Slovenia Relocation Checklist

Phase 1 · 12–18 months out

Decide with real numbers

Take a scouting trip — you get 90 days visa-free per rolling 180 (the EES system has been counting your days since October 2025). Test a winter month, not just June Pick your route with the residence routes guide: digital nomad permit (remote income ≈€3,052+/mo at launch, rising with wages) or "other justified reasons" (retirees — discretionary, build a case) Accept the two hard truths early: there's no retirement visa, and citizenship at year 10 usually means renouncing your US/CA passport — permanent residence at year 5 is the realistic goal Shortlist regions with the Where to Live guide — Ljubljana runs €5,050/m², Maribor about half that Build a monthly budget from the Cost of Living data — Slovenia is 10% below the EU price average, not Balkan-cheap Book a cross-border tax consultation before you trigger anything — Slovenia has no expat tax regime, rates reach 50%, and IRA/RRSP moves need sequencing Start Slovene lessons — A2 is legally required for permanent residence at year 5

Phase 2 · 6–12 months out

Build the paper foundation

Get your Slovenian tax number (davčna številka) — needed for property, banking, and nearly everything at FURS Gather income evidence: pension/SS/CPP award letters, or remote contracts and bank statements showing the nomad-permit bar (2× average net salary — check the current figure) Request your FBI (US) or RCMP (Canada) criminal record check and have it apostilled — these expire, so time it against your application date Buy health insurance valid in Slovenia covering at least emergency care for your whole intended stay — required with the application (no minimum insured sum is checked, but don't buy thin cover) Line up accommodation evidence — a lease or deed strengthens any application, and it's near-essential for the "other justified reasons" route Buying property instead? Americans and Canadians buy like EU citizens (no reciprocity decision) — but engage a Slovenian property lawyer and remember: the house is not a visa (Housing guide)

Phase 3 · 3–6 months out

Apply — at the embassy, or in-country if eligible

File at the Slovenian embassy or consulate covering your state or province — or, for the digital nomad permit, at any administrative unit if you're already legally in Slovenia within your Schengen days Family coming too? Digital nomads can bring spouses and children immediately; other routes scale the income requirement per family member While you wait: plan the physical move — see Living for pets (ISO microchip → rabies shot ≥21 days before travel → EU health certificate endorsed by USDA-APHIS or CFIA) Budget the driving reality: US/Canadian licences aren't on Slovenia's simple-exchange list — expect a practical test after you settle (Living guide) Receive your permit decision and book travel — leave slack; administrative timelines vary by unit and season

Phase 4 · Arrival & first 90 days

Become a resident, properly

Register your address at the administrative unit (upravna enota) — landlord consent form or deed in hand; everything else hangs off this Collect your residence permit card and check its expiry against your renewal plan (nomad permits: mark the 1-year end and the 6-month cooling-off) Sort health cover: register with ZZZS on your enrolment basis (foreign pension recipients — see the ZZZS guide) and budget the €39.36/month contribution per adult; keep private cover until enrolment is active Open a Slovenian bank account (tax number + FATCA patience for US citizens) and set up utilities before the first cold month Find a personal physician (GP) taking new patients — start early, capacity is tight outside Ljubljana Mark year 5 in the calendar: permanent residence, with the A2 Slovene certificate — book the exam months ahead

These rules are young. The digital nomad permit launched 21 November 2025 and administrative practice is still settling; the minimum wage and salary-linked thresholds jumped in January 2026. The newsletter below is how we tell you when this page changes.

The whole move,
in order.

Decide with real numbers

Build the paper foundation

Apply — at the embassy, or in-country if eligible

Become a resident, properly

Need a relocation specialist?

The whole move,in order.

Decide with real numbers

Build the paper foundation

Apply — at the embassy, or in-country if eligible

Become a resident, properly

Need a relocation specialist?

This checklist updates. So should you.

The whole move,
in order.