Czech-Slovak relations after 1993: the divorce that stayed friendly

On 1 January 1993 two new states appeared on the map of Europe where there had been one. No war, no violent border dispute, no referendum. An agreement between the Czech prime minister Václav Klaus and the Slovak prime minister Vladimír Mečiar in the summer of 1992, and a vote in the federal parliament in November, were enough. Diplomats still cite it as a model: a split that was negotiated, orderly and, in the main, friendly.

This explainer covers what came after. Why the federation ended is told in the Velvet Divorce. Here the subject is the relationship that survived, how it has changed and why it remains unusual.

The settlement of 1992 and 1993

The federal assembly voted on 25 November 1992 to dissolve the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic at the end of the year, and a series of treaties and laws handled the separation. Two principles ran through them. The territorial one turned the existing borders between the two republics into state borders. The proportional one divided federal property: assets went to the republic where they were located, and movable federal property was split roughly 2:1 in favour of the Czech side, reflecting the population ratio.

The two countries concluded a treaty on good neighbourly relations, friendship and cooperation (check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the treaty record), and signed agreements on a customs union, on dividing common property and on social security. Both joined the UN and other international organisations as new states in 1993. The Czech institutions that emerged are outlined in how the Czech state is organised.

Money: the short-lived common currency

The two states meant to keep the Czechoslovak koruna as a common currency for some months. It lasted weeks. In early February 1993, amid capital movements and doubts about a currency union between two newly separate governments, they ended it. Old banknotes were stamped, giving rise to the "stamped" koruna notes that circulated briefly, and the Czech and Slovak korunas went their own ways. Slovakia adopted the euro on 1 January 2009. Czechia kept the koruna, for reasons set out in what the Czech koruna is and why Czechia kept it and the eurozone debate.

Trade: the customs union

The customs union set up at the start of 1993 kept goods moving without duties and preserved a trading pattern built over decades. In the early years the Czech Republic was Slovakia's largest trading partner by a wide margin. Slovakia's economy has since turned strongly towards Germany and the car industry, but the Czech Republic remains one of its principal partners (as of 2026; check the Czech Statistical Office, czso.cz). When both countries joined the EU in 2004, the customs union gave way to the EU's own.

Two paths in the 1990s

The two countries then took different routes. The Czech Republic under Klaus moved faster on privatisation and cast itself as a leading reformer. Slovakia under Mečiar, who governed in various coalitions until 1998, took a more state-directed course, integrated more slowly with Western structures and was left out when the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland were invited into NATO in 1997. After the 1998 election a new government under Mikuláš Dzurinda introduced reforms, and Slovakia joined NATO in 2004 and the euro area in 2009, ahead of its larger neighbour. In the 2000s it was often cited for its flat tax and fast growth.

Commentators love the comparison, but the picture is more mixed than the headlines. Both countries have been through periods of rapid change, and both have had governments more or less strongly pro-European.

People: language, study and work

The most remarkable continuity is linguistic. Czech and Slovak are closely related West Slavic languages and speakers generally understand each other, particularly in writing. Czech television shows Slovak-language programmes without subtitles, and the reverse was long true. Younger Slovaks, who grew up after 1993, have less everyday exposure to Czech than their parents did, which some see as a quiet loss.

Education is a notable bridge. Slovak students can study in Czech at Czech public universities, and tuition in Czech is free for all students who study in that language, as a matter of Czech higher education law, regardless of nationality (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Education). Many Slovaks take advantage of this, so Czech universities have a large Slovak student presence. In the other direction, Czech students study in Slovakia, in smaller numbers.

Slovaks are one of the largest groups of foreign nationals in Czechia, alongside Ukrainians (as of 2026; check the Czech Statistical Office, czso.cz), and because both countries are in the EU and Schengen they cross the border without checks and can work without permits. The rules are explained in EU citizens' rights in Czechia.

Roads, rails and television

The practical ties are dense. A motorway links Brno and Bratislava, and railway lines connect Prague, Brno and Bratislava, with onward services to Budapest and Vienna. Businesses, banks and universities have branches and partnerships on both sides. Many people in both countries grew up on the same television series and the same footballers, which is much of why the relationship feels more like cousins than neighbours.

Unfinished business

The settlement was not free of disputes. Pensions were one. Entitlements earned across the old federation were divided between the two states by place of employment, and that led to long litigation, including the Landtová case in the Court of Justice and the "Slovak Pensions" ruling of the Czech Constitutional Court in 2012, discussed in Czech Constitutional Court and EU law.

The division of federal assets was largely settled through the agreements of 1992 and 1993, though details were still being negotiated in later years. Citizenship questions also caused hardship for some long-term residents who found themselves in an in-between position when the two countries passed different citizenship laws.

A relationship in the V4 and beyond

Both countries belong to the Visegrad Group and to a smaller grouping with Austria, the Slavkov or Austerlitz format. They coordinate on some European issues and diverge on others. For the wider picture, see Visegrad Group explained; for another neighbour, Czechia and Austria.

Frequently asked questions

When did Czechoslovakia split?

On 1 January 1993, into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, by agreement and without a referendum.

How long did the common currency last?

A few weeks. The two states ended the monetary union in early February 1993.

Can Slovaks study in Czech universities for free?

Public universities in Czechia charge no tuition for programmes taught in Czech, for students of any nationality (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Education).

Is there still a border?

Yes, as a state border, but since 21 December 2007 there have been no routine border checks under Schengen.