The following text includes only the framework information on the conditions of entry and residence of foreigners in the Republic of Slovenia. For detailed conditions, see Foreigners Act - official consolidated version (ZTuj-2)  (only in Slovenian)

Entry into and departure from the country

The entry into and departure from the country shall only be permitted at border crossings determined for this purpose.

The stay of foreigners in the transit area of airports, as well as the stay of foreigners on ships anchored in harbours or ports, shall not be deemed entry into the country.

Obligation to hold a travel document

For the purposes of entering into, departing from and staying in the Republic of Slovenia, foreigners must be in possession of a valid travel document, unless otherwise provided by law or international agreement.

Foreigners who are additionally entered in another person's travel document may enter and leave the Republic of Slovenia only in company with the persons in whose travel document they have been entered.

Foreigners who are in possession of a group passport may enter and leave the Republic of Slovenia only as a group, whereby the persons entered in the group passport must be in possession of a document with a photograph, on the basis of which their identity can be established. The group leader shall be in possession of a personal travel document.

Permit for entry into the Republic of Slovenia

For the purposes of entering into the Republic of Slovenia, foreigners must, in addition to a valid travel document, be in possession of a visa or residence permit, unless otherwise provided by law or international agreement.

Refusal of entry into the Republic of Slovenia

Foreigners may be refused entry into the Republic of Slovenia on the grounds determined in the Schengen Borders Code.

The refusal of entry shall be decided by a border control body in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Schengen Borders Code. Foreigners may appeal against the refusal of entry within eight days. The ministry responsible for internal affairs shall decide on the appeal. The appeal shall not delay the execution of the proceeding.

The refusal of entry shall be indicated in the foreigner's travel document and entered in the record of persons who have been refused entry, in the manner determined in the Schengen Borders Code.

Permitted period of stay of foreigners in the Republic of Slovenia

Foreigners may stay in the country for the period of time determined by the visa, the residence permit, a decision of the Government of Slovenia, or as provided by law or international agreement.

Foreigners who, in accordance with the law, an international agreement or a decision of the Government of Slovenia, are not required to hold a visa to enter or stay in the country, may enter and stay in the Republic of Slovenia for a maximum period of 90 days within a period of six months, starting from the day of first entry, with the same intentions as permitted to foreigners who must be in possession of a visa.

Foreigners must leave the Republic of Slovenia prior to the expiry of the period indicated in the previous two paragraphs, if so decided by a competent body.

Departure from the country

Foreigners shall leave the Republic of Slovenia freely in accordance with the law.

Foreigners shall not be allowed to leave the country if criminal proceedings, proceedings on offence or any other proceedings for which their presence is required, and if so required by the body entertaining the proceedings, have been initiated against them.

Visas and the issuing of visas

A visa shall be a permit issued by a competent body of the Republic of Slovenia to a foreigner on the basis of which the foreigner, if no grounds for refusal exist, may enter the country and stay in it for the period determined by the visa; or which ensures transit through the national territory, if the foreigner fulfils the conditions applying to transit.

A visa may only be issued to a foreigner in possession of a valid travel document, whereby the validity of the travel document shall exceed the validity of the visa by at least three months.

A visa shall not grant a foreigner the right to employment or work.

Types of visas include:

• airport transit visa (Category A Visa)
• transit visa (Category B Visa)
• short-stay visa (Category C Visa)
• long-term visa (Category D Visa)

A visa shall be issued at the request of a foreigner, if the foreigner is in possession of a valid travel document and the law stipulates no reasons for the refusal of his/her entry into the country.

Visas are issued by diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Slovenia abroad.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Useful information:

Entry to Slovenia

In the request, the foreigner must specify the purpose of his/her arrival in the country, enclose a valid travel document into which the visa may be attached, and, if necessary, documentation to prove the purpose and conditions of his visit.

Refusal to issue visas

An foreigner shall not be issued with a visa if:

• reasons exist for refusing his/her entry;
• he or she does not, in the request to issue a visa, enclose a travel or other appropriate document or, at the request of a competent body, other necessary documentation;
• he or she fails to report in person at the request of the competent body.

