Having a baby in Slovakia: birth certificate, insurance and status

Who this guide is for

For parents from Ukraine whose child was born in Slovakia, especially those with temporary refuge.

What to prepare

• Both parents’ documents: passports and proof of status in Slovakia (for example the ODÍDENEC document).
• If you are married, the marriage certificate; for a Ukrainian document the registry office (matrika) usually asks for an official Slovak translation by a sworn translator and sometimes an apostille, so ask in advance.
• The agreement on the child’s first name and surname, signed by both parents in the maternity hospital; if you are not married, both of you ready to come in person for the paternity declaration.
• The mother’s health insurance card, or the document she was treated on, so it is clear which insurer the baby will be with.

What to do, step by step

1. 1The maternity hospital itself reports the birth to the registry office (matričný úrad) of the municipality or city district where the child was born, within three working days. The parents then go there with their documents; the first birth certificate (rodný list) is free and a duplicate costs 7 euros. The child has to be registered within two months.
2. 2If the parents are not married, paternity is established by a joint declaration of both parents in person at the registry office. If either parent does not speak Slovak, a court interpreter (súdny tlmočník) is required and the parents arrange one, so book ahead.
3. 3Since 1 August 2022 a newborn is automatically insured with the mother’s health insurer; the insurer learns of the birth itself and posts the child’s card to your home address. If the mother has no Slovak public insurance or is a foreign national, the insurer assesses the case individually and may require an application (prihláška poistenca), so contact it as soon as you have the birth certificate.
4. 4The child does not receive your status automatically. A child born in Slovakia to a mother with temporary refuge is treated as a foreigner applying for temporary refuge, and the Migration Office of the Slovak Ministry of Interior (Migračný úrad) decides. Contact it as soon as you have the birth certificate and ask which documents to send and by when; have scans of the birth certificate and your own temporary-refuge document ready.
5. 5Arrange the child’s Ukrainian documents at the consular section of the Embassy of Ukraine in Bratislava: citizenship by birth and the child’s passport. Book online on the embassy website and ask whether the Slovak birth certificate needs an apostille or the EU multilingual standard form, and a translation.
6. 6Register the baby with a paediatrician (see the UA Near guide on finding a family doctor) and ask the labour, social affairs and family office (ÚPSVaR) which benefits your status entitles you to: the right to the birth grant or child benefit depends on the type of residence and is assessed case by case.

Fees and deadlines

First birth certificate: free; duplicate: 7 euros; EU multilingual standard form: 7 euros. Registering the child at the registry office: within two months of the birth. Changing the newborn’s insurer: an application within 60 days of the birth, otherwise the child stays with the mother’s insurer.

Official sources

Open these links before submitting documents—the official authority defines the current rules.

• Ministerstvo vnútra Slovenskej republikyMatriky
• Mestská časť Bratislava-Staré Mesto (matričný úrad)Narodenie dieťaťa
• Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňaNarodilo sa vám bábätko
• Migračný úrad Ministerstva vnútra Slovenskej republikyKontakty
• Посольство України в Словацькій РеспубліціНабуття громадянства України за народженням

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