Slovakia Approves First New Civil Code Since 1964

Slovakia's parliament, the Národná rada SR, approved a new Civil Code on October 1, 2026, replacing legislation dating to 1964 and introducing sweeping changes to contract, property and inheritance law that will take effect on July 1, 2027.¹³

A code built for another era

The justice ministry, which authored the reform, said the previous code no longer matched the realities of modern life. According to the ministry, "Dosiaľ platný Občiansky zákonník bol prijatý v roku 1964, a to s obsahom poplatným dobe svojho vzniku," adding that "V dnešnej dobe, ktorá je charakterizovaná zložitosťou spoločenských a ekonomických vzťahov, však už takýto predpis nestačí."¹

The outgoing code was structured around typical situations of socialist-era life, according to one outlet, and, per another source, originated from that period with limited scope for individual decision-making.¹³

Seven parts, new terminology

The new code is organised into seven parts. Its first part simplifies representation rules and sets a unified three-year general statute of limitations. The second part introduces, for the first time outside commercial companies, basic regulation of legal persons. A fourth part on contract law unifies civil and commercial regulation for certain contract types, removing what the ministry called duplication: "Odstraňuje sa dualizmus niektorých zmluvných typov ako kúpna zmluva či zmluva o diele." A fifth part addresses property rights, and the seventh covers common, transitional, final and repealing provisions, described by the ministry as typically devoted to "úprave spoločných, prechodných, záverečných a zrušovacích ustanovení."¹³

The legislation also replaces the former term 'undivided co-ownership of spouses' with a new concept, 'spoločné imanie manželov' (common marital property). The ministry said the new term more precisely captures its content and substance than the original wording, stating it "Exaktnejšie vystihuje jeho obsah a podstatu než pôvodné bezpodielové spoluvlastníctvo manželov."¹

Inheritance and family firms

According to Hospodárske noviny, inheritance law is among the areas facing the most significant changes in decades, with new rules expected to affect family businesses that hold real estate, company shares and investments. The outlet reported that differences between the outgoing rules and the new code will significantly affect what individuals can decide in inheritance proceedings, and framed one of the central questions as "How to secure against disinheriting lazy descendants without depriving serious heirs."²

The new code introduces inheritance contracts as an additional legal instrument, alongside existing tools such as wills and gift contracts, according to one outlet. Hospodárske noviny described the overall reform as the most comprehensive piece of legal regulation in Slovakia's history, a characterisation not corroborated by the other sources.³²

Opposition amendments

During the parliamentary process, lawmakers accepted two amendments proposed by the opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), introducing the legal institutes of a subordinate pledge right (podzáložné právo) and a private fund (súkromný fond). A separate KDH amendment seeking to create a legal category of 'electronic person' (elektronická osoba) was rejected by parliament.¹³