Customs and daily life

Daily life

• Language: Slovenian, with more than 50 dialects. Italian and Hungarian are also official languages in their ethnically mixed areas, where the Italian and Hungarian national communities have the right to be schooled in their language (EURES). According to EURES, job applications are generally in Slovenian, sometimes in English.
• Indicative opening hours (tourist board): banks Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00; post offices Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 8:00 to 12:00; pharmacies Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 19:00 and Saturday from 7:00 to 13:00; shops Monday to Saturday, from about 7:00 or 9:00 to 19:00 or 21:00. Many museums close on Monday. Opening hours of administrations vary: check before you go.
• Sunday: shops are generally closed. For the essentials, there are the large petrol stations open 24 hours a day.
• Currency: the euro. Electricity 230 V, plug types C and F.
• Leisure: family outings in nature, especially at weekends from May to November, mountains, skiing, cycling, running, choirs and volunteer firefighters are part of local life (EURES).
• Cost of living (figures from the statistical office reported by EURES, page updated on 03/07/2026): espresso about €1.86, restaurant set menu about €14.59, transport ticket €1.31. Studio in Ljubljana: about €600 per month; rents about 20% cheaper in most other regions.
• Politeness, informal address and tips: no official source read describes these customs (formal address, vikanje, and restaurant tipping). To be confirmed.

Public holidays

2026 public holidays according to EURES: 1 and 2 January (New Year), 8 February (Prešernov dan, culture day), 5 and 6 April (Easter and Easter Monday), 27 April (Day of Uprising Against Occupation), 1 and 2 May (Labour Day), 25 June (Statehood Day), 15 August (Assumption), 31 October (Reformation Day), 1 November (Day of Remembrance of the Dead), 25 December (Christmas), 26 December (Independence and Unity Day).

Emergencies

• 112: medical emergencies, fire brigade, rescue.
• 113: police.
• 080 12 00: anonymous police line.
• 1987: breakdown assistance of the automobile club (AMZS).

Work culture

• Duration: 40 hours a week in general, never less than 36 hours for a full-time job, spread over at least four days.
• Overtime: at most 8 hours a week, 20 a month and 170 a year, with written notice from the employer.
• Rest: at least 12 hours in a row per 24 hours and 24 hours in a row per week. Night work generally runs from 23:00 to 6:00.
• Right to disconnect: since a 2024 reform, the employer must protect your right not to be contacted during your rest periods and justified absences.
• Parental leave: 105 days of maternity leave, 15 days of paternity leave (to be taken within 3 months of the birth), 160 days of parental leave per parent, of which 60 are non-transferable.

Common pitfalls

• Driving without a vignette. The e-vinjeta (electronic vignette tied to the plate) is mandatory on motorways and expressways managed by DARS for motorcycles, cars and vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, except a few sections (the coastal expressway H5-H6 since 01/01/2026, the H2 expressway between Pesnica and Tezno, the section of the Karavanke tunnel that has its own toll). It is bought on the DARS site or from authorised sellers, not on just any site (see SI-PERMIS-TOUS-001).
• Forgetting the winter rules. From 15 November to 15 March, winter tyres with at least 3 mm of tread, or summer tyres with snow chains in the vehicle. Dipped headlights on day and night.
• Shopping on Sunday. Plan it for Saturday.
• Neglecting Slovenian. Even if you get by in English, administration and school work in Slovenian: a language course makes everything easier.
• Birth procedures. In Slovenia, the maternity unit registers the birth in the register; a child born to foreign parents does not acquire Slovenian nationality at birth: the parents must declare the birth in their country of origin and settle the nationality within 3 months (EURES).

What changes by country of origin

• EU and EEA citizens, Swiss citizens: nothing special for daily life. Your European Health Insurance Card is used during temporary stays (see SI-SANTE-TOUS-001).
• British citizens (Scots included): same daily life; the rules on residence, driving licence and health differ (third country since Brexit).