- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Unregistered cohabitation
- Censorship
- Ambiguous
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✖ Single only
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- Unknown
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✖ Banned (1-year deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
💬 Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!
Public Opinion
Recent studies in Slovakia have revealed a prevalence of resistance towards LGBTQ+ rights.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
Have you lived in or visited Slovakia?
Share your experience of being LGBTQ+ in Slovakia.
Take SurveyHistory
Homosexual activity in Slovakia is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1961
Legal
Homosexuality was legalized in the former Czechoslovakia.
Same-sex marriage in Slovakia is unregistered cohabitation.
Current status
Since 2018
Unregistered cohabitation
Since 2018, Slovakia recognizes a close person, defined as a sibling or a spouse. A family member or a person in a relationship shall be considered under law a close person if an injury suffered by one of them is "reasonably felt by the other person as an injury suffered by him or her." Limited rights are granted, namely in the area of inheritance.
Censorship of LGBT Issues in Slovakia is ambiguous.
Current status
Ambiguous
Though no official legislation exists, the ministry of culture under directions of Minister Martina Šimkovi?ová shut down the Bratislava Art Gallery as it hosted art the ministry deemed to be “homosexual”. Potential legislation in the future is supported by the Fico Government
Right to change legal gender in Slovakia is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
Current status
Since Mar 3, 2023
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
Ministry of Health approved a Public Health Standard, eliminating the forced sterilisation requirement for changing the gender marker in the Registry Office.
Legal, but requires surgery
In 1975, the first sex reassignment surgery in Czechoslovakia and the associated change of legal gender took place in the clinic in Brno.
Until 1975
Illegal
Legal gender change is impossible
1501–1502
Ambiguous
Legal, requirements ambiguously defined.
Until 1501
Illegal
Currently it is de facto not possible to change the legal gender. The law requires surgery and sterilization, which was ruled illegal under EU court.
Due to a lack of standards and regulations as of November 18, 2022, healthcare facilities in Slovakia are refusing to treat transgender patients, forcing them to travel abroad for care.
Due to a lack of standards and regulations as of November 18, 2022, healthcare facilities in Slovakia are refusing to treat transgender patients, forcing them to travel abroad for care.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Slovakia is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
A report by Ilga’s rainbow map shows Slovakia doesn’t recognise none Binary genders
LGBT discrimination in Slovakia is illegal.
Current status
Since May 22, 2013
Illegal
The Anti-Discrimination Act (Slovak: Antidiskriminačný zákon) was adopted in 2004, to comply with the European Union's requirements on anti-discrimination law in its member states. The act, broadened in 2008, made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in a wide variety of areas, including employment, education, housing, social care and the provision of goods and services.
In May 2013, the Criminal Code was amended to include sexual orientation as a ground for hate crimes, allowing harsher penalties for crimes motivated by homophobia. Additionally, hate speech on the basis of sexual orientation was outlawed.
In May 2013, the Criminal Code was amended to include sexual orientation as a ground for hate crimes, allowing harsher penalties for crimes motivated by homophobia. Additionally, hate speech on the basis of sexual orientation was outlawed.
Intersex infant surgery in Slovakia is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Blood donations by MSMs in Slovakia is banned (1-year deferral).
Current status
Banned (1-year deferral)
Changes pending.
Conversion therapy in Slovakia is not banned.
Current status
Since Jan 22, 2018
Not banned
Not criminalized or regulated, Due to Christian attitudes, this isn’t likely to change
LGBT Rights by Region
View the LGBT laws in each individual region of Slovakia.