Birth-record chain
List the applicant’s birth certificate and each direct-line ancestor’s birth certificate through the ancestor used to show Slovak nationality. Mark which records are already in Slovak.
Slovak Living Abroad certificate / document preparation
Which English records need Slovak translation for a Slovak Living Abroad certificate?
The Washington Embassy publishes this Certificate of a Slovak Living Abroad checklist for applicants over 18. Its document list connects the applicant’s birth record, the ancestral line, evidence of Slovak nationality, and recent background records. Younger applicants should ask for the applicable checklist before ordering.
Updated 27 September 2026
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Separate this certificate from citizenship by descent
Map the applicant and ancestor records
Check record dates and official translation
What to know
Build an application-specific document inventory
The Embassy’s Washington checklist is a starting point for applicants using that post. The receiving office confirms the current documents for an individual case.
Nationality evidence
Identify the record that actually states Slovak nationality. The Embassy gives examples such as civil registry, baptismal, school, military, or archival records; a surname alone is not that evidence.
Background records
Identify each country whose criminal record is requested, its issuing authority and issue date. The Washington page lists an FBI Identity History Summary and other relevant extracts, with a three-month age limit for these records.
Document guide
What to check before ordering
These notes help you describe your request. The receiving organization’s current instructions should guide the final requirements.
Confirm which application you are making
The Certificate of a Slovak Living Abroad is a distinct procedure from citizenship by descent. The Washington Embassy labels the checklist cited here for applicants over 18 and describes an applicant who lives outside Slovakia and either is a Slovak citizen or retains Slovak national identity through the applicant or a direct ancestor. Its citizenship-by-descent route asks a different ancestral citizenship question. Ask the responsible office which procedure and age-specific form apply before choosing records to translate.
Select the current age-specific sheet
The Office for Slovaks Living Abroad publishes separate requirement sheets for applicants younger than 14, applicants covered by its 14-to-18 sheet, and applicants older than 18. It also has a separate sheet for recording a minor child on an applicant’s certificate. Open the appropriate sheet on the Office’s requirements page before using the Washington Embassy’s adult summary, and confirm any case-specific instruction with the receiving office.
For an applicant under 14, check who files and signs
The Office’s under-14 sheet says a legal representative submits the application. It lists the applicant’s birth certificate and direct-line ancestral birth certificates, plus written consent from the other legal representative with an officially certified signature and a copy of the identity document used for certification. It says that signature certification is unnecessary if the representative signs its form before Office staff when filing there. This consent is a separate step from translating the English records. Ask the receiving office which records, consent form, and translations it needs; do not put a child’s identity details in the quote form.
Check the 14-to-18 applicant sheet for parental consent
The Office’s 14–18 sheet lists written consent from the applicant’s legal representatives, with their signatures officially certified and copies of the identity documents used for that certification. It says certification is unnecessary if they sign its form before Office staff when filing there. This signature step does not itself translate the consent or any birth record. The same sheet lists the applicant’s birth certificate and the direct-line ancestral birth records. Ask the receiving office which age-specific form, consent wording, and document translations it requires; describe any consent page in a quote only if translation is requested. Do not put a child’s name or identity number in the public form.
Follow the birth certificates through the direct line
The Washington checklist calls for the applicant’s birth certificate with an apostille and official Slovak translation, plus direct-line ancestors’ birth certificates through the ancestor relied on to prove Slovak nationality. It says apostille and official translation apply to certificates that are not Slovak. Record the issuer, country or state, printed document type, annotations, reverse-side text, and page count for each. Ask the office how to handle missing or amended links in the chain.
Find the record that records nationality
The Embassy separately asks for an official record containing the applicant’s or direct ancestor’s Slovak nationality. Its examples include certain civil, church, school, military, and archival documents when they contain that entry. A birth certificate in the chain is not automatically proof that the ancestor’s nationality was recorded. Ask the office which specific record it will accept and whether that record needs a separate translation.