Notwithstanding the existence of reasons for refusal, a foreigner may be issued with a transit visa if his/her transit does not contravene the interests of the Republic of Slovenia, and if he or she provides evidence of admission into the country which he or she will enter upon leaving the Republic of Slovenia.

Annulment of visas

A visa may be annulled if:

• it is subsequently established that at the time of issuing the visa, the foreigner did not fulfil the conditions stipulated by this Act;
• it is established that the foreigner no longer fulfils the conditions for the issuing of a visa;
• the foreigner intentionally provided incorrect information on his/her identity or other incorrect information, or if he or she intentionally concealed circumstances which have a bearing on the issuing of a visa;
• the foreigner is no longer in possession of a valid travel or other appropriate document;
• expulsion or forced deportation from the country has been ordered against the foreigner.

A foreigner whose visa has been annulled and who is staying in the Republic of Slovenia must immediately leave the country.

Obligations of carriers

A carrier may bring a foreigner onto the national territory of the Republic of Slovenia by land, air or sea only if the foreigner is in possession of an appropriate travel document or entry permit, which he or she is required to have as a national of a certain country.

If the foreigner is refused entry to the Republic of Slovenia, the carrier who brought the foreigner to the border crossing by land, air or sea in contravention of paragraph 1, shall immediately resume care of said foreigner and take him or her out of the country at its own expense.

When a carrier is unable to take a foreigner out of the Republic of Slovenia in accordance with the previous paragraph, it shall immediately, at its own expense, find another carrier to do the deed.

Residence permit

A foreigner who wishes to stay in the Republic of Slovenia for a period of time longer than the period allowed on the basis of the visa, or who wishes to enter and stay in the Republic of Slovenia for reasons other than those allowed on the basis of the visa, shall be in possession of a residence permit.

A residence permit shall mean a permit to enter the Republic of Slovenia and to reside for a fixed period of time and for a specific purpose, or to reside for an indefinite period of time.

A permit for residence in the Republic of Slovenia shall not be required for those foreigners and in those cases for which the law or an international agreement so determine.

Types of residence permits

A residence permit shall be issued as:

1. a permit for temporary residence, or
2. a permit for permanent residence.

A permit for temporary residence shall be issued for a specific purpose and for a fixed period of time.

A permit for temporary residence without reference to a specific purpose may be issued as an unrelated permit for temporary residence to certain foreigners under the conditions stipulated by this Act.

A permit for permanent residence shall be issued with no limitations regarding the duration and purpose of stay in the Republic of Slovenia.

Conditions for issuing residence permits

A residence permit shall be issued at the request of a foreigner who wishes to stay in the Republic of Slovenia. In cases specified by this Act, an application for issuing a permit for a foreigner to stay in the Republic of Slovenia may also be submitted by another natural person or legal entity.

An application for issuing a residence permit must indicate the purpose of stay in the Republic of Slovenia. Foreigners who wish to stay in the Republic of Slovenia shall be in possession of a valid travel document, whose validity shall exceed the intended period of stay in the Republic of Slovenia by at least three months; they shall also be in possession of an appropriate health insurance certificate and adequate funds for living during their stay in the country, or their subsistence shall be guaranteed otherwise, meaning at least the basic amount of minimum income in the Republic of Slovenia per month.

Foreigners who wish to stay in the Republic of Slovenia shall, in addition to the conditions referred to in the preceding paragraph, also meet the conditions required under this Act for the issuing of a particular type of residence permit.

The applicant shall, together with the application for a residence permit, enclose a valid travel document referred to in paragraph 3 or a verified copy of such document and other evidence and documentation indicating the fulfilment of conditions referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4. The applicant for a residence permit shall report in person at the request of a competent body.

The residence permit shall be clearly entered in the travel document or shall be issued in the form of a decision. Save for a permit for first residence, a residence permit may be issued in the form of a decision if a foreigner whose identity is not disputable does not have and cannot acquire a travel document from his/her home country. In such cases the foreigner shall ex officio be issued with a personal identity card for foreigners.

The residence permit shall be handed to the foreigner to whom it is issued or to his/her legal representative in person.

