It has become easier for third-country nationals to move to Slovenia. This is true for those who want to live, work, study in this country, or just want to join their family members.

The Slovenian government has published new changes to the Foreigners' Law. They speed up the process of obtaining a residence permit in the country and expand opportunities for free learning of the Slovenian language.

“We provide free Slovenian language courses and organize an introduction to Slovenian society for all foreigners,” the government said in a press release.

The new amendments establish a requirement for third-country nationals who want to move to Slovenia to reunite with their family members: they will have to show proof of their language skills at the elementary A1 level. At the same time, in order to obtain a permanent residence permit, a basic A2 language proficiency level will be required.

In both cases, the language proficiency requirement will not apply immediately since it is not mandatory until October 27, 2023. However, as of November 1, 2024, all applicants who are extending their temporary residence permit or applying for a permanent residence permit will have to show proof of their knowledge of the Slovenian language at the required level.

The Slovenian government is also working to improve the process for issuing temporary residence permits and extending their term by allowing applications to be sent by mail. In addition, foreign nationals whose temporary protection has expired are now allowed to apply for a temporary residence permit within 8 days.

The country has changed the law to attract more foreign workers and to solve the problem of staff shortages. Among other things, Slovenia is going to eliminate the requirement to provide written confirmation of the administrative unit when changing employers for those who are already in the country, as well as simplify procedures for the admission of foreign workers in health and social services.