Slovenia · Work
Slovenia EU Blue Card
First stay: 2 yrs
EU Blue Card (single permit for highly qualified employment)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
EU Blue Card is a work route for Slovenia. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
The Blue Card is issued for the contract length plus three months, up to two years, and extended for up to three years.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
Blue Card holders can get permanent residence after 5 years of legal residence in the EU with the last 2 years in Slovenia.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Apply at any administrative unit in Slovenia if you reside there lawfully, or at a Slovenian embassy or consulate abroad.
Presence rulesAway max 10 months
Permanent residence allows absences under 6 consecutive months totalling no more than 10 months, plus work-related absences abroad during employment.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Slovenia
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Applicant has higher education or equivalent qualification suited to the job.
- Applicant has an employment contract valid for at least six months.
What you must show1
- Guaranteed salary of at least the average annual gross salary in Slovenia, as last published in the Official Gazette.
Documents2
- Contract signed by the employer, proof of education, criminal-record certificate and health insurance.
- Employer declaration on whether it provides accommodation.
Steps2
- Apply at any administrative unit in Slovenia or at a Slovenian embassy or consulate abroad; the employer can apply too.
- The Employment Service gives its consent to the employment.
After you arrive1
- In the first year, changing employer or post needs approval; after one year the holder only notifies the administrative unit.
What happens at day 183
How Slovenia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
2 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in a tax yearPresence in Slovenia for a total of more than 183 days in a tax year makes a person a Slovenian tax resident.
- Foreign-source income
Residents pay personal income tax on worldwide income at progressive rates of 16% to 50%; non-residents pay only on Slovenian-source income.
- Regime tied to this route
Special allowance for new residents: 7% reduction of employment income tax · Tax relief
A new resident employee under 40 with a salary of at least twice the average annual salary gets a 7% reduction of income tax on salary, for up to five consecutive tax years.
All tax rules for Slovenia Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Contract signed by the employer, proof of education, criminal-record certificate and health insurance
- Accommodation
Employer declaration on whether it provides accommodation
- Police certificate and civil documents
Contract signed by the employer, proof of education, criminal-record certificate and health insurance
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Single residence and work permit for highly qualified non-EU workers with a contract of at least six months at a salary of at least the average annual gross salary in Slovenia. 1 2 3
What you must show
- Income · Salary in the employment contract of at least the average annual gross salary in Slovenia, as last published in the Official Gazette; the official pages give no EUR figure. 1 3
Requirements
- Applicant has higher education or equivalent qualification suited to the job. 1
- Applicant has an employment contract valid for at least six months. 1
- Guaranteed salary of at least the average annual gross salary in Slovenia, as last published in the Official Gazette. 1
- Contract signed by the employer, proof of education, criminal-record certificate and health insurance. 1
- Employer declaration on whether it provides accommodation. 1
- Apply at any administrative unit in Slovenia or at a Slovenian embassy or consulate abroad; the employer can apply too. 1
- The Employment Service gives its consent to the employment. 1 2
- In the first year, changing employer or post needs approval; after one year the holder only notifies the administrative unit. 1 2
Stay
- Issued for two years, or the contract length plus three months if shorter; extensions up to three years.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Non-EU nationals employed in a highly qualified post. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Work for the employer named in the contract; change of employer needs approval during the first year.
Family
Family can be reunited immediately, with no minimum residence period.
Official sources
- Single permit for highly qualified employment - EU Blue Card · Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants (Infotujci.si) · checked 2026-10-11
- Foreigners Act (ZTuj-2), consolidated text UPB15 · Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 46/2025 · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2025-06-24
- EU Blue Card: conditions and change of employer (Employment Service of Slovenia) · Employment Service of Slovenia (ZRSZ) · checked 2026-10-11
- Permanent residence permit for non-EU citizens · Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants (Infotujci.si) · checked 2026-10-11
EU Blue Card and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU Blue Card | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Researcher permit | Needs income of €507+ a month ≈ $570 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Intra-company transfer | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Work permit | Needs income of €507+ a month ≈ $570 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Blue Card Portugal | Needs income from €1,726 a month ≈ $1,930 | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the EU Blue Card?
Issued for two years, or the contract length plus three months if shorter; extensions up to three years.
Can I work on the EU Blue Card?
Work for the employer named in the contract; change of employer needs approval during the first year.
Can I bring my family on the EU Blue Card?
Family can be reunited immediately, with no minimum residence period.
Who can apply for the EU Blue Card?
Non-EU nationals employed in a highly qualified post. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the EU Blue Card lead to permanent residence in Slovenia?
Time on the EU Blue Card counts toward permanent residence in Slovenia, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
Is there a tax break for EU Blue Card holders in Slovenia?
Special allowance for new residents: 7% reduction of employment income tax: A new resident employee under 40 with a salary of at least twice the average annual salary gets a 7% reduction of income tax on salary, for up to five consecutive tax years. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Special allowance for new residents: 7% reduction of employment income tax
Tax relief
Details
- On: Received salary or salary compensation under an employment relationship
A new resident employee under 40 with a salary of at least twice the average annual salary gets a 7% reduction of income tax on salary, for up to five consecutive tax years.
Taxed on
Received salary or salary compensation under an employment relationship; the income tax on that salary is reduced by 7% (a reduction, not a tax rate).
Who it applies to
- Applicant is a Slovenian tax resident who was not resident in the two tax years before starting work in Slovenia and had no Slovenian employment or business income in that period.
- Contractual salary of at least two times the latest known average annual salary of employees in Slovenia, calculated per month.
- Employment with a Slovenian resident employer or a non-resident with a permanent establishment in Slovenia, with the salary deductible for the employer.
- Under 40 years of age on the date of starting work in Slovenia.
- The employment condition counts as met if the employment in Slovenia lasts at least ten months in the tax year.
Exclusions
- Not applied to income taxed under Article 45.a of the Personal Income Tax Act.
Tax residence
Granted for up to five consecutive tax years while the conditions in the first, third and fourth points hold; the first year is the year work starts.
Visas
Not tied to a specific permit; requires employment in Slovenia and tax residence.
Other taxes
Social security contributions are separate from income tax.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in Slovenia
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 4 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Single permit for highly qualified employment - EU Blue Card · Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants (Infotujci.si) · checked 2026-10-11
- Foreigners Act (ZTuj-2), consolidated text UPB15 · Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 46/2025 · checked 2026-10-11
- EU Blue Card: conditions and change of employer (Employment Service of Slovenia) · Employment Service of Slovenia (ZRSZ) · checked 2026-10-11
- Permanent residence permit for non-EU citizens · Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants (Infotujci.si) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.