The law or an international act may stipulate that certain foreigners have the right to stay in the Republic of Slovenia under the conditions provided by the law or international act.

Issuing of permits for first residence

A permit for first residence may only be issued as a permit for temporary residence.

A foreigner shall acquire a permit for first residence prior to his entry into the country, unless otherwise provided by law.

An application for a permit referred to in paragraph 1 shall be filed with a diplomatic/consular mission of the Republic of Slovenia abroad or with a competent body in the Republic of Slovenia, if this Act so determines.

A permit for first residence shall be issued for a period not exceeding one year, unless otherwise provided by this Act.

Issuing of permits for temporary residence

A permit for temporary residence shall be issued to a foreigner who wishes to stay in the Republic of Slovenia for the following purposes:

• employment or work;
• family reunion;
• study, education, specialisation or advanced professional training, practical training, cooperation or participation in international volunteer exchange programmes or other programmes not part of the formal education system;
• other legitimate reasons justified by law, international acts or international principles and practices.

A permit for temporary residence in the Republic of Slovenia shall also be issued to:

• foreigners - immediate family members of Slovenian citizens;
• foreigners of Slovene origin up to the third successive generation;
• children of foreigners, born in the Republic of Slovenia;
• victims of trafficking in persons.

A permit for temporary residence shall be issued for the period required to achieve the purpose of residence, but not exceeding one year, unless otherwise provided by law. A permit for temporary residence may be issued to a foreigner in possession of a travel document whose validity shall exceed the period for which the permit is issued by at least three months.

Foreigners who are in possession of a permit for temporary residence may stay in the Republic of Slovenia until the expiry of the validity of the issued permit.

Foreigners who have been issued with a permit for temporary residence for a specific purpose may stay in the Republic of Slovenia only in accordance with the purpose for which their permit has been issued.

Extension of residence permit or issuing of further permits

A permit for temporary residence may be extended under the same conditions under which it was issued. Foreigners shall file an application for the extension of a permit with a competent body in the Republic of Slovenia prior to the expiry of the validity of the permit.

Foreigners who are in possession of a permit for temporary residence in the Republic of Slovenia may, prior to the expiry of the period for which the permit was issued, file an application with a competent body in the republic of Slovenia for the issuing of a further residence permit for a different purpose. If the competent body refuses or rejects the application for extension or the issuing of a further permit or if it suspends the procedure, the foreigner must leave the country within 15 days of the final decision or ruling being served.

The foreigner shall have the right to appeal against the decision or ruling referred to in paragraph 3 within 15 days of the decision or ruling being served.

Residence permit for the purposes of employment and work

Foreigners who wish to stay in the Republic of Slovenia for the purposes of employment or work may be issued with a permit for temporary residence, if they are in possession of a work permit or other permit required under the law governing the employment and work of foreigners, or if they fulfil the conditions determined by law and other regulations of the Republic of Slovenia for the purpose of performing a particular activity.

The permit referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be issue to foreigners for their first residence in the Republic of Slovenia for a period equalling the period of validity of the work permit or other appropriate permit, but not exceeding one year.

Upon its expiry and provided that the conditions of paragraph 1 are met, the permit referred to in the preceding paragraph may be extended, but for a period no longer than two years.

Foreigners who reside in the Republic of Slovenia continuously for three years on the basis of a permit referred to in paragraph 1 may be issued with a permit for a period exceeding two years by a competent body, provided that the conditions of paragraph 1 are met.

By way of a regulation, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia shall determine the cases in which quotas do not have to be observed in issuing permits for the purposes of employment and work.

By way of a regulation, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia shall determine the cases in which foreigners do not have to be in possession of a residence permit for the purposes of employment or work.

Residence permit for study purposes

Foreigners who are admitted as students to a study course, other forms of education, specialisation, advanced professional training, practical training, or who will be participating in an international student exchange in suitable educational institutions in the Republic of Slovenia, or who will be participating in volunteer exchange programmes or other programmes not part of the formal education system, and who fulfil other conditions required under this Act for the issuing of a permit, may be issued with a permit for temporary residence.

