Stricter Immigration Rules and Adoption of Students and Researchers Directive Forthcoming

Stricter residence requirement to sponsor family under general permit

• Under the new rules, the prior residence requirement for foreign nationals to sponsor family members will increase from one to two years.
• As before, EU Blue Card and EU Intra-Company Transferee Permit applicants can sponsor eligible family members without prior residence.
• Researcher and Higher Education Permit applicants (see below) also will not have a prior residence requirement to sponsor eligible family.

This will make Slovenia a less attractive destination for foreign talent next to other European countries that do not have a residency requirement for sponsorship of family members.

Stricter renewal requirements

Foreign nationals applying for a permit renewal, change of status or a permanent residence permit will be required to demonstrate access to sufficient funds (based on the national minimum wage, indexed annually and depending on family size) as indicated in their initial permit application. 

Applicants will be required to monitor their financial records more closely. 

Stricter language requirements

Foreign nationals applying for renewal of a family member permit will be required to demonstrate Slovenian language skills at A1 level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, permanent residence permit applicants at A2 level. No such language requirement currently applies.

Affected applicants will be required to complete language courses in time for renewal. 

Students and Researchers Directive implemented

The Slovenian government will apply the principles of the EU Students and Researchers Directive, including new temporary residence permits for research and higher education, studies and volunteering, and a new single permit for traineeships. Eligibility requirements and permit characteristics (including mobility within the European Union) are in line with the Directive.

Eligible students, researchers and trainees will benefit from tailored permit types where none currently exist. 

In-country permit pick-up

Under the new rules, applicants who submitted fingerprints at a consular post and then legally travelled to Slovenia, e.g., for house-hunting or a business trip, will be able to collect their permit in country. Currently, these individuals must leave Slovenia to collect their permit at a consular post.

In-country permit pickups will streamline the final stages of the application process for affected applicants.