How to obtain a residence permit in Slovenia for Russians in 2021

Trip to Slovenia

Since there is very little information about life and business activities in this country, before moving, it is better to go there on a tourist visa and determine on the spot whether it is worth emigrating to Slovenia for good.

Slovenia is part of the Schengen Union. To travel there you need a standard set of documents for entry into any country in the Schengen area. A visa is issued only after passing fingerprinting.

Advantages of a residence permit in Slovenia

A residence permit in Slovenia expands the range of opportunities for a foreigner.

The most significant advantages:

the opportunity to obtain permanent residence and citizenship;
free education at a secondary educational institution;
free medical care;
unimpeded travel to other Schengen countries;
social support (benefits, benefits);
opportunity to work and run a business;
staying in the country for a long time without the need to travel outside its borders;
service in rating banks.

A residence permit does not give the right to vote, work in government agencies, or buy real estate to individuals.

Grounds for obtaining a residence permit in 2021

Not every Russian who wants a residence permit can obtain a residence permit.

There must be documented reasons for this:

employment;
family reunion;
getting an education;
opening a business;
marriage.

Property owners in Slovenia are not given a residence permit. This does not apply to those who, along with the purchase of real estate, open their own company.

Study in Slovenia

Slovenia has three state, two international universities, and many private educational institutions. Each has its own admission and training system. They teach in Slovenian and English, so knowledge of them at a conversational level is required.

The country's main higher education institution is the university in the capital Ljubljana.

To enter an educational institution in the country in 2021, knowledge of the Slovenian language is not required. Testing in this subject is carried out only upon transfer to the second year.

Study prices depend on the university, specialty and level of education. On average it is 1,500-4,000 euros. You can send your application and prepared papers by registered mail. But it’s safer to deliver them in person.

After you have your enrollment certificate in hand, you need to return to Russia and submit all the papers to the consular department of the Slovenian embassy to obtain a residence permit.

Student status gives a person living in the country a number of advantages that are not available in other EU countries:

the opportunity to get a job in Slovenia even without special permission;
big discounts on food in cafes and restaurants.

Education in Slovenian institutions is conducted according to the Bologna system. After graduating from university and receiving a European diploma, everyone can count on working in any country in Europe.

Organization of business activities

A citizen of any foreign country can register a company and do business in the country without restrictions. In Slovenia, many market segments where it is possible to engage in a profitable type of business are not fully covered.

The niche for freight transportation from other countries has not yet been closed. You can import European delicacies into the country, the demand for which is growing and is not fully satisfied. The network of electronic equipment stores, especially mobile communications, tablets, and game consoles, is poorly developed.

Real estate in Slovenia is expensive. Therefore, renting premises for running a business will not be cheap.

The most convenient way is to open an LLC. To do this, an individual only needs to prepare:

a copy of all pages of a valid passport;
document confirming no criminal record in Slovenia;
company address and unique name.

The minimum capital for opening a limited liability company is 7,500 euros. Additionally, you need to pay for rent and insurance.

Once all the documents have been completed, you can apply for a residence permit. The first residence permit is issued for one year. It must be renewed within 5 years. After this, you can apply for permanent residence.

Unlike other states, there is no need to stay in the country for at least 183 days a year. If a citizen who has a residence permit is absent for more than a year, then this document can be lost.

When organizing a business in Slovenia, there is no strict requirement for the number of local personnel hired. Therefore, it is very convenient for Russians and Ukrainians to open small family businesses.

We recommend watching a video about business immigration to Slovenia.

Buying a property

Only a legal entity can buy any real estate in Slovenia. Housing and commercial real estate are not sold to individuals.

To obtain a residence permit for a business owner, you need to fulfill several requirements:

The company must own property worth €50,000 or more.
The company must operate for more than 6 months in Slovenia and have a turnover of at least 60,000 euros during this time.
After 6 months of work, the balance of income and expenses should be more than 4,000 euros.

These rules are made to ensure that people open a business not only on paper.

Work in Slovenia

To get a job in Slovenia, the employer must obtain a work permit. After receiving it, you can apply for a residence permit at the consulate.

Family reunification

To obtain a residence permit for his relatives, a foreigner must live in Slovenia for at least one year. After the residence permit is renewed for the second year, he can invite family members and they will not be denied a long-term residence document.

Other grounds

Residence permits are issued to scientists who have entered into a contract with a foreign company. Political refugees, patients in need of treatment, persons with special services to the state, foreigners conducting official activities (diplomats, members of delegations, cultural figures, etc.) can count on permission.

A residence permit can be obtained by migrants of Slovenian roots who have an EU Blue Card.

