Apostille and Translation in Slovakia – Do You Need Both?

You have a Slovak birth certificate, diploma or company extract, and an organisation in another country asks to see it. Three terms may come up: certified translation, apostille and legalisation.

Translation and authentication do different jobs. Depending on the document, destination and receiving organisation, you may need a translation, an apostille or full legalisation—or a combination. The order matters, and checking the requirements first can save you unnecessary steps.

This guide covers documents issued in Slovakia for use abroad.

Three terms, three jobs

Term	What it certifies	Who provides it in Slovakia
Certified translation	The translator certifies that the translation accurately reflects the source document. It does not authenticate the source document itself.	A translator registered in the official list maintained by the Ministry of Justice.
Apostille	The authenticity of the official signature, the capacity of the signatory and, where applicable, the seal or stamp on a public document.	The Slovak authority responsible for that type of document.
Full legalisation, including superlegalisation	Authenticates a document through a chain of certifications where the apostille procedure does not apply and no exemption removes the requirement.	The relevant Slovak authorities, followed by the destination country’s embassy or consulate.

An apostille replaces the traditional legalisation chain where the Hague Apostille Convention applies. A certified translation may still be needed alongside it.

What an apostille actually does

An apostille is a standard certificate established by the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. The Convention has applied to Slovakia since 18 February 2002. The certificate can appear on the document itself or on an attached sheet.

It authenticates the document’s official origin. It does not confirm that its contents are true or determine whether a foreign organisation will recognise the rights or qualifications described in it.

You should also check how recent the underlying document must be. An apostille does not override a recipient’s requirement for a recently issued certificate or register extract.

When you may not need an apostille

Certain public documents used within the EU

Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, applicable since 16 February 2019, removes the apostille requirement for certain public documents issued in one EU country and presented to public authorities in another.

It covers documents concerning matters such as birth, marriage, death, parenthood, residence and nationality. It does not cover diplomas or company extracts. For documents within its scope, a receiving authority that requires a certified translation must accept one made in another EU member state, including Slovakia.

There is a specific condition for documents proving absence of a criminal record: the exemption concerns documents issued for an EU citizen by the authorities of their member state of nationality. A Slovak criminal record extract issued to a foreign resident does not automatically qualify.

For some covered documents, you can request an EU multilingual standard form from the issuing authority. It accompanies the public document and acts as a translation aid. When it provides sufficient information, a separate translation should not be necessary; a translation may still be requested in exceptional circumstances. Ask whether a form is available for your particular document.

The regulation concerns documents submitted to public authorities. Private banks and employers may have different requirements. It also addresses authenticity rather than automatic recognition of a document’s legal effects.

Documents covered by a bilateral treaty

Slovakia has agreements with certain countries that simplify or remove authentication requirements. Higher authentication is generally unnecessary for documents used in the Czech Republic, while exemptions involving other countries may depend on the document and the receiving authority.

Confirm that the relevant exemption covers your document and intended use before paying for an apostille or legalisation.

Who issues apostilles in Slovakia?

There is no single apostille office for every Slovak document. These are common examples:

Authority	Examples of documents it authenticates
Relevant district office — okresný úrad	Birth, marriage and death certificates from local civil registries; certain documents issued by local authorities, including residence certificates.
Regional court — krajský súd	District-court documents, court-issued Commercial Register extracts, notarial documents and certifications, expert reports and certified translations.
Ministry of Justice	Documents issued by higher courts, including regional courts and the Supreme Court.
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, consular department	Criminal record extracts, Land Registry extracts and certificates of residence for foreign nationals issued by the Foreign Police. Preliminary authentication may be required.
Ministry of Education	Most certificates and diplomas issued by Slovak schools and universities within its jurisdiction.
Ministry of the Interior	Citizenship certificates and civil-status certificates issued by Slovakia’s Special Registry — Osobitná matrika.
Ministry of Health	Medical reports and certain documents issued by institutions within its jurisdiction.

For court and notarial documents, territorial jurisdiction matters. Certified translations can be authenticated by any regional court. Specialised medical, police and military educational documents follow the procedure of the responsible ministry.

Land Registry extracts require preliminary authentication by the Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Authority before authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The criminal-record procedure is explained below.

How much does it cost?

Fees depend on the authority. Current published charges include:

• €10 for an apostille issued by a regional court.
• €10 per document at the Ministry of Education, regardless of the number of firmly bound pages.
• €30 per authentication act at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Check payment arrangements before visiting. Some offices accept payment by card, while others require a prepaid eKolok. The Ministry of Education does not sell eKolok vouchers on its premises. Notarised copies and additional authentication steps can add to the total cost.

The usual order when an apostille is required

Start by confirming the receiving organisation’s requirements. Then the usual sequence is:

1. Prepare the document for authentication. Obtain the correct original and arrange any necessary preliminary certification.
2. Obtain the apostille from the competent Slovak authority.
3. Have the document translated. Include the apostille and other authentication wording if the recipient requires them to be translated.
4. Obtain an apostille for the certified translation, if required for your submission.

Arranging authentication before translation helps ensure that the translation includes the required stamps and certificates.

Diplomas and notarised copies

For a diploma or another document you want to preserve, the translation may be bound to a notarised copy.

This can introduce additional steps: authentication of the original by the responsible ministry, preparation of the notarised copy, and authentication of the notary’s certification by the relevant regional court before translation. Confirm the required sequence before having the copy or translation prepared.

Example: a criminal record extract for a job in Norway

Norway is outside the EU, so the EU exemption described above does not apply. This example assumes that the employer has specifically requested an apostilled Slovak criminal record extract.

1. Obtain the original extract — výpis z registra trestov. Check how recent the employer needs it to be.
2. Have the original authenticated by the Criminal Records Register of the General Prosecutor’s Office. It must receive the official stamp and authorised signature needed for subsequent authentication.
3. Obtain the apostille from the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4. Have the document translated into the language requested by the employer, including the apostille where required.
5. Obtain an apostille for the certified translation, if the recipient requires one.

The preliminary authentication in step two is essential: obtaining an extract from a post office does not complete that step.

When full legalisation is needed

If authentication is required, no exemption applies and the Apostille Convention does not operate between Slovakia and the destination country, your document will generally need full legalisation.

This involves certification by the relevant Slovak authority, legalisation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and final superlegalisation by the destination country’s embassy or consulate. The translation may also need authentication. Confirm the procedure with the embassy before starting.

Country requirements change. The Convention entered into force for mainland China on 7 November 2023, Canada on 11 January 2024, and Algeria on 9 July 2026.

Check the official HCCH status table, including entry-into-force dates and any objections affecting its application between the countries concerned.

Before you pay for anything

Ask the organisation receiving your document:

1. Do you need a translation? Which language is required, and will you accept a Slovak certified translation?
2. Do you need authentication? Is an apostille required for the original, the translation or both? Does an exemption apply?
3. How recent must the document be?
4. Which document format will you accept? Must you receive the original, or will a notarised copy be sufficient?

If you plan to submit an electronic certified translation, also confirm the accepted file format and electronic-signature requirements before ordering it.

Get a quote for your certified translation

Send Lexika a scan of your document, the destination country, the receiving organisation’s instructions, the required language and your deadline. Include any requirements concerning apostilles, notarised copies or electronic submission.

Request a quote for your certified translation. We’ll get back to you the same business day.

Information checked on 7 October 2026.