Do not overlook non-translation items
The Embassy also lists a valid identity document, two recent color photos, and evidence of national awareness. It describes a declaration of public activity, qualifying expatriate-organization testimony, or specified school-language evidence, with a six-month age rule for most awareness evidence. These are application items, not an instruction to translate every item. Confirm the office’s exact language and document rules before ordering work.
Time criminal records for the filing date
The Washington list calls for an FBI Identity History Summary and/or criminal-registry extracts tied to citizenship and residence history. It says these records must be no older than three months, apostilled, and officially translated into Slovak. The Office’s adult sheet also says prescribed apostille or legalization endorsements must be no older than six months. Confirm which countries and dates apply to you with the receiving office before obtaining records or authentication. Translation does not renew an expired source document; federal and state records can have different apostille issuers.
Check the accepted translator before ordering
The Embassy calls for official Slovak translations for the records it names. The Office for Slovaks Living Abroad’s adult requirement sheet is more specific: for documents issued by the applicant’s home country, it accepts an official translation by a court translator registered in that country or one registered with the Slovak Ministry of Justice. It also describes authentication or embassy confirmation of the home-country translator’s authority and says Czech-language documents need no Slovak translation. Ask the receiving office which route applies to your document and verify the proposed translator’s status before paying. This website does not establish a translator’s registration or promise acceptance.
Request a quote for the actual record set
In the form, name the receiving office, English document types, issuing jurisdictions, approximate pages, whether there are stamps or handwriting, and your planned filing date. Include the office’s written translation requirement. Do not paste names, dates of birth, record numbers, criminal-history contents, or scans into this first message. We can review whether an appropriate translation arrangement is available after the scope is clear.
How it works
How to request a quote
Tell us what the document is, who needs the Slovak translation, and when you need it. The first form does not require a file.
Describe the document
Choose the type and tell us where the translation will be used.
Add your requirements
Include the approximate length, deadline, and any instructions from the recipient.
Review and next steps
We review the request and may contact you by email if more detail is needed.
Frequently asked
Common questions
Answers to common questions before you request a quote.
Does this checklist cover a child applicant?
The Washington Embassy labels the cited checklist for applicants over 18. The Office for Slovaks Living Abroad provides separate sheets for applicants younger than 14, for the 14-to-18 age range, and for adding a minor to an adult’s certificate. Use the applicable sheet and confirm the receiving office’s instructions.
Who gives consent for an applicant under 14?
The Office’s under-14 sheet says a legal representative files and lists written consent from the other legal representative, with an officially certified signature unless that person signs its form before Office staff at filing there. Confirm the exact signing route with the receiving office. A translation of the consent would not certify the signature.
What does the 14-to-18 applicant sheet say about parental consent?
The Office’s 14–18 sheet lists a separate written-consent step for legal representatives, with certified signatures unless they sign its form before Office staff at filing there. It also lists the applicant’s and direct-line ancestors’ birth records. Confirm the exact form, signing route, and translation requirements with the receiving office; a translated consent does not certify a signature.
Can any “certified” translator prepare these records?
Do not rely on the label alone. The Office’s adult sheet names registered court translators in the applicant’s home country and translators registered with the Slovak Ministry of Justice, with extra proof rules for the former. Verify the person and the receiving office’s current requirement before ordering.
Is this the same as citizenship by descent?
No. The Washington Embassy publishes separate application instructions. This certificate route asks about Slovak nationality and national identity; the descent citizenship route has its own eligibility and ancestral-record rules. Confirm your route with the responsible office.
Do all ancestry records need translation?
The Embassy says apostille and official translation apply to birth certificates in the chain that are not Slovak. Ask which additional nationality-evidence records it needs and how each must be presented.
Can I translate a background check obtained months ago?
A translation cannot change the age of the source record. The Washington checklist states a three-month limit for the criminal records it names; confirm the applicable filing date and office instructions before ordering.
Will a translation prove eligibility?
No. The office evaluates the original records, the application, and eligibility. Translation conveys the source text but cannot supply missing lineage or nationality evidence.
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