How Czech citizenship by descent works
The eligibility rules for Czech citizenship by descent, in plain English — who may qualify, what disqualifies, and the legal regimes over time, each cited to its primary statute.
Who may qualify
A qualifying path — via the declaration route
Requirements
ALL of the following
ANY of the following
the applicant must be the parent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- parent
the applicant must be the grandparent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- grandparent
ANY of the following
the qualifying ancestor must have held czech citizenship at the moment the applicant was born, passing it down the line by descent.
- required citizenship:
- czech
the qualifying ancestor must have held czechoslovak citizenship at the moment the applicant was born, passing it down the line by descent.
- required citizenship:
- czechoslovak
the qualifying ancestor has a recorded citizenship loss after cutoff such that occurred = false.
- occurred:
- false
the applicant has a recorded applicant holds slovak citizenship at declaration such that holds = false.
- holds:
- false
the qualifying ancestor has a recorded loss under decree 33 such that occurred = false.
- occurred:
- false
the qualifying ancestor has a recorded loss under transcarpathian treaty such that occurred = false.
- occurred:
- false
the qualifying ancestor has a recorded retains slovak ssr citizenship post 1969 such that still retains = false.
- still retains:
- false
Primary sources
- § Act No. 186/2013 on Czech citizenship, §31 (declaration for descendants)
- § Act No. 207/2019 (expanded §31 to grandchildren of former Czech / Czechoslovak citizens)
- § Act No. 186/2013 §31 cutoff — qualifying ancestor must have lost Czech / Czechoslovak citizenship on or before 31 Dec 2013
- § Constitutional Decree No. 33/1945 (Beneš Decrees) — exclusion: loss under Decree 33 does not found a §31 claim
See how these rules apply to your family
The free eligibility check walks your own lineage through these rules — no account, no card, about two minutes.
Check your Czech eligibility