The amendment stipulates that Slovak citizens won't be deprived of their Slovak passports if they acquire citizenship of their husband's/wife's country while in marriage, if they are adopted by someone from another country or if they acquire foreign citizenship while they're still underage. The Citizenship Act is a law enacted by the National Council of Slovakia in regard to the nationality law following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. Original or certified copy of applicants birth certificate. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Due to the non-existence of a sovereign Slovak state under the Austro-Hungarian empire, some descendants of ethnic Slovaks who never became Slovak or Czechoslovak citizens unfortunately will not qualify for citizenship by descent under the new amendment. The much anticipated second reading in Parliament of Slovakia's new proposed citizenship amendment has been postponed until September 16, 2021. Most Slovaks see no improvement in anti-corruption fight. will increase the likelihood of scheduling a visit exponentially. Descendants of Slovaks living abroad see a window of opportunity in the legislative process. Slovakia famously lost one third of its population in the decade before World WarI the most of any country in Europe. Having a residency requirement is quite abnormal in this context and many Slovak descendants also have Czech or Hungarian ancestry which make them eligible in those countries. In 2010, Slovakia passed a law that prohibits dual citizenship except in cases of marriage and birth. The background check must be apostilled (or, in certain countries, superlegalized) and translated to Slovak by a Slovak official translator. Pingback: Slovak citizenship by descent vote delayed until September. If Slovakia keeps its current, baffling residency requirement, it would be on an island in the Visegrad, and would continue to lose mixed-ancestry applicants to neighboring Czechia and Hungary that open their arms to their diaspora by having a streamlined citizenship process. However, we believe that strong evidence of a qualifying ancestors Czechoslovak or Slovak citizenship would be a Czechoslovak/Slovak passport or a Czechoslovak/Slovak birth certificate. Hence, if youve never lived in Slovakia, then you were never subject to these obligations and it follows that these documents are waived. He said that the Citizenship Act approved under the previous government was aimed against Hungarians, but while the effects on Hungarians were negligible, the actual law deprived more than 4,000 Slovaks who had accepted the citizenship of another state in addition to Slovak citizenship. Hence, if youd lose your citizenship after a 10-years absence, you couldnt have been absent for over 10 years as of July 16th, 1920 in order to become a Czechoslovak citizen. Just the news last summer of this possible amendment has been enough for 1,100+ Slovaks (including this author) to self-organize into the facebook group Slovak Living Abroad Certificate & Slovak Citizenship where they optimistically discuss plans for spending time in Slovakia post-pandemic. If you can prove some tangible value to the State, you will receive provisional residency. Nevertheless, Dr. Milan Vetrk, a member of parliament advocating for the diaspora, has made assurances that the residence permits will be issued to potential applicants without much paperwork. As discussed above, potential applicants have the ability to apply for a special residence permit, when submitting their citizenship application at an embassy. This year, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Slovak citizens and Czechoslovak citizens from the territory of modern-day Slovakia will qualify for Slovak citizenship by descent. Other evidence may include marriage certificates, passports, census records and the like. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Potential applicants are to be allowed to apply for residence permits as part of their naturalization application, from the Slovak embassy in their home country. The condition is that the applicant does not pose athreat tothe public order or the security of the Slovak Republic. 404/2011 Coll. Useful and comprehensible advice from an attorney-at-law once amonth. The law was implemented to antagonize neighboring countries (like Slovakia) with large ethnic Hungarian populations. 2021 13:46 | Economics and politics, Die Slowakei hautnah, Magazin ber die Slowakei in deutscher Sprache. This might be the silliest of all reasons. No guidelines have been released yet on application procedure but are expected to be forthcoming soon. Slovakia. Most Americans with Slovak heritage have great-grandparents who emigrated to the United States before 1910. Spectacular Slovakia travel guide: Live your own story of Slovakia. Why do they do it? The Citizenship Act is a law enacted by the National Councilof Slovakiain regard to the nationality lawfollowing the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. Removing the residency requirement from the current draft citizenship amendment would be economically beneficial for Slovakia, more efficient, and would reflect the values of a new modern Slovakia continuing to step onto the world stage. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometers. . See instructions. The original legislation in force until 31 March 2022 was very strict in terms of the conditions for the loss of citizenship of the Slovak Republic ex lege if aSlovak citizen acquires citizenship of another country. These desirous Slovak descendants who miss one or more eligibility requirements above may still qualify for the lesser-known Slovak Living Abroad (SLA) Certificate which offers right of residence in Slovakia and a shortened three-year path to naturalization. Approved CBI Agents Lists Slovakias draw as a magnet for foreign human capital is not remotely comparable to USAs, with all due respect to the beautiful nation of Slovakia, describing the situation as no different is laughable. A strict reading of the law suggests that they would NOT be eligible to apply. The same exemption should also be applied to foreign applicants aged over 65, those who've passed an official Slovak language test and those who have a valid certificate proving their status as a Slovak living abroad. A Slovak citizen, in particular, shall lose his or her Slovak citizenship on the date when the person voluntarily obtains foreign citizenship based on a clear statement of will, which can be a request, a declaration, or any act leading . I think you start with the premise of someone who is already very motivated to visit Slovakia and then say well they dont NEED citizenship to do that. If ones skills are in demand, they may fill a gap. Your email address will not be published. Of course not all foreign Slovaks whoare granted citizenship will move to Slovakia. The offer of citizenship has no Slovak language proficiency requirement, nor any history or cultural familiarity test. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. j) the applicant was not a citizen of the Slovak Republic and at least one of his/her parents, grandparents or great-grandparents was a Czechoslovak citizen born in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Portugal Golden Visa Funds Comparison and Filter This nuance is actually very important to me, as my great grandmother left in May/June of 1910 and arrived in the US in early July, 1910. Come spend your money! As many of the above documents are issued by private entities, they not be eligible for apostilles anyway. I moved to US by my self with one brother for a better future and my grandfather was my inspiration because my grandfather was 37 at the time when he immigrated to ArgentinaI was 27 when I immigrated to US.I would love to obtain the Slovakia Citizenship to honor my grandfather sacrificed and keep our roots up with honor. Consideration for such an application is to be made after endorsement of the SLA office by letter of recommendation. Citizenship in Slovakia offers right of settlement and work authorization throughout the EU, including popular American stomping grounds such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Croatia. Ethnic Slovaks worldwide have also organized themselves into a Facebook group called Slovak Living Abroad Certificate & Slovak Citizenship to share information on this exciting development. There have been several attempts to mitigate the law since its adoption, but all have failed. Slovakia is currently considering this question via a new amendment to its citizenship law, which includes an exciting citizenship-by-descent provision. birth certificate of parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, marriage certificate, naturalization documents, etc. Application 3. The second reading of the Citizenship Act amendment in parliament has been postponed again. Waived documents are to be replaced with an affidavit (one for multiple documents is fine), demonstrating why the given document is not applicable. The citizen is obliged tonotify the Ministry in writing within 90 days of the acquisition of the second citizenship and tosubmit documents proving the acquisition of the second citizenship as well as documents proving the length of residence in this country. Samuel is a native of Bratislava, Slovakia. It is therefore necessary toobtain as much information as possible about the applicants so that there is no doubt as totheir identification. At the 11th hour, an unexpected but welcome pathway towards Slovak citizenship eligibility was added for certain exceptional Slovaks living abroad. I fundamentally disagree with the reasoning offered for the automatic extension of Slovak citizenship to descendants of Slovaks. the amendment to the Citizenship Act has not yet been approved, the legislative process is still ongoing, in the case of approval of an amendment to the Citizenship Act, a residence permit in the territory of the Slovak Republic will be required for the granting of the citizenship, 5) It would strengthen the Slovak community and ties abroad Essentially, good character means that a person has not been convicted of an intentional criminal offense. But some may interpret it differently. Please note that Slovakia does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions. 5. If aforeigner in Slovakia needs torequest aCertificate of No Criminal record, there are two options. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. As for children born to Slovak women abroad, they won't be deprived of Slovak citizenship either. At the same time, the author of this article believes that in the absence of the above, demonstrating the relevant circumstances (emigration after 1910) may suffice to fulfill the requirement. How? The IMI CBI Transparency Index Background check from the applicants country of citizenship (and/or country of former citizenship), as well as from any country, where the applicant had lived in the past 15 years. Draft amendment was in parliament for almost a year. MPs passed the amendment of the Citizenship Act, which was approved by the government in 2021. Even then, the Slovak Interior Ministry, which adjudicates applications, still has a lot of leeway in determining who gets to be a Slovak citizen. On 01 April 2022, an amendment to Act No. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. According to Milan Vtrak, a member of Parliament who has been at the forefront of discussions with the various stakeholders within the Slovak government, immigration authorities have agreed to alleviate a number of the hassles associated with residency applications. Effective October 28, 1918, persons who, at the latest on January 1, 1910 acquired and have since continuously held the right of residence in the territory of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, which now belongs to the Czechoslovak Republic. Due to the generous extension of eligibility to the third-generation descendant, potential applicants may earn eligibility through any one of up to fourteen direct ascendants. Consultation is possible in person, byphone or via Google Meet. Thanks for the reply. As we previously wrote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Slovak descendants and stakeholders have been carefully following this initially little-noticed citizenship by descent provision with keen interest for more than a year and a half. If it is proven that the citizen has not fulfilled the residence condition for retaining Slovak citizenship, the Ministry shall send awritten notification of the loss of the Slovak citizenship. Slovak Passport How To Apply Given the caveats described above, an application at an embassy would require the following documents: 1. 4. You may be eligible, although the exact details are not yet clear. Furthermore, there is neither a Slovak language requirement nor Slovak cultural knowledge requirement for applicants in the above-mentioned Slovak descendant class. www.tinyurl.com/24x8p7hb Meanwhile, citizens and former citizens of the Czech Republic won't have to meet the requirement of having command of the Slovak language when applying for Slovak citizenship. In 2010, when Hungary enacted a citizenship law that allowed Hungarian nationals to hold dual citizenship and to vote in Hungarian elections, Slovakia amended its electoral law in such a way that, among other things, it forbade Slovak citizens of Hungarian ethnicity from taking advantage of the Hungarian offer. Your email address will not be published. The amendment stipulates that Slovak citizens won't be deprived of their Slovak passports if they acquire citizenship of their husband's/wife's country while in marriage, if they are adopted by someone from another country or if they acquire foreign citizenship while they're still underage. Hi Dan, Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Youre likely eligible, but may need to figure out when exactly your grandfather naturalized. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Who I Slovakia is my Facebook Friend? The ministry wants to alleviate the conditions under which the loss of Slovak citizenship occurs. Parviz Malakouti-Fitzgerald is a Los Angeles-based immigration attorney at the Law Office of Parviz Malakouti and an adjunct professor of immigration law at Nevada State College. The State Citizenship Act was adopted by the first government of Robert Fico (2006-10) in response to Hungarian legislation that made it possible for ethnic Hungarians living outside Hungary to gain dual citizenship. The President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana aputov signed an amendment to the Act on Citizenship, according to which Slovaks will not have to lose their Slovak citizenship upon accepting a foreigner if they prove at least five years of residence abroad. Not sure which category it might fulfill, but as I am volunteering with a Slovak civic association and can support this with a letter, could it help as long as all the other basics are met? For example, if you have never lived or worked in Slovakia and thus havent been subject to Slovak income tax, then the confirmation from the tax office would not be applicable for that reason. Hence, one can apply on day 1 of holding a Slovak residence permit. The proposed amendment also states that a person requesting Slovak citizenship cannot pose a danger to the public order and security of Slovakia. After five years, one can apply for permanent residency and citizenship. Those with qualifying parent(s) or grandparent(s) will pay 20 Euros. Is this exclusive to ethnic Slovaks? The author of this article therefore suggests submitting the following (if applicable): The author of this article believes that since these documents are supplementary/voluntary, they do not need to bear apostilles, though it is recommended that they are translated. 2. Up to an estimated 800,000 Americans could be eligible for Slovak citizenship. This was said to have affected the 2012 electionto some degree. Note: an applicants ancestor who lost his/her Slovak or Czechoslovak citizenship would still be a qualifying ancestor for the purposes of this bill, and there is no requirement that the qualifying ancestor have been of Slovak ethnicity. These are holders of the status of Slovak Living Abroad, who significantly contributed to the development of their community abroad. The argument for human capital is significant. The MPs sent it on to a second reading on . Slovak citizenship, as with citizenship of any nation, comes with duties and responsibilities to the State and must be given the seriousness it deserves. Hence, applicants with a spouse or civil partner of the same sex are considered to be single by Slovak authorities. 1. This is probably the most bizarre argument on your list. 02. Another important distinction is that for an SLA, an applicant must demonstrate that his or her qualifying relative was of Slovak ethnicity rather than a Slovak or Czechoslovak citizen. The obvious first question is how would extending citizenship to foreign nationals living abroad benefit the State? IMI Video IMI Program Pages confirmation from a health insurance company about the payment of premiums for public health insurance and the duration of the insurance coverage. My father was born in America ( ~1950) and so was I (~1980). These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent.
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