Watch the video: options for moving to Slovenia and obtaining a residence permit.

How to get a residence permit in Slovenia

Foreign citizens can apply for a residence permit in Slovenia on the following grounds:

registering and running your own business;
entering into an official marriage with a citizen of the state;
concluding an employment contract with a local employer;
family reunification;
getting an education;
granting refugee status;
humanitarian purposes.

Unlike other countries of the European Union, the right to obtain a residence permit when purchasing real estate in Slovenia does not arise. Real estate can only be purchased by an officially registered company. It is not sold to individuals with foreign citizenship.

There are no special conditions in the country for citizens of retirement age; they receive a residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia on a general basis.

For several years now, the country has been attracting foreign investors through various programs. Business immigration is one of the popular ways to move here. This option is also called obtaining a residence permit through investment. There are two ways to do this:

buy a ready-made local business;
receive an offer to work in a Slovenian company and invest your own funds in it;
open your own business.

Registering your own business gives the owner the right to:

find a job in it yourself;
conduct legal business activities with EU countries;
obtain a residence permit for yourself and family members.

An entrepreneur will definitely think about how a family can obtain a residence permit in Slovenia. Special conditions have been adopted for them:

Slovenians must officially work on the staff of a registered legal entity;
The company's activities must show profit.

Only if these conditions are met after a year, a businessman can apply for family reunification.

The procedure for obtaining a residence permit for business immigration in Slovenia for Russians is quite simple and consists of several stages:

registering a company, opening a bank account and depositing authorized capital (minimum 10 thousand euros) - completed within a few days;
creating a unique vacancy or maintaining conditions for active business activities takes from 1 month to six months;
registration of residence permit and work permit – from 2 to 3 months.

Active business activity is considered to be the fulfillment of one of the following conditions:

investment of own funds in fixed assets in the amount of 50 thousand euros in the first 6 months of the company’s operation (purchase of equipment, real estate);
providing a job for at least six months to a citizen of Slovenia or someone who has a work permit;
the company must show a minimum average monthly turnover of 10 thousand euros for six months.

To open a unique vacancy, you must comply with the requirement to apostille a higher education diploma.

The minimum costs for starting your own business will be from 1.5 to 2 thousand euros for registering a legal entity.

Purchasing a property as an investment includes several stages:

searching for a suitable object;
conducting investment analysis and checking its legal purity;
carrying out a purchase transaction;
registration of an object as the property of a legal entity.

When employed in a Slovenian company and investing their own funds, a Russian citizen becomes a recipient of additional passive income from investments.

Another legal way to settle for a long term is to obtain a residence permit under the family reunification program. This option is suitable for those whose relatives have managed to become citizens, obtain permanent residence or a residence permit. Close relatives under the program include:

spouses;
minor children;
elderly parents, if it is proven that they need care.

The program can only be used by those who have lived legally in the country for at least 1 year. By this method, the Slovenian government is trying to reduce the number of migrants who immediately after moving apply for government social support. They expect that within a year of staying in the country, the foreigner himself will be able to become financially independent and assess his chances of supporting his family.

Obtaining a residence permit in Slovenia upon marriage is a type of long-term stay under the family reunification program. The spouse has the right to obtain a residence permit and subsequently apply for permanent residence under simplified conditions.

The basis document is a marriage certificate. If it is issued on the territory of the Russian Federation, it requires translation into Slovenian and certification with an apostille. In order to avoid numerous fictitious marriages between Slovenians and foreign citizens, the country has programs to monitor such couples for some time. If evidence of the authenticity of the relationship between spouses emerges, the foreign citizen is deported to his homeland, and the Slovenian is fined a large sum. They rarely write about such checks on forums due to their rarity.

Opening a residence permit through education is most suitable for students. The main condition is that the university must have a license to provide educational services to foreigners.

You do not need to take any exams to enroll in a local university. The guideline for the commission is the average score from the certificate.

Obtaining a local education diploma opens the door to work throughout Europe and other countries around the world.

Free education at universities is intended for children of citizens of the country. For other categories, the price per course varies from 1.5 to 4 thousand euros.

Slovenia has several state and international universities, and many commercial ones. Each of them has its own characteristics of enrollment and training. All the details can be found:

on the website of a specific educational institution;
on local student forums.

To enter a local university you will need:

good average score from the certificate;
knowledge of English or Slovenian at a conversational level (training is conducted only in these languages).

When transferring to the second year of study, you will be required to take a test of proficiency in the Slovenian language. Without passing it, enrollment in the second year will not take place.

There is an international agreement between Russia and Slovenia, according to which affixing an apostille on a school certificate is not required. It will be sufficient:

translation by an accredited translator into Slovenian;
certification of the document by a notary.