Foreigners referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be issued with a permit for temporary residence for the duration of their study, education, specialisation or advanced professional training, but not longer than one year. In the event that the duration of the study, education, specialisation or advanced professional training exceeds one year, the permit shall be extended annually.

The condition for the issuing of the permit referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be evidence of admission to the study, education, specialisation or advanced professional training, issued by the educational institution to which the foreigner has been admitted as a student, or a certificate by a competent state body responsible for the implementation of an international or bilateral agreement or which is the grant-awarding body, or a certificate issued by a state-authorised organisation in charge of the implementation of a particular programme.

Competent bodies shall accord preferential treatment to applications for permits for temporary residence for study purposes.

Foreigners who are studying in the Republic of Slovenia or are undergoing an educational programme and are in possession of a permit for temporary residence, issued for the study purposes, may during the validity of such permit pursue employment or work in the Republic of Slovenia under the conditions specified in the acts governing employment relationships, employment and the work of foreigners.

Temporary residence permits for seasonal work and for cross-border provision of services by seconded workers

A permit for temporary residence shall be issued to a foreigner for seasonal work for a period no longer than six months, or exceptionally for nine months in the areas requiring such period of time.

The permit referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be issued to the foreigner if the conditions of paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 5 of the Foreigners Act have been met.

The permit referred in paragraph 1 may also be issued at the request of the foreigner or the employer. The employer may file an application for a permit for first residence with a diplomatic/consular mission of the Republic of Slovenia abroad or with the competent body in the Republic of Slovenia.

Foreigners cannot acquire a further permit for temporary residence on the basis of the temporary residence permit for the purposes of seasonal work, save for a temporary residence permit for the purposes of employment or work in cases where the same employer with whom the foreigner performed seasonal work has obtained a permit for the employment of the foreigner in accordance with the law governing the employment and work of foreigners, and provided that other conditions required for the issuing of a residence permit for the purposes of employment or work have been fulfilled.

In cases where the law governing the employment and work of foreigners requires a work permit for the provision of foreign services, a foreignern may be issued with a temporary residence permit for the duration of the contractual work, which, however, may not exceed one year, unless otherwise determined by international agreement.

If for justified reasons the contract cannot be completed within the prescribed time limit, the foreigner's permit shall be extended until the completion of the work, conditional on prior acquisition of a validity extension of the work permit.

The application referred to in paragraph 5 may be filed by a foreigner or by a legal representative of both contractual parties. The following shall be enclosed with the application:

• a work permit;
• a confirmed list of seconded workers with data on a prescribed form issued and certified by the employment office;
• evidence proving that a foreigner seconded by a foreign employer to the Republic of Slovenia on a contractual basis is in possession of social and health insurance in the country from which he or she has been seconded.

Daily work migrants

Daily migrant workers may be issued with a temporary residence permit for daily work migrants.

A temporary residence permit for daily work migrants shall be issued to persons referred to in the preceding paragraph for a period of two years, provided they fulfil the conditions for the issuing of a temporary residence permit for the purposes of employment or work and submit evidence indicating they are daily migrant workers.

If after the expiry of two years, a person referred to in paragraph 1 still fulfils the conditions under the preceding paragraph, the body which issued the temporary residence permit for daily migrant workers shall extend the permit for the same period of validity.

Reuniting of families and the right to family integrity

Foreigners residing in the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of a permanent residence permit, as well as foreigners who for the past year have resided in the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of a temporary residence permit and are in possession of a temporary residence permit valid for no less than one year, shall under the conditions of and in accordance with this Act be granted the right to reunion, preservation and regain of family integrity with immediate family members who are foreigners. Without limitation as to the duration of a foreigner's residence in the Republic of Slovenia and the validity of his/her permit, the right to reunite with immediate family members shall be granted to foreigners in possession of a temporary residence permit for the purpose of performing research work and to foreigners in possession of a temporary residence permit, if it is in the interest of the Republic of Slovenia, which shall be decided by the body competent for issuing the permit on the basis of an opinion from the competent ministry.

An application for a permit shall be filed with a diplomatic/consular mission of the Republic of Slovenia abroad or with the competent body in the Republic of Slovenia.

