Our client was searching for Czech citizenship by descent for her husband and their daughter. Their ancestors were part of a prominent Czechoslovak diplomat family. During the Second World War, the family resided in London, where the client’s grandfather served as an advisor to the Czechoslovak President Beneš’s government-in-exile. The client’s father was later born in then-Yugoslavia while the family was stationed abroad on a diplomatic mission.
However, the family had to leave Czechoslovakia after the Communist takeover in 1948. As if the family had not already endured enough after losing many relatives during the Holocaust, the rise of the Communist regime brought another difficult chapter. The client’s grandfather became an enemy of the state and was sentenced to death in absentia. He later sought political asylum in the United States.
All members of the family were later naturalized in the U.S., where they remained politically and publicly active after leaving Czechoslovakia. The family’s history also extended into American public life, as the client’s aunt, Madeleine Albright, later became U.S. Secretary of State.
Birth certificate from a country that no longer exists
One of the challenges involved was the father’s birth certificate, as he had been born in a country that no longer exists. However, we were able to submit a certified copy of the original birth certificate issued in 1947 by the former state authorities. Since Belgrade, where the ancestor was born, is now located in present-day Serbia and Serbian documents are exempt from apostille requirements for use in the Czech Republic, the authorities accepted the certified copy together with an official translation. This was a great relief, as obtaining a newly issued replacement birth certificate would likely have been demanding.
Confirmation of citizenship for the client’s father
Because the client’s father was not born in Czechoslovakia, it was first necessary to confirm his citizenship status. We had to prove both that he was born as a Czechoslovak citizen despite being born abroad, and later that he lost his citizenship through U.S. naturalization.
The case became more complex because the client’s father was naturalized as a minor. This meant we also had to demonstrate that he had been naturalized together with his parents, which expanded the amount of supporting documentation required.
Findings in archives and a swift issuance of citizenship documents
A surprise emerged when we submitted the application for confirmation of the father’s citizenship. Although the family last resided in Prague before fleeing Czechoslovakia, their domicile rights were officially registered in another municipality. As a result, the Prague Citizenship Office had to forward the application to the relevant Regional Office.
Cases like this show how archival searches conducted by Czech authorities in non-public records can sometimes uncover information that differs from long-held family stories.
In the end, the father’s Czech citizenship was successfully confirmed, and we subsequently finalized citizenship applications for both the client and his daughter, which were approved on the spot.
How wonderful to receive this good news! We are very excited! Thank you
For the client and his family, this was a long journey involving archives, historical records, and several countries. We are glad we could help guide the family through the process and reconnect another branch of a historic Czech family with their Czech citizenship.
If your family also left Czechoslovakia during the 20th century, Czech citizenship by descent may still be possible today, even in historically complex cases.
