Residence permits, visas, and citizenship in Slovenia

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Stays in Slovenia are governed by the Foreigners Act (Zakon o tujcih), in force from 5 June 1991. The procedure of nationality acquisition is described by the Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act (Zakon o državljanstvu Republike Slovenije), in force from 5 June 1991.

Visas

Slovenia is a member of the Schengen Area: certain nationalities must have an A, B, C, or D visa to enter the country.

For more information, check out our Schengen Visa article.

How to obtain a residence permit in Slovenia

A property purchase is not grounds for obtaining a residence permit (dovoljenje za začasno prebivanje) in Slovenia. Residency can be obtained through launching a limited liability company (družba z omejeno odgovornostjo, d.o.o.) in the country. The minimum charter capital amount for such a company is €7,500. If the business has been running for less than six months, at least €50,000 has to be invested in assets in the company's name. If the business has been running for more than six months, it has to turnover at least €60,000 during the past six months. The company registration procedure takes about a week; the fee is approximately €600.

Residence is granted for a year, and extended for another year and three years after that. After five years of residence in Slovenia, the investor can apply for permanent residence.

Other grounds for a residence permit in Slovenia:

employment
family reunification
studies
Slovenian origin up to the third generation of direct descent

Requirements for obtaining a residence permit:

passport validity exceeding the presumed length of stay in Slovenia by at least three months
medical insurance
sufficient means of subsistence (a monthly amount at least equal to the basic minimum income in the Republic of Slovenia - about €800);
proof of meeting one of the grounds for obtaining a residence permit in Slovenia (work permit, proof of university enrolment, etc.)
police clearance certificate issued no more than three months before the application.

Permanent residence in Slovenia

Permanent residence (dovoljenje za stalno prebivanje) can be applied for after five years of continuous residence with a residence permit. During this period, the applicant can leave the country for six continuous months and no more than ten months in total. If the purposes for obtaining residence were academic, only half of the stay’s duration in Slovenia is considered. If the individual stayed in the country for the purposes of seasonal work, the period of stay is not considered.

How to obtain Slovenian citizenship

Slovenian citizenship can be obtained by the right of origin (if both of the applicant's parents are Slovenian nationals), or via naturalisation, after 10 years of legal residence in the country, five of which must be of continuous stay. The naturalisation period is reduced to a year for the spouses of Slovenian nationals (married for at least two years) and former nationals of the country.

Additional requirements for the issuance of Slovenian citizenship: