovakia.

Legitimacy

Slovakia does not recognise a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births. All children are born legitimate, whether the parents are married or not.

For an unmarried father to be named on the birth certificate, both parents must make a declaration of paternity.

Parental responsibility

Both parents share parental responsibility for a child, unless one of those parents:

• are deceased
• are unknown
• has already had their parental responsibility removed by the courts
• is deemed not to have legal capacity

Parental responsibility can also be established by way of a court decision, resulting in a court order.

If the parents’ divorce, they will not lose their parental responsibility.

When the Slovakia authorities decide on parental responsibility, they will apply the law of the country where the:

• family are permanently resident (if the child and parents are nationals of different countries)
• child is a national of if both of the following apply:
  • the child and parents are nationals of different countries
  • they are not permanently resident in the country they are living in

Slovakia: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Slovakia.

Adoption is legal in Slovakia.

Slovakia: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Slovakia.

Surrogacy is not recognised in Slovakia.

Slovakia: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Slovakia.

Transgender citizens are recognised in Slovakia. Change of gender on identity documents is agreed through court order and birth certificates can be changed.

Slovakia: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Slovakia.

Same sex civil partnerships are not recognised in Slovakia.

There are civil and religious marriages in Slovakia.

Slovakia: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents from Slovakia.

The Central Register of Citizens holds registrations of:

• births
• deaths
• change of marital status
• change of address

Following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, HM Passport Office cannot accept Multilingual Standard Forms (MSFs) issued by member states. An MSF will:

• contain a reference to the convention signed at Vienna on September 8 1976, this may be on the reverse of the document
• be marked as a Formul A (birth certificate), normally in the top right corner on the front of the document in the language of the country where the document was issued
  • there will also be marriage certificates and death certificates that will have a different Formul version that is also not acceptable

These documents are an extract of a civil registration record translated into the language needed and not a full, original certificate.

Birth certificates

Births in Slovakia are recorded by the local Registrar within 3 days of the birth, and a birth certificate is issued. Late registrations are allowed when it is not physically possible for the parents to register within the 3 days.

For an unmarried father to be named on the birth certificate, both parents must first swear the declaration of paternity at a notary public’s office and then supply these declarations when registering the birth.

Marriage certificates

Marriages are legal in Slovakia when conducted in either a registrar office or one of the recognised churches. If the church is not recognised the couple would need to have a civil marriage at a registrar office.

Civil marriages are registered on the first working day after the marriage. Religious marriages performed by one of the recognised churches must be registered within 3 days by the minister conducting the ceremony. Late registrations are allowed.

Death certificates

All deaths must be registered within 3 days of the death then a death certificate is issued. Late registrations are allowed.

Identity cards

Slovakia identity cards are issued to all Slovakia citizens when they reach 15 years of age, these are mandatory and must be carried at all times.

Foreign nationals who intend to stay in Slovakia for at least 6 months can apply for a residency permit.