According to this Act, immediate family members of a foreigner shall be considered the following:

• spouses;
• unmarried children (minors) of the foreigner;
• unmarried children (minors) of the spouse;
• parents of minors;
• adult unmarried children or parents of the foreigner or spouse;

  for whom the foreigner or spouse is liable to support in accordance with the law of the country of his/her nationality.

The responsible body may exceptionally, at its own discretion, consider other relatives of the foreigner to be immediate family members, if there are special circumstances in favour of reuniting the family in the republic of Slovenia. In the event of a polygamous marriage, the residence permit for reuniting a family may only be issued and extended to one spouse.

A residence permit for reuniting a family shall be issued and extended at the request of a foreigner referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 36 of the Foreigners Act, who must submit evidence of sufficient funds to support those immediate family members who intend to reside in the country.

An immediate family member may even have his/her temporary residence permit for the reuniting of a family extended in the event where the foreigner with whom the family member is reuniting is issued with a temporary residence permit whose period of validity is shorter than one year.

An immediate family member of a foreigner who is in possession of a temporary residence permit shall be issued with a temporary residence permit for the reuniting of a family with the same period of validity as the foreigner's permit, but no longer than one year; it may be extended by the same amount of time as the period of validity of the foreigner's temporary residence permit, but by no longer than two years. An immediate family member of a foreigner who is in possession of a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia shall be issued with a temporary residence permit with a validity of one year; the permit shall be extended for a period of validity of up to two years

Immediate family members of a foreigner shall, provided they fulfil the conditions determined by the law, be issued with a residence permit as an unrelated permit.

The competent body may extend the residence permit of an immediate family member referred in paragraph 1 of Article 36 of the Foreigners Act even in the event of death of the foreigner concerned or the cessation of the marriage, where the duration of the marriage in the Republic of Slovenia must be at least three years. The mentioned permit may only be extended once for a period of validity not exceeding one year.

Foreigners who have long-term resident status in another Member State of the European Union and who wish to stay in the Republic of Slovenia for the purposes of employment or work, studies, the performance of seasonal work, cross-border provision of services as a seconded worker, or other justified reasons, may be issued with a temporary residence permit, provided they fulfil the conditions specified in paragraph 3 of Article 27 of the Foreigners Act and the conditions specified in this Act under the individual type of temporary residence permit, and provided that no reasons exist for the refusal of permit under Article 43 of the Foreigners Act.

With the exception of foreigners intending to stay in the Republic of Slovenia for the purposes of performing seasonal work or as a seconded worker for the cross-border provision of services which are to be carried out for a period of one year, foreigners referred to in paragraph 1 shall, under the conditions determined in and in accordance with this Act, be granted the right to reunion, preservation and regain of family integrity with the immediate family members who are foreigners, provided they have long-term residence status in another Member State of the European Union or other type of residence permit, and provided they have lived in family community with the foreigner referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 36 of the Foreigners Act in the Member State of the European Union where the foreigner has long-term resident status.

A long-term resident and his/her immediate family members referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 37 of the Foreigners Act may stay on the territory of the Republic of Slovenia without a residence permit for a period of three months from the day of their entry into the country or until the expiry of the validity of the permit, whichever is shorter. If they wish to stay on the territory of the Republic of Slovenia for a longer period, the long-term resident must, prior to the expiry of the allowed residence, apply for a temporary residence permit for himself/herself and for the immediate family members with the competent body in the Republic of Slovenia on the territory of which they reside. He/she may even apply for a temporary residence permit for himself / herself and for the immediate family members prior to entry into the Republic of Slovenia, with a diplomatic/consular mission of the Republic of Slovenia in the Member State of the European Union in which he/she has long-term resident status. In the event that the applications are filed with a diplomatic/consular mission of the Republic of Slovenia abroad, the long-term resident and his/her immediate family members referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 37 of the Foreigners Act may enter into the Republic of Slovenia prior to a ruling being adopted on the applications, of which they shall, after their entry, inform the competent body of the Republic of Slovenia, responsible to rule on such applications. The competent body in the Republic of Slovenia or a diplomatic/consular mission of the Republic of Slovenia abroad shall issue a certificate concerning the filed application for a temporary residence permit, which shall be valid as a temporary residence permit until the final ruling on the application.

