Questions
Before you start
The questions people ask before they commit to anything — answered plainly, including the ones where the honest answer is “it depends on the detail”.
Can you tell me whether I qualify?
We review your case and assess your documents at no charge, and tell you whether your situation is viable. We then set out the options for how we can help and quote a fixed price. What the review is not is a free roadmap for doing it yourself — working out what each document proves and how the application should be built is the work you would be engaging us for.
Why is this less expensive than a traditional law firm?
Because most of a citizenship application is careful process work — archives, translations, forms in the right order — and you shouldn’t pay legal rates for it. Legal work is reserved for the parts of a case that genuinely require it, which keeps the overall cost proportionate.
What if I start alone and get stuck halfway?
That’s common, and it’s fine. Nothing here is a package you commit to up front — come back when something surprises you, or hand over the rest at any stage.
How long does the whole thing take?
Gathering documents and preparing everything for submission takes about five months, depending on how fast you move at this stage. Ministry decisions have recently been arriving within 6 to 12 months, rather than within the statutory 24-month period. Your case review includes a realistic timeline for your particular file.
Do you handle documents from outside Slovakia?
Yes — most cases involve records from the United States, Canada, the UK, Israel, Argentina, or Australia alongside the Slovak and Hungarian ones. Each country has its own apostille procedure, and doing things in the right order saves months.
What happens to my documents?
They are stored in encrypted EU-hosted storage, used only for your case, and deleted on request or when the engagement ends. Full details are in the privacy notice.
Do I need to live in Slovakia to obtain citizenship by descent?
No. Applicants under the descent program do not need to reside in Slovakia. The SLA certificate route is different: there, residence in Slovakia is part of the process, with citizenship possible after three years.
Can I keep my current citizenship?
From the Slovak side, yes — Slovakia does not require you to renounce another citizenship when you acquire Slovak citizenship by descent or by birth. The question is what your own country permits. The United States, Canada, Israel, and Australia allow dual citizenship. Check your own country’s rules before you start, and tell us what you find — for some clients it changes the decision entirely.
My parent was a Slovak citizen — am I already one too?
Quite possibly, and it is worth establishing before you prepare an application you may not need. What matters is whether the chain of citizenship was ever broken: when your parents emigrated, whether and when they naturalized elsewhere, and your own date of birth and citizenships. Emigration alone does not end Slovak citizenship — it is harder to lose than most people assume — but the answer depends on the details, which is what the case review works through.
What exactly is the SLA certificate?
Official recognition as a Slovak living abroad for people with Slovak ancestry. What it requires is proof of Slovak ethnicity — official records in which your ancestor’s language is recorded as Slovak, or in which they declared Slovak ethnicity. Where the ancestor was born makes no difference. The certificate grants the right to live, study, and work in Slovakia, and after three years of continuous residence opens the way to citizenship.
Still not sure where you stand?
That is exactly what the case review is for. Tell us about your family history and what documents you hold — we'll review it at no charge and come back within one working day.