Getting a Slovak Criminal Record Certificate as a Foreigner
Foreign nationals — EU citizens, third-country nationals, and stateless persons — can request a Slovak criminal record extract (Výpis z registra trestov). This is the official document confirming whether or not you have any unexpunged convictions recorded in the Slovak register.
If you apply in person at a post office or at the Criminal Records client center, the document is usually issued on the spot, or you may be asked to come back the next business day to collect it. Bring the original documents listed below — copies are not accepted.
Can't travel to Slovakia in person? Every method below requires either being physically present or a Slovak electronic ID with a qualified signature for online submission. If you're abroad and neither option works for you, we can request the certificate remotely, by power of attorney through a licensed attorney. See how the remote service works.
Where to get the certificate
Slovenská pošta branches offering the IOMO service
The easiest and most convenient option is a Slovenská pošta branch that offers IOMO services (Integrované obslužné miesto občana — Integrated Citizen Service Point).
Not every post office provides this service, so check availability in advance on the Slovenská pošta website or app before you go.
At branches with an electronic queue system, select the service „Výpis z registra trestov" and take a ticket.
Cost at the post office: €4.90. Official information on submission methods, required documents, and fees.
Criminal Records Client Center at the General Prosecutor's Office
You can also apply in person at the Klientske centrum registra trestov (Criminal Records Client Center) at the General Prosecutor's Office of the Slovak Republic:
Register trestov, Kvetná 13, 814 23 Bratislava
Cost: €6.00. Payment is only accepted by card via eKolok (the Slovak electronic stamp-duty system). Current fees from the General Prosecutor's Office.
Applying online
You can also submit your application electronically through the General Prosecutor's Office e-service: Žiadosť o výpis z registra trestov.
This option only works if you have access to Slovak e-government services and a high-level electronic ID. For foreigners, that means a residence document with a chip, with BOK (security personal code) and the qualified electronic signature (KEP) activated. Because the application must be signed with a qualified electronic signature, an ordinary residence card without these activated features is not sufficient. Official information on electronic identification.
Cost of the online application: €3.00, paid via eKolok.
An electronic extract is not accepted everywhere. If the receiving authority requires a paper document, check in advance whether you'll need zaručená konverzia — a certified conversion of the electronic document into paper form.
Slovak embassy or consulate abroad
If you're outside Slovakia, you can submit your application at a Slovak embassy or consulate. Conditions, processing time, and the consular fee vary by country, so check directly with the relevant representation.
What documents you'll need as a foreigner
You'll need to bring the original documents listed below. Copies — including notarized ones — are not accepted.
EU citizens need to provide:
- a birth certificate (rodný list) with an official translation into Slovak;
- a valid passport or another form of ID proving EU citizenship.
Third-country nationals or stateless persons need to provide:
- a birth certificate with an official translation into Slovak;
- a valid passport.
In practice, some branches may accept a different set of documents, but you shouldn't count on that. It's best to bring both your original birth certificate with an official Slovak translation and a valid passport. A residence permit card is not listed by law as a substitute for a passport, so it's worth bringing both. These requirements are set out in § 12 of the Slovak Act on the Criminal Records Register. Current version of Act No. 192/2023 Z. z.. Third-country nationals may also be subject to a biometric data check.
How the application process works
- Choose a submission method: the General Prosecutor's Office e-service, a Slovenská pošta branch with IOMO, the Criminal Records Client Center, or a Slovak embassy or consulate.
- If there's an electronic queue system, take a ticket for „Výpis z registra trestov".
- Tell the clerk: „Potrebujem výpis z registra trestov" — "I need a criminal record extract."
- Present your original birth certificate with an official translation and a valid ID document.
- Pay the fee.
- Check the details on the application before confirming, and receive your completed extract.
How much does it cost
- At a Slovenská pošta branch: €4.90.
- At the Criminal Records Client Center in Bratislava: €6.00.
- At a Slovak embassy or consulate: the amount depends on the country and the specific representation.
- Online application: €3.00, if you have access to the required level of electronic identification.
Validity period and language
The extract is issued in Slovak only.
There's no single, universal validity period — it's set by whichever authority or organization you're submitting the document to. In practice, many institutions ask for a document issued within the last 90 days, but this isn't a universal rule. Check the requirement with the receiving party before applying.
Apostille for use abroad
If you'll need the extract outside Slovakia, check in advance with the receiving authority whether an apostille or consular legalization is required.
To apostille a Slovak extract, you first need prior certification at the Criminal Records Register of the General Prosecutor's Office, followed by an apostille from the Consular Department of the Slovak Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Official procedure for using the extract abroad.
A multilingual standard form is available only to Slovak citizens with no criminal record, for use within EU member states. It is not a general substitute for an apostille for foreign nationals.
In short
You can get a Slovak criminal record extract online through the General Prosecutor's Office e-service, in person at a Slovenská pošta branch with IOMO, at the Criminal Records Client Center, or at a Slovak embassy or consulate. For an in-person application, foreigners need an original birth certificate with an official Slovak translation and a valid passport. The cost ranges from €3.00 for the online application to €6.00 at the client center in Bratislava.
None of these options work for you? If you can't travel to Slovakia and don't have a Slovak electronic ID for the online service, we can handle the whole process remotely — power of attorney through a licensed attorney, apostille, and translation if needed:
Learn more about the remote service.
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