A temporary residence permit of a long-term resident shall be issued and extended for the period required to achieve the purpose of residence and in accordance with the validity determined by this Act under the individual type of temporary residence permit. A temporary residence permit of an immediate family member shall be issued and extended for an equal period of time as the temporary residence permit of a long-term resident, but for no longer than two years. Long-term residents may stay in the Republic of Slovenia only in accordance with the purpose for which their temporary residence permit has been issued.

The ministry responsible for foreign affairs or the police shall inform the competent body of the other Member State of the European Union, in which the foreigner has long-term resident status, on the issued temporary or permanent residence permit, the extension of a temporary residence permit, the issued decision or ruling, and any forcible deportation of the long-term resident and his/her immediate family members.

For immediate family members of a long-term resident who have a residence permit in another Member State of the European Union, but have not lived with him/her in family community in the other Member State of the European Union in which he/she has long-term resident status, and for his/her immediate family members who have no residence permit in the other Member State of the European Union, the provision of Article 36 of the Foreigners Act shall apply for the issuing of a residence permit for the purpose of reuniting a family. The latter provision shall also apply for the immediate family members of a long-term resident who have become his/her immediate family members after he/she left the Member State of the European Union in which he/she has long-term resident status.

In accordance with this Act, foreigners of Slovene origin shall have the right to reside in the Republic of Slovenia if they provide evidence that they fulfil the conditions stipulated in paragraph 3 of Article 27 of the Foreigners Act.

Children of foreigners, born in the Republic of Slovenia

Foreigners' children born in the Republic of Slovenia who do not acquire Slovenian citizenship shall not be required to have a residence permit in the first three months of their life.

After the expiry of the three months' period, the competent government body shall issue a residence permit for children referred to in the preceding paragraph ex officio, which shall be valid for or shall be extended for as long as the children's mother or father or the guardian in charge of bringing up the child, to whom the child's care is entrusted until completion of the 18th year of age, has a valid residence permit or extends this permit.

The competent body shall issue ex officio a permanent residence permit to a child referred to in paragraph 1, under the condition that at least one of the parents is in possession of a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia or if the child's guardian is a Slovenian national or a foreigner in possession of a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia.

Residence permit for other well-founded reasons

Foreigners who, in accordance with the law and international acts or with international principles or practices, demonstrate well-founded reasons which justify their stay in the Republic of Slovenia, may be issued with a temporary residence permit by the competent body for the period of time for which their stay in the country is indispensable, but for no longer than one year.

Permanent residence permit

A permanent residence permit may be issued to a foreigner who has resided in the Republic of Slovenia uninterruptedly for five years on the basis of a temporary residence permit and if no reasons exist for its refusal under Article 43 of the Foreigners Act, and if the foreigner fulfils other conditions determined by the law.

Foreigners of Slovene origin, or foreigners whose residence in the Republic of Slovenia is in the interest of the Republic of Slovenia and immediate family members of Slovenian citizens, or foreigners who have a permanent residence permit or refugee status in the Republic of Slovenia, may be issued with a permanent residence permit even prior to the expiry of the period referred to in the preceding paragraph.

A permanent residence permit shall not be issued to foreigners who in the past three years have been given a prison sentence of a total duration exceeding one year. The time which the foreigner has spent in prison shall not be included in the period of time required for the foreigner to be issued a permanent residence permit.

Foreigners who apply for a permanent residence permit shall, at the request of the competent body, enclose with the application evidence of funds required for their subsistence, evidence demonstrating their entitlement to contributions from pension or other suitable insurance, and other evidence or documentation which demonstrate well-founded reasons for their application for the permit.

Jurisdiction of bodies responsible for issuing permits

A permit for temporary residence in the Republic of Slovenia shall be issued and extended by the administrative unit on whose territory the foreigner intends to reside, or by the administrative unit on whose territory the foreigner is residing. Temporary residence permits for the purpose of performing seasonal work and temporary residence permits for cross-border provision of services with seconded workers may be issued and extended by the administrative unit in which the employer is seated or where the activity is performed.

