Retiring in Slovenia in 2026: how to get residence
There is no retirement visa, and buying a home does not grant residence. Retirees move to their children, through their own company or for other justified reasons, and get permanent residence after 5 years.
| Key facts | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Retirement visa | none, and buying a home is not a basis |
| Routes | moving to children, your own company or other justified reasons |
| Means of support | at least the basic minimum income, $570 (€507.43) a month |
| First permit | usually for 1 year, renewable |
| Entry | Russian citizens need a Schengen visa |
| Tax on a Russian pension | 16-50% scale, but a pension up to $520 (€462) a month is covered by the general allowance |
| Couple's budget in Maribor | from $1,630 a month including rent |
Data checked: 06.10.2026
Slovenia attracts retirees with the Alps, the Adriatic, clean towns, the euro and a quiet life in the European Union. But there is no separate retirement visa, and unlike Serbia or Montenegro buying a flat does not grant residence. The foreigners law only knows bases linked to work, business, study, family, and a separate basis for other justified reasons.
So a retiree has three realistic routes: moving to children who live in Slovenia, their own company, or a permit for other justified reasons, granted at the authority's discretion. The first permit is usually for 1 year and then renewed, and after 5 years of continuous residence you can apply for permanent residence.
We will work out online the investment or income your family needs and what the permit costs for each member.
Who can get residence as a retiree
The easiest move is for retirees whose adult children live in Slovenia with a residence permit or Slovenian citizenship: the law counts as family members parents whom the child is obliged to support. Without relatives the options are a company or other justified reasons, and here it is important to assess the chances in advance.
The other justified reasons route has no closed list: the authority looks at whether you have a genuine connection with Slovenia and means of support. Long-term own or rented housing, a pension with regular credits, relatives or friends in the country, a travel history and knowledge of the language all help. Simply wanting to live in a beautiful country is not considered a reason.
- parents of children who live in Slovenia on a residence permit or hold Slovenian citizenship;
- retirees with a regular pension and genuine ties to Slovenia, for other justified reasons;
- retirees who keep running a business, through their own Slovenian company;
- couples where one spouse already has a permit and the other moves as a family member.
Documents and how to prove a Russian pension
- a passport valid beyond the permit;
- a certificate of the awarded pension from the Social Fund of Russia with an apostille and Slovenian translation;
- statements of pension credits and savings for recent months;
- health insurance covering Slovenia for the whole term of the permit;
- a lease or proof of ownership of a home in Slovenia;
- a criminal record certificate with an apostille and translation;
- a letter explaining the reason for moving and evidence of ties with Slovenia;
- for moving to children, birth certificates and proof that the child supports you.
Means of support must be at least the basic minimum income, and more for each additional family member. Since 1 April 2026 the basic minimum income is $570 (€507.43) a month. In practice the authority is more comfortable with a pension with a margin and savings in the account.
The first application is filed at a Slovenian embassy or at an administrative unit in Slovenia if you are in the country lawfully, for example on a Schengen visa. After filing you receive a certificate confirming lawful stay until the decision.
The pension certificate is obtained from the Social Fund of Russia or through the state services portal. A notary certifies a copy, the justice ministry office adds an apostille, and a court translator in Slovenia translates it. The criminal record and pension certificates should be recent, usually no older than 3 months.
Health insurance
The permit requires health insurance valid in Slovenia for the whole term. Retirees without a job usually take out a private policy, and the price depends on age and the coverage limit.
You enter the public system through a job, your own company or as a family member of an insured person, such as an adult child. Since 1 March 2026 every insured person pays a mandatory health contribution of 39.36 euros a month. The University Medical Centre in Ljubljana and the hospital in Maribor are the country's main clinics.
Tax on your pension and the treaty with Russia
You become a Slovenian tax resident with a permanent address in the country, your centre of vital interests here or more than 183 days a year. A resident pays tax on worldwide income, and pensions are taxed on a progressive scale from 16% to 50%.
