Residence and work permit for third-country nationals in Slovenia

Third-country nationals who wish to enter and reside in Slovenia for tourism, business, personal visits, employment, studies, family reunification or other purposes of residence must obtain a visa (if required for entry into Slovenia) or a residence permit before entering Slovenia. Third-country nationals who come to Slovenia to work usually also require a work permit. Read on for more information about the permit you’ll need in order to stay and work in Slovenia.

Third-country nationals who wish to enter and reside in Slovenia for tourism, business, personal visits, employment, studies, family reunification or other purposes of residence must obtain a visa (if required for entry into Slovenia) or a residence permit before entering Slovenia. They can obtain these documents at any diplomatic mission or consulate post of the Republic of Slovenia abroad.

Third-country nationals who come to Slovenia to work usually also require a work permit. They must obtain a single residence and work permit, which enables entry, temporary stay, employment, and work in Slovenia.

A third country is any country that is not a member of the EU or the EEA (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein), or the Swiss Confederation.

Content

What documents do I need to enter Slovenia?
When do I need a residence permit?
Where can I obtain a residence permit?
How can I obtain a single residence and work permit?
If you plan to work in Slovenia …
If you plan to study in Slovenia …
How, where, and when can I renew my permit?
How can I acquire citizenship?
Can I work in other EU countries after receiving a residence permit?
What can I do if my residence permit is refused?
Useful links

What documents do I need to enter Slovenia?

Third-country nationals may enter Slovenia with the following documents:

a valid passport, if you do not require a visa or a residence permit to enter Slovenia,
a valid passport containing a visa, if you require a visa to enter Slovenia,
a valid passport and a residence permit issued by a competent authority of the Republic of Slovenia or a competent authority of a state that is party to the Convention for the application of the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985.

The validity of the travel document must exceed the individual’s intended stay in the Republic of Slovenia by at least 3 months. The issuance of visas is the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (click here for more information).

When do I need a residence permit?

Third-country nationals who wish to move to Slovenia (for employment, studies, family reunification, etc.) need a residence permit:

Make sure to submit the application for the issuance of a Residence Registration Certificate no later than 8 days after entering the country.
Obtain a residence permit from the administrative unit in your area of residence in Slovenia. When planning a visit to the competent administrative unit, check whether it is necessary to make a prior appointment. They might speak only Slovene, therefore visit administration unit with someone who speaks Slovene.
If all conditions are met, the permit is issued for the time period necessary to fulfil the purpose of residence, and for a maximum of 1 year.
You may renew the permit under the same conditions as it was issued to you.

The residence permit is issued as a permit for:

temporary residence, which is limited to a specific purpose and a specific time period;
permanent residence, which is issued without restrictions regarding the duration and purpose of the individual’s stay in Slovenia.

You can find more information about entering Slovenia and the types of residence permits on the infotujci.si portal.

Third-country nationals may obtain a single permit for residence and work, which enables entry, temporary stay, employment, and work in Slovenia. Third-country nationals must submit an application for a single residence and work permit at the diplomatic mission or consular post in their home country, or at an administrative unit in Slovenia, i.e. in the place (area) of their residence.

Where can I obtain a residence permit?

You can register your residence at the administrative unit in the place (area) where you live.

When planning a visit to the competent administrative unit, check whether it is necessary to make a prior appointment. They might speak only Slovene, therefore visit administration unit with someone who speaks Slovene.

If an individual has been granted a temporary residence permit or a visa for Slovenia, they must register their temporary residence no later than 8 days after entering Slovenia, obtaining a visa, or securing temporary settlement.

If you meet certain conditions, e.g. on the basis of a temporary residence permit, you may apply for a permanent residence permit after 5 years of continuous legal residence in Slovenia. A permanent residence permit is issued without restrictions regarding the duration and purpose of your stay in Slovenia.

More information about the types of residence permits, temporary residence, and permanent residence.

How can I obtain a single residence and work permit?

Third-country nationals can obtain a single residence and work permit, which enables entry, temporary stay, employment, and work in Slovenia. It is required for all third-country nationals who are not citizens of the EU, the EEA, or the Swiss Confederation, and who must be employed in order to obtain the permit.

The procedure for issuing the single permit is managed by administrative units in Slovenia. If all conditions are met, the Employment Agency of the Republic of Slovenia (ZRSZ) authorises the issuance of the single permit, which is valid for 1 year.

If you wish to apply for the single permit and provide supporting documents:

Fill out the single permit form, which also lists the supporting documents that you must attach to meet the conditions for employment or work as a foreigner.
Submit the application for the single permit at the administrative unit.
The ZRSZ authorises the issuance of the single permit (ex officio at the request of the administrative unit).

More information about the single permit, including the details on the steps towards obtaining the single permit.

If you plan to work in Slovenia …

Third-country nationals who wish to work in Slovenia usually require a work permit.

