8Disclaimer: The information furnished below is only a general guidance for American citizens, as the interpretation of the Slovak laws and regulations does not fall within the competence of the American Embassy.

Each country decides who can become a citizen of that country. Slovak law places the responsibility for deciding matters of Slovak citizenship on the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic. The pertinent law is No. 40 / 1993 Coll.

The legal requirements for an applicant to be granted Slovak nationality pursuant to paragraph 7 of the aforementioned law include: five to eight years residence in the territory of the Slovak Republic; knowledge of the Slovak language; and no criminal history.

Some facts concerning the applicant may be taken into consideration by the Ministry of the Interior in the application procedure. These include economic, technical, cultural and other contributions to the Slovak Republic; as well as marriage to a Slovak citizen. A person who is / was residing in Slovakia illegally cannot be granted citizenship.

Once an application is received, the Ministry of the Interior considers all the substantial facts concerning the applicant as well as the interests of the Slovak Republic in granting nationality, in particular from the view-point of its security, internal legal order, foreign-political interests, obligations of the Slovak Republic towards the third states and social-economic situation.

The ministry may request additional documentation, and even invite the applicant to an interview, especially to explain some facts concerning his / her person.