Students with an educational visa have advantages when living in the country:

can be built for work without special permission;
discounts on food throughout the country in catering establishments;
count on preferential employment after receiving a Slovenian diploma of education.

When further registration of permanent residence by former students occurs, only 50% of the study time will be counted.

A specialist who has received a work visa can work in the country. It is issued upon preparation of the following documents:

consent of the department for the employment of foreigners (analogous to the former work permit);
information sheet.

Based on consent, a biometric card is issued - a single permit. The information sheet contains information about the employer and workplace.

It is not easy for a person who does not have a specialized education to obtain such permission. The local labor market needs such professions as:

IT specialist;
engineer;
medical workers;
managers in the field of logistics;
teachers.

Jobs that do not require specialization are occupied by the local population.

Upon receipt of a work contract and work permit, you have the right to obtain a residence permit for a period of 1 year with the right to extend it for another year, and then for 3 years.

Using the EU Blue Card, highly qualified specialists with higher education and proven experience in a specific field can come to live and work. Advantages of having such a card:

for the holder of such a card there is no question of waiting 1 year to reunite with his family, he can do it immediately;
The card is valid for 2 years immediately;
The holder has the right, upon expiration of its validity period, not to leave the territory of Slovenia, but to use the search for other grounds for staying in the country.

Special conditions for applicants for the Blue Card:

mandatory documentary evidence of actual work experience in a sought-after profession;
the salary level of the card holder is one and a half times higher than the average for the Slovenian labor market and, accordingly, the taxes that he pays are higher.

Another basis for obtaining a residence permit is refugeehood. This status can be obtained by those who seek asylum as a result of a threat to life in their homeland, oppression for political, religious or other reasons. Each application is carefully considered, and if there are insufficient grounds for granting status, the applicant will be deported from the country.

The general procedure for obtaining a residence permit consists of several stages:

making an appointment with the migration service through the website;
registration of an application electronically;
collection of the necessary list of documents;
visit on the appointed day;
submitting biometrics;
interview;
getting permission;
approval of the application for a residence permit card.

Registration of a residence permit

To obtain a residence permit, you must:

Make an appointment at the Embassy.
Prepare a list of documents, translate them, and have them certified by a notary office.
Fill out the form.
On the appointed date, visit the embassy, undergo an interview, and submit biometric data.
Pick up the finished document.

Slovenian residence permit card

Requirements for applicants

Requirements for applicants for a Slovenian residence permit:

personal appearance or visit of an official representative, if the applicant for good reasons cannot complete the paperwork;
submission of biometric data and interviews;
availability of a complete list of required documents.

The list of documents depends on the type of residence permit being issued.

Main package of papers:

a foreign passport with a validity period of at least 6 months at the time of obtaining a residence permit;
statement;

.

2 photos;
certificates/extracts confirming financial solvency;
certificate of no criminal record with apostille, translation, notarization (valid for 3 months);
diploma of education (apostille, translation, certification are required);
international health insurance covering a minimum of €30 thousand;
a document confirming the availability of living space in Slovenia (even if it is rented housing);
if a foreigner is married and has children, then birth certificates of children and marriage will be required.

You can familiarize yourself with the process of obtaining a Slovenian residence permit on the Slovenian state website about citizenship and residence permits.

The list is supplemented by other documents depending on the basis (agreement with the university, employment contract, etc.). Entrepreneurs have the most voluminous package.

Visa application

When applying for a residence permit, you need a long-term Schengen visa to Slovenia category D.

It is processed at the Slovenian Embassy in Moscow:

Official website of the Slovenian Embassy in Moscow;
Address: st. Malaya Dmitrovka, 14/1.

Visa centers do not issue this type of visa.
The cost of the document is €77. To obtain a long-term permit, a standard set of documents is required:

international passport;
2 photos;
medical insurance;
questionnaire;

See the link for a sample form.

financial and housing guarantees;
basis for long-term stay in the country.

Duration and cost of obtaining a residence permit

If all documents are provided and there are no errors in them, then usually the period for obtaining a residence permit takes 1 month. But the time can be extended to 4 months if there are not enough papers or the embassy has doubts about the applicant.

The cost of obtaining a residence permit is €110.

Emigration routes to Slovenia in 2021

Slovenian legislation underwent a number of changes in 2015. They do not apply to those who moved earlier, only to those who plan to apply for residence in the future.

Today, the available ways to obtain a residence permit in Slovenia remain:

Immigration for business (get a job in an established company);
Based on training (certified educational institutions);
For family reunification;
Contract work at a local enterprise.

A residence permit is not provided for the purchase of real estate, since the purchase of real estate in Slovenia is only available to residents of EU countries.

Immigration for business

Recent changes have complicated the procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Slovenia for the purpose of starting your own business. Requirements for the selection of business plans for new enterprises have been tightened. More capital investment is now required, and the viability of new businesses is being assessed more closely.

This is the most popular way to move to Slovenia. After your own business has been registered, or an existing business has been purchased, an application for a business visa is submitted, followed by obtaining a residence permit for the business. The waiting period can be up to six months. Having lived in Slovenia for a year and obtained a productive enterprise (providing income and providing work for local residents), the holder of a residence permit for business has the right to request a residence permit for family reunification.

Initially, at the preparation stage, a package of documents necessary for registering a limited liability company is drawn up. Here the requirements for individuals and legal entities differ.

Individuals must obtain a tax number in Slovenia by providing:

A copy of the first information page of the passport for foreign travel of the company founder;
Certificate from the police confirming no criminal record in Slovenia;
Information about the company, namely its registration address and name.

Legal entities must provide a similar list to obtain a TIN, adding to it also an extract from the registration register or from a court decision on registration, in the original, with a translation into the state language. The translation must be performed by an official translator. They also require a letter of permission from the owner of the premises in which the enterprise is located.

The minimum authorized capital is set at 7.5 thousand euros, which are deposited into the account immediately after registration of the enterprise. Six months after the start of work, the responsible authorities will request information on the economic feasibility of the project. The minimum profitability threshold must be at least 2 thousand euros.

It is possible to reduce the waiting period for a business residence permit by purchasing an existing enterprise and re-registering it in your name. The company must legally generate the above monthly income, and be registered for at least 12 months in the state register at the time of acquisition.

First of all, after purchasing or opening a new enterprise, after a maximum of 6 months, the entrepreneur is obliged to provide:

Certificate confirming no criminal record

Requested at the place of residence, and must be translated into Slovenian by an official translator. Authenticity is certified by an apostille.

The validity period of such certificates is only ninety days.

Insurance policy with coverage of at least 30,000 euros

Also purchased in advance. It can be issued by almost any insurance company upon individual request.

Confirmation of financial security

To prove your financial solvency, you must provide an income of at least one minimum wage in Slovenia for each applicant.

Copy of marriage certificate

The copy is notarized and dated, as copies made earlier than six months before submitting documents will not be accepted. Translated by an official translator and then certified with an apostille.

Copies of birth certificate for minors.

Translated by an official translator and certified with an apostille. Valid for 6 months.

From this list, marriage documents and birth certificates are required in case the applicant plans to later legalize as a member of his family under the reunification program.

Residence permit for family reunification

This basis requires the presence of family ties with a resident or citizen of Slovenia.

The main form of obtaining this residence permit will be marriage. The legislation of Slovenia strictly prohibits the use of marriage as a means of obtaining a residence permit in the country. If such a marriage is revealed to be fictitious, the person with a residence permit will be deported, and the Slovenian citizen will be subject to a large fine. For legalization you will need a marriage certificate. It can also be received in the Russian Federation, but must be translated and have an apostille.

Also, under the family reunification program, the wives and children of residents who have received a residence permit in the country for business come. Until 2015, it was possible to request such a residence permit for a family immediately upon receipt. Today, you can move your family only after a year of living in the country. These changes are due to several factors. Firstly, according to official authorities, a person who has started a business abroad needs at least one year to see how his personal emigration will go. On how much the new life will meet his expectations. Secondly, the majority of those who come for family reunification often request financial support from the state immediately upon arrival. Therefore, the number of applicants has to be controlled.

Residence permit based on training

Getting a higher education at a European higher education institution is considered prestigious and expensive. But in Slovenia you can get higher education completely free of charge. This does not mean that it will be very easy for international students either. Of course, some places are initially reserved for local residents, but there is still the possibility of free training for foreigners. Only bachelor's and master's degrees are paid. Postgraduate studies are also unpaid.

After studying for the required time in Slovenia, the student has the opportunity to request permanent residence, subsequently inviting his relatives to the country. In addition, the employment market in Slovenia is quite saturated. Almost all university graduates find work.

When deciding on the advisability of receiving education in Slovenia, it is important to note a number of nuances:

If children are very young, they should first be enrolled in kindergarten, where in Slovenia they are enrolled from 11 months. Gardens are both public and private. The choice depends only on the capabilities of the parents. In theory, gardening training is not necessary. But all children, including children of emigrants, have the right to it. You can submit documents to the kindergarten any day of the year.
School education belongs to compulsory institutions in Slovenia. In addition, there is a program for providing economic assistance for everyone if parents have declared low income. They start first grade at the age of six and study for nine years. Documents must be submitted in February of one year to register for the next year.
The last stage of secondary education is obtaining general or vocational secondary education. Children study for four years, after which they take unified final exams, based on the results of which they can apply for admission to higher education institutions.

Contract job

EU countries generally invite only very highly qualified personnel to work from the Russian Federation. This residence permit is extremely rarely used for moving to Slovenia, especially when it comes to a family move. The primary factors that positively influence the issuance of a visa to a candidate will be the level of his professional training, as well as knowledge of the official language of Slovenia. You can confirm your qualifications by providing translated copies of diplomas, work records, etc. The language is quite easy to learn, but you need to devote at least one year to this lesson. In Slovenia, unskilled workers and general laborers are completely unpromising. Labor remuneration does not correspond to expenses.

The validity period of a working residence permit is one year. Then it can be extended for another year, and then for three. In total, it turns out that you can stay in the country for five years with a working residence permit. After this, you are allowed to apply for permanent residence.

Permanent residence in Slovenia and citizenship

A foreigner can submit documents for permanent residence 5 years after receiving a residence permit. The residence permit must be valid. This document on permanent residence is issued if the citizen has no offenses, administrative fines, or unpaid taxes during the validity of the residence permit.

Read about the pros and cons of moving to Slovenia for permanent residence at the link.

Documents of a citizen of Slovenia

Permanent residence permit has no validity period. It allows you to live in Slovenia permanently. After 5 years of permanent residence in the country, a foreigner has the right to apply for citizenship.

Conditions for residence permit in Slovenia.

Now we go directly to our own family. At the moment, a Slovenian residence permit through work can be obtained by a foreigner who has a high qualification in his country (higher education). The higher education diploma must be apostilled and translated into Slovenian. Next, you search for a vacancy in your specialty and, if you find it, send your resume. To get a job in Slovenia, of course, you must somehow interest your employer. Possess some specific skills that correspond to your education. Obtaining a residence permit for Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians who want to come to Slovenia to earn money through permanent employment in a Slovenian (foreign) company is unlikely. They say that it is very difficult to get a job even as a dishwasher or housekeeper without knowing the Slovenian language.

Work in Slovenia.

But getting a job by joining your own Slovenian company is quite possible. Here the situation is simplified by the fact that you are not chosen, but you choose, and yourself. The vacancy must correspond to your profession and not be in demand in Slovenia, otherwise you will have to hire a Slovenian (preference is given to him) and pay him a salary. Although you will receive a residence permit in Slovenia in any of these two cases. The only difference is that when hiring yourself, you can apply for a residence permit immediately, but when hiring a Slovenian, you need to pay him a salary for another six months. I’ll tell you about the most common scheme for obtaining a Slovenian residence permit among immigrants from the former USSR. The scheme is reduced to a minimum: a company is opened, one of the spouses is appointed director, and again one of the spouses is hired. You can get two spouses to work, but you will have to pay two salaries, and taxes on them accordingly. The rest of the family receives a Slovenian residence permit either for reunification, or for study, or receives a D visa, as I received it when enrolling in courses. The scheme is the least expensive, without any investments. Having a higher education and a unique profession is mandatory.

Slovenia, real estate, residence permit.

In Slovenia, real estate for foreigners can only be purchased using your own company. There is a 100% option for obtaining a residence permit in Slovenia, this is to make an investment from your company. At the moment, in my opinion, the best investment in Slovenia is residential real estate in Ljubljana, inside the ring. Investments must be more than 50,001 euros and made within six months from the date of opening of the company. This option for obtaining a residence permit in Slovenia is the most expensive, but also the most pragmatic. In the future, you will not have to rent housing for yourself, waste time moving and be dependent on the landlord. Such investments will pay off in 10-20 years. If you have a goal to settle in Slovenia for a long time, then you cannot imagine a better option for obtaining a Slovenian residence permit.

Question answer

How often are Russians denied citizenship?

Refusals are rare, only if there are good reasons for this. For example, forgery of documents, presence or concealment of a criminal record, fictitious marriage, employment contract, etc.

Which option for obtaining a residence permit is the fastest?

It will not be possible to obtain a residence permit quickly. A job can be considered as a quick way if the profession is in demand in Slovenia. The easiest way to obtain a residence permit is by marrying a Slovenian citizen and enrolling in studies.

Is it necessary to inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation about the presence of a Slovenian residence permit?

Yes, you must send a written notification within 60 days of receiving the residence permit. If a citizen is abroad, then a notification can be written to him within 30 days after crossing the Russian border.