If you plan to provide individual services …

The consent for the provision of individual services is issued for the performance of work which requires special expertise provided by a foreigner who is not registered to perform the activity.
Such work is limited to a particular period of time. In the field of culture, foreigners may perform it for a maximum of 1 year (in a calendar year).
The consent for the provision of an individual service is issued by the competent Employment Agency of the Republic of Slovenia (ZRSZ), provided that a civil law contract has been concluded between the foreigner and the client (a contract for services or a copyright agreement for work based on a student service referral), and that the foreigner has the special expertise required for the performance of the work on the basis of the contract.

You can find more information on the ZRSZ website.

You can obtain a single residence and work permit, which enables entry, temporary stay, employment, and work in Slovenia. The permit is issued by administrative units in a unified procedure. You can find more information on how to obtain a single residence and work permit above, as well as at the ZRSZ info point for foreigners.

If you plan to study in Slovenia …

You can apply for a residence permit if you are accepted into a publicly valid educational or study programme, if you are upgrading your skills, if you are doing practical training or a specialization, or if you are participating in an international study exchange at any of the relevant educational institutions in Slovenia.
If you are a student, you may apply for the first permit for study purposes once you arrive in Slovenia.
A residence permit for study purposes is issued for a period of 1 year.

You can find more information in the online guide on studyinslovenia.si, which will help you integrate into the Slovenian environment and study at the Slovenian university of your choice.

How, where, and when can I renew my permit?

You must submit the application for the extension of your permit before your residence or work permit expires, and under the same conditions as it was issued. We recommend that you submit it 1 month before the permit expires.

To renew a single permit, we recommended that you submit your application 90 days before the permit expires.

If you meet the necessary conditions, you may be able to switch between permits, although you will be required to hold a valid temporary residence permit at all times.

EXAMPLE: You come to Slovenia to study. You finish your studies in due time, and wish to get a job. Before your residence permit for study purposes expires, and on the basis of a concluded employment contract, you submit an application for the issuance of a further residence permit for employment purposes at an administrative unit.

How can I acquire citizenship?

An individual can acquire Slovenian citizenship at birth or through naturalization, if they actually and continuously live in Slovenia for a prescribed period of time, or through extraordinary naturalization, which enables the acquisition of Slovenian citizenship under less strict conditions when this may also benefit the country – especially when there are well-founded reasons for it, e.g. scientific, economic, cultural, national or similar reasons.

Acquiring citizenship through naturalization

Slovenian citizenship may be acquired through naturalization, in which case the individual must meet the condition of actually and continuously living in the Republic of Slovenia for a certain period of time, as well as other legally defined conditions:

They have lived in Slovenia for at least 10 years, of which 5 years before submitting the application have been continuous.
They have been married to a Slovenian citizen for at least 3 years, and have actually lived in Slovenia continuously for at least 1 year before submitting the application.
They have lost Slovenian citizenship on the basis of termination or renunciation, and have actually lived in Slovenia continuously for at least 6 months before submitting the application.
They are a Slovenian emigrant or the direct descendant of a Slovenian emigrant up to the fourth degree, and have actually lived in Slovenia for at least 1 year before submitting the application.
They are stateless, and have, as a stateless person, actually lived in Slovenia continuously for 5 years before submitting the application.
They have a recognized refugee status, and have actually lived in Slovenia continuously for 5 years before submitting the application.
They have attended and successfully completed at least higher education in Slovenia, and have actually lived in Slovenia for at least 7 years, of which at least 1 year before submitting the application has been continuous.
They were born and have actually lived in Slovenia since birth.
They are a minor, they live in Slovenia, and their parents, who have acquired Slovenian citizenship, have applied for them to acquire Slovenian citizenship.

There is also the option of extraordinary naturalization, which enables the acquisition of Slovenian citizenship if it brings benefits to the country in a certain area of social life: scientific, economic, cultural, national or similar. Extraordinary naturalization entails less strict conditions for obtaining citizenship, as the individual must prove that they have actually lived in Slovenia for at least one year, and that they have a settled status of a foreigner. If these conditions are met, the individual may keep their current citizenship.

Can I work in other EU countries after receiving a residence permit?

If you are a third-country national:

You may stay in other Schengen areas for up to 90 days during any 180-day period.
You may not work in other Schengen areas or other EU countries with a visa permit or residence permit issued in Slovenia. You can refer to other Mobility Information Points on whether you need a work permit.

What can I do if my residence permit is refused?

Administrative bodies make decisions in accordance with the Act on Administrative Procedure. A decision or order is issued to the client, in which they are informed about the legal remedy, and on whether they can file an appeal against the decision or start an administrative dispute or another procedure before the court. This depends on the individual case and on the stage of the procedure.

Useful links

Infotujci.si: governmental portal with information for foreigners.
e-uprava gov.si: Osrednje spletno mesto državne uprave s predstavitvenimi vsebinami vlade, ministrstev, organov v sestavi, vladnih služb in upravnih enot.
EURES: European cooperation network of employment services, designed to facilitate the free movement of workers.
SOLVIT: Problem-solving network that deals with problems between individuals or companies and the authorities in another country, in cases where there is a possible misapplication of EU law.
EFA-PEARLE*: Cookbook – Visas for third country national artists travelling to the Schengen area (pdf).

This article was written in cooperation with PIP Institute.