In practice a small Russian pension produces no tax: the general allowance for 2026 is 5,551.93 euros a year, about $520 (€462) a month. A pension of 30,000 roubles a month, about $360, fits within this allowance. Retirees over 70 get an additional allowance of 1,665.58 euros a year. The tax office does not see a foreign pension on its own, so it must be shown in the return.
In 2023 Russia suspended most of its double taxation treaty with Slovenia on its side, but the articles on residence and tax credits still apply. A Russian state pension is not taxed in Russia. Interest, dividends and rent in Slovenia are taxed separately at 25%.
Monthly budget for a couple
| Monthly item | Amount |
|---|---|
| One-bedroom flat in Maribor | $620-790 (€550-700) |
| Utilities, higher in winter | $170-280 (€150-250) |
| Internet and mobile | $45-60 (€40-50) |
| Groceries for two | $560-730 (€500-650) |
| Transport for two | $45-70 (€40-60) |
| Pharmacy and small expenses | $120-170 (€100-150) |
| Total for a couple | from $1,700 (€1,450) |
In Ljubljana a one-bedroom flat costs $1,100-1,300 (€900-1,100) a month, so a couple needs from $2,100 (€1,850). On the coast in Piran and Koper rent is higher in summer. Our consultant in the chat will calculate the budget for your city, home and family.
Support from choosing the basis to the card
In Slovenia retirees are refused not because of the pension amount but because of the basis: buying a flat is not a basis, the reason to live here specifically is not proven, and for moving to children it is not shown that they support their parents. We choose the basis for your family, prepare the statement of reasons, pension certificates with an apostille and translation, insurance and the application, and then handle renewals up to permanent residence. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and in most cases a result on the first application.
Our consultant in the chat will calculate the cost of support.
Where retirees settle
Retirees most often choose Maribor: the country's second city on the Drava, with vineyards, the Pohorje mountain, a large hospital and rent almost half that of the capital. A studio here costs about $450 (€400) a month on average, and one with a separate bedroom $620-790 (€550-700).
Ljubljana suits those who value the country's best healthcare, theatres, the airport and proximity to Austria and Italy. The price is the most expensive rent in Slovenia.
Sea lovers choose Piran, Izola and Koper on the Adriatic, and those taking the waters the spas of Rogaška Slatina, Radenci and Čatež. Smaller towns such as Celje, Novo Mesto and Ptuj are cheaper and quieter, but have fewer specialist doctors and almost no Russian-speaking community.
Steps and timelines
| Step | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Choosing the basis and assessing chances | 1-2 weeks |
| Pension and criminal record certificates, apostilles, translations, insurance | 3-6 weeks |
| Renting a home or an agreement with your children to live with them | 2-4 weeks |
| Filing at an embassy or an administrative unit while staying lawfully | 1 day |
| Decision and card | usually 2-4 months |
| Address registration and renewal | address within 3 days of moving in, renewal before expiry |
| Permanent residence | after 5 years of continuous residence |
Slovenian citizenship is available after 10 years in the country, the last 5 of them continuous, with a language exam and renunciation of previous citizenship. That is why most retirees stop at permanent residence, which gives almost the same rights.
Common reasons for refusal
- the basis given is buying a flat, which does not grant residence in Slovenia;
- for other justified reasons, no tie to Slovenia is proven beyond the wish to live here;
- means of support below the basic minimum income or credited irregularly;
- insurance not covering the whole term or not valid in Slovenia;
- filing in Slovenia after the visa expired, without lawful stay;
- for moving to children, no proof that they support their parents.
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More on this country:
- Slovenia: all programmes
- Taxes in Slovenia
- Ljubljana: districts and prices
- Company in Slovenia
- Property in Slovenia: selection and checks
All countries for retirement - compare the options.
FAQ
Does Slovenia have a retirement visa?
Does buying a flat give residence in Slovenia?
What pension is needed for Slovenian residence?
Can a retiree move to their children in Slovenia?
Is a Russian pension taxed in Slovenia?
Does a Russian retiree need a visa for Slovenia?
How many years until permanent residence and citizenship in Slovenia?
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