--- title: "Slovenia EU Blue Card requirements 2026: 2-year stay" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/eu-blue-card/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-12 --- Slovenia · Work # Slovenia EU Blue Card **First stay:** 2 yrs EU Blue Card (single permit for highly qualified employment) Checked against official sources on 12 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) - **First stay:** 2 yrs (Issued for two years, or the contract length plus three months if shorter; extensions up to three years.) - **Who can apply:** Most passports (Non-EU nationals employed in a highly qualified post.) - **Tax angle:** Tax relief (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.) ## 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 **Renewal: Renewable** The Blue Card is issued for the contract length plus three months, up to two years, and extended for up to three years. [Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants](https://infotujci.si/vsebina/drzavljani-izven-eu/dovoljenje-za-prebivanje/na-podlagi-dela/enotno-dovoljenje-zaradi-visokokvalificirane-zaposlitve-modra-karta-eu/) **Permanent residence: After 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. [Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants](https://infotujci.si/pogoji/drzavljani-izven-eu/dovoljenje-za-stalno-prebivanje/) **Where to apply: Abroad or in-country** Apply at any administrative unit in Slovenia if you reside there lawfully, or at a Slovenian embassy or consulate abroad. [Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants](https://infotujci.si/vsebina/drzavljani-izven-eu/dovoljenje-za-prebivanje/na-podlagi-dela/enotno-dovoljenje-zaradi-visokokvalificirane-zaposlitve-modra-karta-eu/) **Presence rules: Away max 10 months** Permanent residence allows absences under 6 consecutive months totalling no more than 10 months, plus work-related absences abroad during employment. [Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants](https://infotujci.si/pogoji/drzavljani-izven-eu/dovoljenje-za-stalno-prebivanje/) ## 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 apply - 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 show - Guaranteed salary of at least the average annual gross salary in Slovenia, as last published in the Official Gazette. #### Documents - Contract signed by the employer, proof of education, criminal-record certificate and health insurance. - Employer declaration on whether it provides accommodation. #### Steps 1. Apply at any administrative unit in Slovenia or at a Slovenian embassy or consulate abroad; the employer can apply too. 2. The Employment Service gives its consent to the employment. #### After you arrive - 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 year** Presence 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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/tax/) Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026 ## 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. (sources 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. (sources 1, 3) #### Requirements - Applicant has higher education or equivalent qualification suited to the job. (source 1) - Applicant has an employment contract valid for at least six months. (source 1) - Guaranteed salary of at least the average annual gross salary in Slovenia, as last published in the Official Gazette. (source 1) - Contract signed by the employer, proof of education, criminal-record certificate and health insurance. (source 1) - Employer declaration on whether it provides accommodation. (source 1) - Apply at any administrative unit in Slovenia or at a Slovenian embassy or consulate abroad; the employer can apply too. (source 1) - The Employment Service gives its consent to the employment. (sources 1, 2) - In the first year, changing employer or post needs approval; after one year the holder only notifies the administrative unit. (sources 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. Checked 2026-10-12 ## Official sources 1. [Single permit for highly qualified employment - EU Blue Card](https://infotujci.si/vsebina/drzavljani-izven-eu/dovoljenje-za-prebivanje/na-podlagi-dela/enotno-dovoljenje-zaradi-visokokvalificirane-zaposlitve-modra-karta-eu/) · Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants (Infotujci.si) · checked 2026-10-11 2. [Foreigners Act (ZTuj-2), consolidated text UPB15](https://www.uradni-list.si/_pdf/2025/Ur/u2025046.pdf) · Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 46/2025 · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2025-06-24 3. [EU Blue Card: conditions and change of employer (Employment Service of Slovenia)](https://www.ess.gov.si/delodajalci/zaposlovanje-tujcev-iz-tretjih-drzav/enotno-dovoljenje/modra-karta-eu/) · Employment Service of Slovenia (ZRSZ) · checked 2026-10-11 4. [Permanent residence permit for non-EU citizens](https://infotujci.si/pogoji/drzavljani-izven-eu/dovoljenje-za-stalno-prebivanje/) · 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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/researcher/) | Needs income of €507+ a month ≈ $570 | 2 yr, renewable | – | | [Intra-company transfer](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/ict-permit/) | – | 1 yr, renewable | – | | [Work permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/single-permit/) | Needs income of €507+ a month ≈ $570 | 2 yr, renewable | – | | [Blue Card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/portugal/eu-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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/tax/#tax-si-newres-7pct) 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 10 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) [Full page →](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/tax/) ## More in Slovenia [Digital nomad permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/digital-nomad/) [Student permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/student/) [Slovenian expatriate naturalisation](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/citizenship-emigrant-descendants/) [Slovenian citizenship by origin](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/citizenship-by-descent-registration/) [Self-employed permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/self-employment/) [Graduate job search](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/slovenia/graduate-job-search/) ## Work visas elsewhere [🇪🇸 EU Blue Card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/spain/eu-blue-card/) [🇬🇪 IT sector permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/georgia/it-residence-permit/) [🇮🇹 Blue Card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/italy/eu-blue-card/) [🇬🇷 Large-company director permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/greece/company-executive-b3/) [🇩🇪 Blue Card](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/germany/eu-blue-card/) [🇫🇷 Talent · Company officer](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/france/talent-corporate-officer/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated. ## 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. 1. [Single permit for highly qualified employment - EU Blue Card](https://infotujci.si/vsebina/drzavljani-izven-eu/dovoljenje-za-prebivanje/na-podlagi-dela/enotno-dovoljenje-zaradi-visokokvalificirane-zaposlitve-modra-karta-eu/) · Government Office for Support and Integration of Migrants (Infotujci.si) · checked 2026-10-11 2. [Foreigners Act (ZTuj-2), consolidated text UPB15](https://www.uradni-list.si/_pdf/2025/Ur/u2025046.pdf) · Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 46/2025 · checked 2026-10-11 3. [EU Blue Card: conditions and change of employer (Employment Service of Slovenia)](https://www.ess.gov.si/delodajalci/zaposlovanje-tujcev-iz-tretjih-drzav/enotno-dovoljenje/modra-karta-eu/) · Employment Service of Slovenia (ZRSZ) · checked 2026-10-11 4. [Permanent residence permit for non-EU citizens](https://infotujci.si/pogoji/drzavljani-izven-eu/dovoljenje-za-stalno-prebivanje/) · 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](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.