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Entry and residence of citizens of the European Union member states and their family members and family members of Slovenian citizens

Entry and exit

To enter the Republic of Slovenia, EU nationals do not need an entry permit, i.e. a visa or residence permit. They can enter the Republic of Slovenia with a valid identity card or a valid passport, regardless of the reason or purpose for which they wish to enter and reside in the Republic of Slovenia. They may leave the Republic of Slovenia with a valid identity card or a valid passport.

EU citizens are refused entry if:

  • they are not in possession of a valid identity card or passport;
  • they are a subject of an entry ban that has not yet expired;
  • their residence in the Republic of Slovenia would pose a threat to public order, security or the international relations of the Republic of Slovenia, or there is a suspicion that their residence in the country will be linked to the commission of terrorist or other violent acts, illegal intelligence activities, the manufacture of or trafficking in drugs, or the commission of other criminal offences;
  • they display severe signs of an infectious disease with epidemic potential as listed in the World Health Organisation's International Health Regulations, or severe signs of another infectious disease which could endanger public health and for which measures must be taken in accordance with the act governing infectious diseases.

The refusal of entry is decided by a border control authority in accordance with the instructions issued by the minister responsible for the interior regarding the existence of the grounds referred to above. An EU citizen may appeal against the refusal of entry within eight days. The appeal shall be decided by the ministry responsible for the interior. The appeal does not stay the execution.

Residence registration

EU citizens who enter the Republic of Slovenia with a valid identity card or passport can stay in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia without registering their residence for three months from the date of entry. If they wish to stay in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia for longer than three months, they must register their residence with the administrative unit in which they reside before the expiry of the three-month permitted stay.

When an application for a residence registration certificate is made, the administrative unit issues EU citizens with a certificate allowing them to stay until a final decision on the application is taken.

Reasons for issuing a residence registration certificate to EU citizens include:

  • employment or work;
  • self-employment;
  • provision of services;
  • study or other forms of education;
  • family reunification, and
  • other reasons.

A residence registration certificate is issued by the competent administrative unit in the area of which a particular EU citizen resides.

Entry and residence of family members of EU citizens and family members of Slovenian citizens

Family members of an EU citizen and family members of a Slovenian citizen (hereinafter referred to as "family member") are:

  • their spouse or registered partner;
  • their children up to 21 years of age;
  • children of the spouse, registered partner or partner with whom the EU citizen or the Slovenian citizen has been living in a long-term partnership, up to 21 years of age;
  • children over 21 years of age and older relatives whom an EU citizen or Slovenian citizen is obliged to maintain or actually maintains in accordance with the law of their country of citizenship;
  • children over 21 years of age and older relatives of the spouse, registered partner or partner with whom the EU citizen or the Slovenian citizen has been living in a long-term partnership, whom the spouse, registered partner or partner with whom the EU citizen or the Slovenian citizen has been living in a long-term partnership is obliged to maintain or actually maintains in accordance with the law of their country of citizenship;
  • older relatives of an EU citizen or Slovenian citizen until the he or she reaches the age of 21.

A family member is also any other person who resided with an EU citizen or Slovenian citizen as a member of the household in another EU Member State or whom the EU citizen or Slovenian citizen is obliged to maintain or actually maintains in accordance with the acts of his or her country of citizenship, as well as any person who is personally taken care of by an EU citizen or Slovenian citizen due to his or her medical condition, and the partner with whom an EU citizen or Slovenian citizen is in a long-term relationship.

A family member who is a citizen of a European Union member state may enter the Republic of Slovenia with a valid identity card or a valid passport and does not require an entry permit, regardless of the purpose of his or her stay in the Republic of Slovenia.

A family member who is not an EU citizen may, for the purpose of family reunification with an EU citizen or a Slovenian citizen, enter the Republic of Slovenia with a valid passport containing a visa issued by the competent authority of the Republic of Slovenia or by another state party to the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985, unless he or she is a national of a country with which the Republic of Slovenia has abolished visas, or with a valid passport and residence permit issued by another European Union member state, unless otherwise provided for in an international treaty.

Family members are refused entry if:

  • they are not in possession of an appropriate document or permit referred to in paragraph two or three of this Article;
  • they are a subject of an entry ban that has not yet expired;
  • their residence in the Republic of Slovenia would pose a threat to public order, security or the international relations of the Republic of Slovenia, or there is a suspicion that their residence in the country will be linked to the commission of terrorist or other violent acts, illegal intelligence activities, the manufacture of or trafficking in drugs, or the commission of other criminal offences;
  • they display severe signs of an infectious disease with epidemic potential as listed in the World Health Organisation's International Health Regulations, or severe signs of another infectious disease which could endanger public health and for which measures must be taken in accordance with the act governing infectious diseases.

A family member may appeal against the refusal of entry within eight days.The appeal shall be decided by the ministry responsible for the interior. The appeal does not stay the execution.

A family member who entered the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of a valid identity card, passport or passport and residence permit issued by another European Union member state may stay in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia without a residence permit for three months from the date of entry.

If a family member who is not an EU citizen wishes to reside in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia for a longer period than is permitted under the previous paragraph for the purpose of family reunification or preservation of family unity with an EU citizen or a Slovenian citizen, he or she, or his or her statutory representative, or the EU citizen or Slovenian citizen, must apply for a temporary residence permit for the EU citizen's family member at the administrative unit in which the family member is staying before the expiry of the permitted period of stay.

If an application for a temporary residence permit is lodged in time, the administrative unit will issue a certificate to the family member, which will be valid as a temporary residence permit until a final decision on the application is taken. The certificate does not authorise the family member to cross the state border.

Termination of residence of an EU national and family member

The residence of an EU citizen or family member who legally resides in the Republic of Slovenia may be terminated if there are reasonable grounds to believe that he or she could represent a threat to public order or public safety.

The residence of an EU citizen or family member who resides in the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of a permanent residence permit may be terminated only if there are reasonable grounds to believe that he or she could seriously compromise public order or public safety.

The residence of an EU citizen who has legally resided in the Republic of Slovenia for the last ten years may be terminated only if there are reasonable grounds for the suspicion of an extremely serious threat to public safety.

As regards the issuance of a decision to terminate residence and the procedure, the provisions of this Act on the termination of residence of a foreigner shall apply mutatis mutandis.

An EU citizen and family member whose residence has been terminated and who has been banned from re-entering the Republic of Slovenia may apply for a reduction of the ban on re-entering the Republic of Slovenia at the administrative unit that terminated his or her residence. The application must include evidence showing a significant change in the circumstances on the basis of which the residence termination decision was issued. An appeal against the decision of the administrative unit on the reduction of the period may be lodged with the ministry responsible for the interior. The EU citizen or family member may not enter the Republic of Slovenia until a positive decision is taken on his or her application for reducing the period.

Forced removal of an EU citizen and family member

An EU citizen and family member who does not leave the Republic of Slovenia voluntarily is removed in the following cases:

  • if he or she is subject to a final secondary sanction of expulsion from the country;
  • if his or her residence is terminated;
  • he or she has been refused a residence registration certificate or a residence permit, his or her residence registration certificate has been terminated or his or her residence permit has been annulled due to a serious and actual threat to public order, national security or the international relations of the Republic of Slovenia, or due to the existence of a suspicion that his or her stay in the country will be linked to the commission of terrorist or other violent acts, illegal intelligence activities, the manufacture of, or trafficking in, drugs, or the commission of any other criminal offence;
  • if he or she has been refused a first residence registration certificate or a first temporary residence permit due to a threat to public health referred to in indent three of paragraph one of Article 124 of this Act.

Except in exceptional cases, the deadline to leave the country may not be shorter than one month.

Regarding the removal procedure, the provision of paragraph three of Article 69 of the Foreigners Act shall apply mutatis mutandis.

If an EU citizen or family member is not removed from the Republic of Slovenia within two years after the administrative finality of a decision on the termination, annulment or refusal of a residence registration certificate or residence permit, the administrative unit that issued the decision shall verify whether the EU citizen or family member still represents a serious and actual threat to public order, national security or the international relations of the Republic of Slovenia or whether there exists a suspicion that his or her stay in the country will be linked to the commission of terrorist or other violent acts, illegal intelligence activities, the manufacture of, or trafficking in, drugs, or the commission of any other criminal offence. If a serious and actual threat referred to in the previous sentence is established, the procedure for removing the EU citizen or family member from the country shall continue; otherwise the administrative unit shall issue a decision setting aside the decision on the termination, annulment or refusal of the residence registration certificate or residence permit.

Residence registration

An EU citizen who has been issued a residence registration certificate and a family member who has been issued a temporary residence permit must register their temporary residence in the Republic of Slovenia in accordance with the act regulating the registration of residence.

An EU citizen who has been issued a permanent residence permit and a family member who has been issued a permanent residence permit must register their permanent residence in the Republic of Slovenia in accordance with the act regulating the registration of residence.

Related Content

Portal Immigration to Slovenia (additional information on entry and residence in Slovenia, acquisition of Slovenian citizenship, integration of foreigners into Slovenian society, integration programmes and the procedure for recognition of international protection status)

Entry and residence

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