Slovenian citizenship in 2026: how to get it

Ten years of living in the country, a Slovene exam and giving up your current citizenship: that is the standard route. We cover the shorter roads through marriage, ancestry and study, the fees and why a Slovenian passport cannot be bought.

A Slovenian passport opens the whole European Union, but the country is in no hurry to issue it: the standard route is 10 years of living in Slovenia, the last 5 of them without breaks. On top of that come a Slovene language exam and, as a rule, giving up your current citizenship. The law expressly calls admission to citizenship a discretionary decision of the state, so even a complete file does not turn the passport into an automatic right. Shorter roads exist for spouses of citizens, descendants of emigrants and graduates of Slovenian universities. For an overview of the country, see Slovenia.

How many years until you can get Slovenian citizenship

Years count only with a legal status: a temporary or permanent residence permit or an EU citizen registration certificate. A break means being away for more than 60 days in a year, in one trip or several trips combined. The exception is study, work or medical treatment abroad on referral from a Slovenian organisation. Two long winters with relatives abroad can reset the five-year count more reliably than any mistake on the form.

For almost everyone the first step is a residence permit through work, business, family or study. The options are covered in Slovenia residence permit, and for those living on a pension in Retire in Slovenia.

What conditions you need to meet

• Age 18 or over.
• A basic level Slovene exam covering everyday communication, with written and oral parts. Graduates of Slovenian schools and universities are exempt, as are people over 60 who have lived in Slovenia for 15 years.
• Income at least equal to the minimum income Slovenia uses as the basis for social benefits: in 2026 about $575 a month for you and for each person you support.
• Stable income: a salary, pension, business or rental income received without interruption for at least 2 years before applying. A pension counts even if another country pays it.
• No unsuspended prison sentence longer than three months and no suspended sentence with a probation period longer than one year.
• No ban on residing in Slovenia, no tax debts and no threat to public order.
• An oath of loyalty to Slovenia's constitutional order.

The criminal record certificate comes from your country of citizenship and must be recent. Foreign documents need an apostille and a certified translation into Slovene. A detail people remember too late: if you move and do not report your new address, the authority's letters go to a public notice board, the case is closed and the fee has to be paid again for a new application.

What happens to your current citizenship

Slovenia does not allow dual citizenship under standard naturalisation. The authority first checks all the other conditions and issues a letter of guarantee: you will be admitted as soon as you give up your current citizenship. The renunciation application must be filed in your home country within 60 days of the letter, and proof brought within 2 years. Miss that window and the application is treated as withdrawn.

The law sets out exceptions. Citizens of EU countries do not have to renounce if their country does the same for Slovenians. Renunciation is also not required when a country does not release its citizens at all, punishes taking another passport or fails to decide on the application within a reasonable time. Descendants of emigrants, former citizens, refugees, stateless people and those naturalised for special merit keep their current passport. Children under 18 do not have to renounce either. You can check your pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker.

For Russian citizens: Russian law does not release from citizenship those who have no other citizenship or guarantee of obtaining one. The Slovenian letter of guarantee serves as that guarantee, and the application is filed through a Russian consulate. Slovenia has no control over how long the home country takes, so it pays to gather the renunciation documents before the two-year count begins.

How much Slovenian citizenship costs

State fees for one adult come to about $220: the application, the decision and the letter of guarantee. The basic level Slovene exam costs about $195. Mandatory payments total about $415 per person at the European Central Bank rate. The total does not include translations and apostilles, criminal record certificates, the cost of renouncing your current citizenship or the years on a residence permit before applying.

Citizenship takes effect on the day the admission decision is served on you. A minor child acquires it with the parent if the child has lived with them in Slovenia without breaks for at least a year.

Can you get Slovenian citizenship by investment

No, Slovenia has no citizenship by investment programme. The law allows a special procedure when admission benefits the state for scientific, economic, cultural or national reasons. But it requires a year of continuous residence, an opinion from the relevant ministry and a government decision, and the rules call for an exceptional contribution to Slovenia's development or international standing. Each case is decided individually; it is not a passport for a fixed sum.

Slovenian emigrants and their children and grandchildren have a separate road: they can apply on national grounds without living in Slovenia if they have been active in Slovenian societies abroad for at least 5 years and confirm this with recommendations.

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