A passport is not enough

As more Americans look to Europe, countries like Italy are tightening citizenship rules — shifting from ancestry to genuine connection.

A quiet shift is underway across the Atlantic: more Americans are trying to move to Europe just as parts of Europe are beginning to close the door.

A recent report by CNN highlights a growing number of Americans exploring relocation — not just travel — drawn by perceived stability, lower costs and political uncertainty at home. What was once a niche aspiration is becoming more mainstream, with central and eastern Europe increasingly part of the conversation.

At the same time, Europe is reassessing how easily belonging can be claimed.In March 2026, Italy’s Constitutional Court upheld new limits on citizenship by descent, challenging the long-standing assumption that ancestry alone — no matter how distant — is enough. The ruling signals a broader shift: citizenship is no longer viewed purely as a matter of lineage, but increasingly as a question of connection.

Slovakia now sits at the centre of this tension.

In 2022, it amended its citizenship law to allow millions of descendants abroad to reclaim nationality. Applications surged, particularly from the United States. What began as a reconnection with the diaspora has evolved into something far more complex: a wave of interest driven not only by heritage, but by mobility, opportunity, and global uncertainty.

The appeal is obvious. A Slovak passport is, in effect, an EU passport—granting its holders the right to live, work, study, and establish a business across all 27 EU member states, as well as in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein through the broader framework of European free movement.

Formally, nothing has changed. Citizenship by descent remains grounded in documentation: lineage, records, proof. On paper, the framework remains stable and clearly defined. In practice, however, a harder question is emerging — one that is rarely articulated openly: Is ancestry alone enough to establish belonging?

Italy suggests the answer may increasingly be no.

There, an expansive interpretation of citizenship — once extended across generations with minimal scrutiny — has begun to narrow under political and administrative pressure. The shift did not happen overnight. It emerged gradually, shaped by volume, perception and a growing discomfort with applicants whose connection to the country existed largely on paper.

Slovakia has not taken that step.

Unlike Italy, one of the world’s most visited countries, Slovakia remains far less visible globally. As a young country, it stands to benefit from building bridges with its heritage diaspora — particularly in the United States and Canada — through tourism, investment and cultural presence abroad.

That said, there is a growing concern among some decision-makers that applicants should demonstrate a genuine cultural connection to Slovakia, rather than relying solely on formal eligibility.

An unprecedented surge in applications is placing pressure on institutions — volumes with no historical precedent, particularly in the context of “return” migration from third-generation Americans. These large numbers of applicants with limited cultural connection are not neutral. They shape perception and influence institutional responses.

Change, when it comes, is rarely immediate. It is cumulative. Subtle shifts begin to emerge — in levels of scrutiny, in administrative tone, and in how a “meaningful connection” is ultimately understood.

For applicants, this creates a reality that is easy to underestimate. Eligibility may still depend on ancestry, but success may increasingly depend on something harder to document: the credibility of connection.

One existing tool may take on new importance in this context: the Slovak Living Abroad (SLA) certificate.

A long-standing program, the SLA was established to recognize Slovakia’s historic diaspora — enduring communities with roots stretching back nearly 300 years in Romania, Serbia and across the former Kingdom of Hungary. In many of these communities, even after 10 or more generations, the Slovak language continues to be actively spoken and preserved in schools, homes and daily life.

Through this sustained cultural continuity, these communities have been able to demonstrate a clear and recognized connection to their “motherland,” gaining access to residency, the labour market, education and, ultimately, a pathway to citizenship in Slovakia.

In an environment where connection increasingly matters, the SLA offers something citizenship law alone cannot: evidence of a lived and credible link to the country. For Citizenship by Descent applicants today, that distinction may become more consequential.

This is not a moment for alarm. Slovakia has not closed its doors, nor is it likely to abandon its diaspora. But it is a moment for alignment — an opportunity to move beyond paperwork and toward genuine connection.

Because a Slovak passport, in its truest sense, reflects more than eligibility. It reflects a Slovak identity.

Read more: https://spectator.sme.sk/opinion/c/a-passport-is-not-enough