Additional Information
Marriage of American Citizens in Slovakia
MARRIAGE OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN SLOVAKIA
Marriage of American citizens in Slovakia must be contracted
before the Slovak authorities in accordance with the Slovak law. The American
Consul is not authorized to perform wedding ceremonies. A marriage which is
legal under the laws of the country where it occurs is generally accepted as
valid in the United States as long as it is not in violation of U.S. law.
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. American citizens desiring to contract
marriage in Slovakia may wish to contact the Slovak Embassy (3523 International
Court, NW, Suite 250, Washington, D.C., 20008, tel: 202-237-1054,
www.slovakembassy-us.org;) or the Slovak Marriage Registrar’s Office
(“Matrika”) in the locality where they intend to contract marriage.
An American citizen must establish to the satisfaction of
the Slovak authorities that he/she is free to marry under the laws of the State
of his residence in the United States. Slovak authorities generally accept a Marriage Affidavit signed in the presence of a U.S. Consul as evidence in this
regard. Click here for further details on notarial services at the Embassy in
Bratislava.
The following documents are generally required by the Slovak
law in order for an American citizen to obtain a marriage license from a Slovak
Matrika:
- Documentation
regarding eligibility to marry (i.e.: the Marriage Affidavit and, if previously
married, documentation about termination of any previous marriage – such as a divorce decree or death certificate, duly legalized for use in Slovakia);
- Birth
Certificate (click here for information on obtaining U.S. birth certificates)
which (1) contains the names, dates and places of births of the parents and (2)
has been legalized for use in Slovakia (click here for more information)
- U.S.
passport.
IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES OF A NEW SPOUSE
A foreign citizen does not acquire United States citizenship
through marriage to an American citizen. He/She must obtain an immigrant visa
to be able to reside in the United States.
Once he/she enters the U.S. as an immigrant, he/she will become a Legal
Permanent Resident of the United States (i.e. a “green card’ holder) and
legally able to live or work there permanently.
A Legal Permanent Resident can then choose to apply for naturalization
in order to become a citizen of the U.S., although he/she must first fulfill
certain requirements (for more information, click here.)
A U.S. citizen begins the immigration process of his/her non-citizen spouse by filing an I-130 Petition with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Once the petition has been approved, USCIS will forward it to the embassy or consulate that processes immigrant visas for the region where the spouse resides. (Please note: the U.S. Embassy in Prague processes immigrant visas for the region which includes Slovakia; the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava does not process immigrant visas at all.) For further information, click here.
