The registry office issues the birth certificate automatically if the parents have signed the Agreement on the Child's First Name and Surname, either at the maternity hospital or electronically.
The competent registry office sends it for delivery to the addressee only at the mother's permanent address, usually within four to five days of the child's birth.
From 1 August 2026, the birth certificate is also issued electronically. The electronic birth certificate (eBC) is delivered automatically to the parents' electronic mailboxes in a readable format that can be used when communicating with public authorities. It is a fully valid document and can be downloaded again whenever necessary.
From 1 August 2026, you can also change the delivery address for the paper birth certificate electronically through the Agreement on the Child's First Name and Surname or Record of Determination of Paternity services.
If your birth certificate was not delivered
If you did not request postal delivery or the birth certificate was not delivered, you may request it from any registry office. The Agreement on the Child's First Name and Surname must have been signed by both parents at the hospital.
Warning: If the child is born in a means of transport, such as an ambulance, the place of birth recorded will be the municipality where the child was taken out of the vehicle.
Who reports the child's birth
The child's birth is reported to the registry office by:
Good to know
If the mother cannot report the birth in time, she may do so later as soon as her health allows.
When the birth certificate is issued at the registry office, you will need:
Good to know
From 1 August 2026, the Agreement on the Child's First Name and Surname may be signed electronically at the maternity hospital using an eID. The electronic form supplements the paper agreement, which remains available. If the father's signature is missing, he will receive a notification in his electronic mailbox asking him to confirm the agreement. Once the agreement is signed electronically or on paper, the parents will receive electronic confirmation and a copy of the agreement in their electronic mailboxes. The electronic agreement is automatically pre-filled with data from public registers.
If the birth certificate could not be sent by post and the father cannot collect it in person, the person collecting it, such as the mother or an authorised representative, must submit his declaration consenting to the child's name. The father's signature must be officially certified.
The child's surname
The child's surname is recorded according to the parents' agreement. You may choose no more than two surnames held by the parents at the time of the agreement. If the father is unknown, the child takes the surname held by the mother at the time of birth.
Options for acquiring the child's surname:
If the father is unknown
The child takes the surname held by the mother at the time of birth.
If neither parent is known
The child's surname is determined by a court.
If the parents are married:
If the parents are not married:
If the child is born within 300 days of a divorce:
If the father is unknown or until the child's paternity is determined:
If neither parent is known
The child's surname is determined by a court.
Useful tip
The surname may be recorded without the Slovak feminine suffix, for example without '-ová'. You may request this at the registry office. If you sign the Agreement on the Child's First Name and Surname at the hospital, you may make the request there.
Required documents:
The child was born within a valid marriage
The birth certificate is usually collected by the father, but the mother may also collect it. You need an identity card when collecting it.
The child was born to an unmarried mother
The mother collects the birth certificate. You need:
If you wish to determine paternity, both parents must attend and present their identity cards.
From 1 August 2026, the other parent can confirm the first parent's electronic submission directly online. After one parent submits it, the other parent receives a notification in their electronic mailbox asking them to confirm the information. The form is pre-filled from the first parent's submission, and the other parent may confirm it electronically or in person at the registry office. The other parent no longer submits a separate application.
The child was born to a divorced mother
The mother collects the birth certificate. You need:
If the child is born within 300 days of the divorce judgment becoming final, the mother's former husband is automatically recorded as the father. Paternity may subsequently be denied by a court and determined with the biological father at the registry office.
The child was born to a widow
The mother collects the birth certificate. You need:
an identity card,
the husband's death certificate.
If the child is born within 300 days of the husband's death, the deceased husband is automatically recorded as the father.
How to request a duplicate
You may request an official extract from the register of births:
