For a British citizen, planning a move to Slovenia is a different exercise from what it was before 2021. The country is as easy to like as ever, but the legal basis for staying is now that of a non-EU national. This guide covers moving to Slovenia from the UK: how long you can stay without paperwork, what you need to live and work, and which older rights still apply.
Is moving to Slovenia from the UK still possible without a visa?
Up to 90 days in any period of 180 days, across the whole Schengen area. That is the rule GOV.SI gives for UK citizens, and it counts days in all Schengen countries together, not just Slovenia. A time you spent in Spain last spring eats into your allowance here. The government page links to an online calculator for working out your days.
Many British people use this window to look around: visit Ljubljana, Maribor, the coast, then decide. That is a sensible use of it. It is not a way to live in Slovenia, because it cannot be renewed by leaving for a weekend.
What do you need to stay longer?
From 1 January 2021 the Slovenian foreigners act treats UK citizens like other third-country nationals. If you plan a stay of more than 90 days, you need a residence permit or a long-stay visa, depending on the reason: work, study, family or something else. A person arriving to work needs a single residence and work permit.
The details of each permit are set by the administrative unit (upravna enota) and the Ministry of the Interior, and they depend on your case. Our fact sheet does not list the requirements for each type, so check with the unit where you plan to live before you travel. That is also where you register your address once you have the permit.
If you are weighing work, family and retirement routes and want to know which documents each would require, Moovy can lay the options side by side and list the questions to put to the administrative unit. It does not file permit applications for you.
Can UK citizens work in Slovenia?
With a permit, yes. The Withdrawal Agreement does not cover access to the labour market, GOV.SI states, so a UK citizen working for a Slovenian employer needs a single residence and work permit, which is based on approval from the Employment Service of Slovenia. In practice the employer is usually involved from the start. Our guide to working in Slovenia explains the contract, pay and rights once you are in.
Posted workers have their own route. A UK posted worker needs a single permit for posted workers from the administrative unit and, from 1 January 2021, must join the Slovenian social security scheme for that work.
What if you were already living in Slovenia before 2021?
Then you may be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. GOV.SI explains that residents before 31 December 2020, and their family members, could apply in person at the administrative unit for a temporary or permanent residence permit. The fees listed are €17 for a temporary permit and €22 for a permanent one. Permanent residence is acquired automatically after five years of continuous legal residence, and the card confirms an existing right.
The original deadline for these applications was the end of 2021, but the page says late applications may be accepted if there were reasonable grounds for the delay. If you are in that situation, go to the administrative unit with proof of your earlier residence. Frontier workers who worked in Slovenia before the transition ended can request a certificate in Ljubljana.
How should you plan moving to Slovenia from the UK step by step?
The sequence differs from the EU one, because the permit comes first and everything else follows from it.
- Choose the reason for your stay: employment, family, study, self-employment or another route. The permit depends on it.
- Start with the employer or the family sponsor if there is one, since they are usually part of the file.
- Ask the administrative unit of your future town for the document list. Units answer by phone or email.
- Get the permit or visa before moving if it must be issued first, then register your address within eight days of your arrival or of receiving the document.
- Ask for your tax number if you have income before an address exists, then open a bank account.
- Register for health insurance, through your employer or on your own.
Our general guide to moving to Slovenia shows the EU version of this sequence for comparison; the difference is mainly the first two steps.
What about pensions and tax for UK citizens?
A retired British citizen faces the same two questions as other pensioners: where is the pension taxed, and who pays for care. In Slovenia, a resident is taxed on worldwide income, and pensions are generally taxed in the country of residence, according to FURS, subject to the tax treaty. The treaty between Slovenia and the UK is on the FURS list of conventions. Check it before you declare, and check with the UK payer that tax is no longer withheld at source if the treaty gives the right to tax to Slovenia. Ask FURS about the declaration deadlines that apply to your case.
For anything involving several countries, a tax adviser is worth the fee. A wrong guess can mean paying twice.
What about health cover?
A British Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is for visits. The NHS says it covers medically necessary state healthcare in EEA countries, which includes Slovenia. The ZZZS page on temporary stays does not name the United Kingdom, so for anything beyond a visit, ask ZZZS about the conditions.
Living in Slovenia is a different matter: you need to be inside the compulsory health insurance system, with its monthly contribution. See health insurance in Slovenia for the mechanics, and note that whether a UK-issued S1 is accepted depends on your status, so ask ZZZS before assuming it works.
Can you buy a home in Slovenia as a British citizen?
Yes, and the property rules are friendlier than the immigration ones. According to the Ministry of Justice page, citizens of EU, EFTA and OECD countries, which includes the UK, acquire real estate without a reciprocity decision. Buying a home does not give you a right to live in Slovenia, however, so sort out residence first. The costs and steps are in buying property in Slovenia.
What about tax, driving and money?
- Tax number: if you have a Slovenian address, it follows the address; before that, income or property in Slovenia means form DR-02 with your passport. See the Slovenia tax number guide.
- Tax treaty: check the treaty with the UK on the FURS list before you declare a pension or salary from home.
- Driving: a UK licence is not an EU licence. The administrative unit explains the use and exchange conditions.
- Car: a car arriving from the UK also goes through import formalities, with customs duties and VAT where due.
- Bank account: once you hold a residence document, you have the same rights as other residents. Before that, it is up to the bank. See opening a bank account in Slovenia.
What to do first
Count your Schengen days, decide the reason for your stay, and contact the administrative unit of the town you will live in to ask for the exact list of documents for that reason. If you intend to work, start with the employer: the permit goes through them. If you were already resident in 2021 or before, look for the paperwork you filed then.