Slovakia Citizenship by Investment

Slovakia is an appealing investment destination not only for entrepreneurs in Europe, but also for many outside the Old Continent. Starting a business in Slovakia is not complicated and the development opportunities are quite big considering the link with the European Union.

One of the most sought programs for immigration in Slovakia is the citizenship by investment program, however, this country does not have a scheme resembling those of other EU member states. Also known as the Slovakia Investment Visa, this type of residence permit enables foreign citizens to permanently live here.

Below, our immigration lawyers in Slovakia explain how foreign citizens can move here and the minimum amount of money to invest in order to obtain permanent residency followed by citizenship. We are at your service for tailored immigration support.

Significant foreign investors in Slovakia

As mentioned earlier, immigration to Slovakia does entail a specific residency or citizenship by investment program, however, Act No. 371/2021 Coll. on Significant Investments (which replaced Act No. 175/1999 from 1 November 2021) provides for the so-called significant foreign investors who can enter and settle themselves here by starting a business.

In order to obtain a Slovakia investment Visa, this type of investor is required to invest an important amount of money in a Slovak enterprise, however, he must also meet other requirements. Businessmen interested in obtaining an investment visa in another country, such as the Netherlands, should know that the processing time for such a visa is maximum 3 months and it is valid for 1 year. Our experienced partners from Immigration-Netherlands.com can assist clients interested in moving to the Netherlands.

Here are the main aspects to consider when it comes to the Slovakia citizenship by investment scheme applicable to significant foreign investors:

1. a minimum of 30 million euros of investment costs (halved in the least developed districts) which must be invested in the development of a company;
2. the investment must also create at least 50 new jobs;
3. the investment must have a significant impact on Slovakia’s economy.

A legal entity with a registered office in Slovakia and a certificate of significant investment from the Ministry of Economy is considered a significant foreign investor. Act No. 371/2021 Coll. on Significant Investments regulates the preparation of large investments and the revisions to various acts. The law also covers the requirements for recognizing a significant foreign investor.

The main advantage for foreign investors to obtain such a certificate is that the decision-making period when filing for temporary, respectively permanent residency is significantly lower – around 30 days. Our Slovak lawyers can help you apply for such a license.
It must be noted that starting with 2023, Slovakia has a new Foreign Direct Investment Act that distinguishes between vital investments and non-critical investments. Crucial investments are those made in a Slovak objective where there is a higher danger of negative consequences for Slovakia’s public order or security. Some of the sectors include energy, transportation, health care, chemicals, and information technology.

It should be noted that this type of investment can benefit from the regional aid offered by the country’s government. At the moment, this is one of the most advanced support schemes provided by an European country’s government. If you are interested in investing in Slovakia and apply for such an aid, our lawyers can provide detailed information on the programs developed by the authorities here.

Once the documents that prove the creation of the company and the investment, the investor will receive the Certificate of Significant Investment issued by the competent ministry (e.g. the Ministry of Economy).

Conditions to be met by applicants targeting Slovakia citizenship by investment

Foreign citizens who are interested in moving to Slovakia with the purpose of obtaining a Slovakia Investment Visa must meet certain requirements apart from the condition of injecting the above-mentioned amount of money.

Among these, they must submit their clean criminal records. This condition involves the following:

• the record must be filed by investors coming from their home countries;
• it must also be filed by citizens who have lived in other countries than their state of origin.

Foreign citizens, such as non-EU citizens who have relocated to Europe, are required to file a criminal record issued from the country they lived for more than 3 months in the past 3 years.

It should also be noted that this program is not limited to non-EU citizens only, as investors from EU countries are also entitled to relocate here and obtain significant foreign investor certificates.

Our law firm in Slovakia is at the service of foreign citizens who are interested in this program and can help them gather the needed documents for immigration to Slovakia in 2026.

Our lawyers can also help foreign citizens interested in obtaining a divorce in Slovakia.

How to apply for residency followed by citizenship by investment in Slovakia in 2026

Among the documents that need to be submitted when seeking to obtain Slovak citizenship by investment are a valid passport, the clean criminal record, as well as proof of the investment to be made, alongside a business plan. Applications are assessed on a case-to-case basis by the Ministry of Interior and temporary residency can be obtained in the first stage.

As a general rules, permanent residence can be obtained after 5 years of living in Slovakia, while citizenship is available after 8 years. What should be noted when it comes to significant foreign investors, though, is that they are not required to live in the country for 8 continuous years in Slovakia or fluently speak Slovak in order to obtain citizenship.

Our immigration lawyers in Slovakia can help you with the application for the Slovakia Investment Visa in 2026.

Facts on Slovakia and its investment programs

For those who want to relocate to Slovakia in 2026 is useful to know that:

• immigration approval in the case of major foreign investors can take up to 2 years;
• with a Slovak passport, one can freely travel to no less than 181 countries.

If you are considering immigrating to Slovakia, please contact us. You can get in touch with our lawyers for a range of services, such as help with work permits and the Investment Visa. Please be aware that there are different rules for people moving here from outside the EU versus within the EU. We can help you with the formalities no matter where you live. If you are from a country outside of the European Union and want to move to Slovakia, you must first apply for a residence permit.

Why move to Slovakia in 2026

Here are some of the reasons to consider moving to Slovakia for investment purposes:

• it is a Schengen Area and an EU member state;
• it is a Central European hub with excellent physical location and east-west connectivity, with significant export potential;
• it is also one of the fastest-growing members of the Eurozone over the previous 10 years;
• it is a leader in labor productivity and physical property rights security (PRA), ranking in the top 10 hardworking nations by the OECD;
• Slovakia has a strong potential for innovation and is ranked 9^th in the world for embracing new technology;
• it offers a wide range of offices and industrial property.

Number of migrants in Slovakia

Here are the latest statistics on immigration to Slovakia:

• the country welcomed 21,000 new permanent or long-term immigrants in 2024 (including free movement and status adjustments), a 14% increase over 2023;
• this number includes 77% labor migrants, 5% immigrants who benefit from free mobility, 16% family members (including accompanying family), and 0.2% humanitarian migrants;
• tertiary-level international students received about 2,800 permits, while temporary and seasonal labor migrants (not including intra-EU migration) received 1,400;
• furthermore, there were 34,000 intra-EU postings in 2023. Most of these advertised employees have temporary contracts;
• the top 3 immigrant nationalities were the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Ukraine.

If you are interested in citizenship by investment and need assistance, our immigration lawyers in Slovakia can help you. Do not hesitate to contact our Slovak law firm right away!