A permit for permanent residence shall be issued by the administrative unit on whose territory the foreigner is residing.

Registration and renunciation of residence of foreigners

Registration and renunciation of residence of foreigners shall be carried out in the manner and under the conditions determined by the Residence Registration Act, UPB1 (Official Gazette RS, No. 59/2006,) and the Act Amending the Residence Registration Act (Official Gazette RS, No. 111/2007).

Illegal residence

Foreigners who reside in the Republic of Slovenia illegally shall leave the country immediately or by an appointed deadline.

An foreigner shall be deemed to be illegally residing in the Republic of Slovenia if:

• he/she entered the country without permission;
• his/her visa was annulled or the period of validity for which the visa was issued has expired, or he/she resides in the Republic of Slovenia in contravention of the entry address or if the validity of residence in the Republic of Slovenia has expired on the basis of the law or an international agreement has expired;
• he/she has no residence permit or the validity of the permit has expired.

A foreigner who has filed in due time an application for the extension of the residence permit or for the issuing of a further permit may stay in the country until his/her application has been decided upon, and shall be issued with a special receipt which shall serve as a temporary residence permit until his/her application has been decided upon.

In determining the deadline by which a foreigner must leave the country, the body which issues the decision shall take into account the deadline by which the foreigner is able to leave, whereby the deadline may not exceed three months.

Annulment of residence

Residence may be annulled with respect to a foreigner who is in possession of a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia if:

• he/she was convicted in a court of law of a criminal offence and given an unconditional prison sentence of more than three years;
• there are well-founded reasons for believing that the foreigner concerned may pose a threat to national security, public safety or peace.

With the exception of the reasons stipulated in the preceding paragraph, residence may be annulled with respect to a foreigner who otherwise legally resides in the Republic of Slovenia if:

• he/she is residing in the country in contravention of the purpose for which the permit was issued;
• he/she poses a threat to public order and peace;
• he/she refuses to comply with the decision of state authorities;
• he/she was convicted of a criminal offence and given an unconditional prison sentence of more than three years;
• he/she runs out of funds to support him/herself and does not secure any other means of support for the duration of his/her stay in the Republic of Slovenia.

Deportation of foreigners

A foreigner who fails to leave the territory of the Republic of Slovenia in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 47 of the Foreigners Act shall be deported from the country.

A foreigner against whom an additional sentence of expulsion from the country or a security measure of deportation from the country has been passed shall be deported from the country.

A foreigner may be deported from the country solely if the decision on the basis of which he/she is required to leave the country is enforceable.

A foreigner who in accordance with the law must be deported from the country shall be brought by the police to the state border and directed across the border and extradited to the state authorities of the country concerned.

The police shall also bring to the state border and direct across the border and extradite to the state authorities of the country concerned a foreigner who is to be returned on the basis of an international agreement.

Proof of identity of foreigners

Foreigners shall prove their identity by means of a foreign travel document, a personal identity card or other suitable document which is prescribed in the foreigner's country and which proves the identity of the foreigner, with a travel document for foreigners, a personal identity card for foreigners, a cross-border identity card, or another public document issued by a state authority which includes a photograph and on the basis of which it is possible to prove the identity of the foreigner.

At the demand of a police officer, foreigners shall prove their identity in the manner determined in the preceding paragraph.

At the demand of a police officer, foreigners shall also produce a permit demonstrating the legality of their entry into and residence in the Republic of Slovenia.

Foreigners may not lend their documents referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 75 of the Foreigners Act to another person and may not use a foreign document as their own.

Foreigners shall report missing, lost, stolen or otherwise misappropriated travel or other documents referred to paragraph 1 of Article 75 of the Foreigners Act to the police immediately, or at the latest within 24 hours after discovering such fact. Foreigners shall be issued with a receipt by the police.

Foreigners who lose travel or other documents issued by a competent body of the Republic of Slovenia while abroad shall immediately report this to the nearest body of the Republic of Slovenia abroad, responsible for diplomatic/consular affairs there.

Related content

Foreigners Act  (Unofficial consolidated version No. 10)
Foreigners Act  (only in Slovenian)
State border control