Retire to Slovenia

Any foreign national can retire to Slovenia under specific conditions. The procedures to do so vary based on the nationality of the foreign applicant, as the legislation distinguishes between EU and non-EU nationals. In the first case, foreigners can simply relocate here, as they benefit from the right of free movement of persons within the EU borders, while in the 2nd case, visa obligations will arise.

At the moment, there isn’t any retirement visa in Slovenia per se, as the legislation does not specifically regulate a document issued only for retirement purposes. Even so, foreigners can retire to Slovenia following other visa routes, which can be detailed by our Slovenian lawyers.

What options are available for retirement to Slovenia?

The most suitable pathway for immigration to Slovenia for retirement purposes is to apply for a long-stay visa (D visa). The document is issued when a foreign national arrives in this country for a period of minimum 90 days, which implies that one must also apply for residency in Slovenia.

Concerning residency, those who want to retire here must follow 2 basic steps, as follows:

1. upon the issuance of the D visa (which will act as a retirement visa in Slovenia in this case), foreigners will first receive a temporary residency permit;
2. provided that the foreigner wants to live here for more than 1 year, the temporary residence permit must be renewed at the end of its validity (those who plan to remain here indefinitely must complete this procedure before each permit expires (renewed permits can be issued for up to 3 years), until they have the right to apply for permanent residency).

A person can become a permanent resident after 5 years of living in this country. Those who are interested in permanent residence must hold temporary residence permits continuously for 5 years, after which they can apply for a permanent residency card. Our immigration lawyers in Slovenia can advise clients on the renewal process.

Our team can also present the rules on acquiring Slovenian citizenship, a right granted to permanent residents, provided that they meet other basic requirements, among which we mention local language skills and in-depth knowledge on the Slovenian society, culture, history, legal system, etc.

Applying for the Slovenian D visa

The application for the Slovenian D visa is rather straightforward, once the applicant has gathered the necessary paperwork. There are many documents that must be added to the file, and these documents can vary in accordance with the purpose of arrival (our lawyers in Slovenia can offer tailored assistance to foreign retirees during the application stage).

In the list below, our attorneys in Slovenia present some of the key points of the Slovenian D visa:

• the processing of the visa can take around 5 to 10 business days;
• applicants must pay a processing fee (EUR 77);
• it is also necessary to sign a travel health insurance with a value of minimum EUR 30,000;
• it is mandatory to have a valid passport, with a validity of at least 3 months longer than the intended date of departure from Slovenia;
• all applicants must present 1 recent color photograph that meets the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Do foreign retirees have any tax obligations in Slovenia?

Given that the employment of foreign retirees did not occur on the Slovenian territory on in connection to Slovenian employers, foreigners do not have tax obligations in this country concerning their past employment. However, they do need to register with the Slovenian tax authorities.

This is necessary as a consequence of their residency in this country, even in the case of a temporary one. The law states that foreigners must register for tax purposes in Slovenia if their residency in this country in a financial year is of at least 183 days.

In this case, they need to address the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia. Our law firm in Slovenia can provide more details on the legal formalities that must be met. Please address our team for more details.

We can represent foreign nationals retiring here from various countries, so do not hesitate to contact us if you want to retire to Slovenia from US, the UK, Canada, Latin American countries, Asia, etc.