Acquisition of Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by Naturalisation
The acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by naturalisation shall be possible
for the following categories of persons:
1.
if a person has been living in the Republic of Slovenia for at least 10 years;
2.
if a person is married to a Slovenian citizen;
3.
if a person lost citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia due to renunciation of or
release from citizenship;
4.
if a person is a Slovenian expatriate or his/her descendant;
5.
if a person is without any citizenship (stateless person);
6.
if a person is a refugee;
7.
if a person attended and successfully finished at least a university study programme
in the Republic of Slovenia;
8.
if a person was born in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia and has been living in
the Republic of Slovenia since birth;
9.
if a person is a child under the age of 18 and has been living in the Republic of
Slovenia.
Ad. 1
Acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia if a person has been living in the
Republic of Slovenia for at least 10 years
A person who has been living in the Republic of Slovenia for at least 10 years, and
continuously for the 5 years prior to submission of the application, may submit an application
for the acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of Article 10 of the
Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act, which stipulates the following conditions:
• the person must be at least 18 years of age;
• the person must have a release from current citizenship or prove that he/she will obtain a
release if he/she acquires citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia;
• the person has actually been living in Slovenia for 10 years, and continuously for the 5
years prior to the submission of the application and has had a lawful alien status;
• the person has a guaranteed permanent source of income in, at least, the amount that
enables material and social security;
• the person has a command of the Slovene language for the purposes of everyday
communication, which he/she shall prove with a certificate verifying that he/she passed a
basic level exam in Slovene;
• the person has not been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence longer than three
months, nor conditionally sentenced to a prison sentence with probation longer than one
year;
• the person’s residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia has not been annulled;
• the person’s naturalisation poses no threat to the public order, security or defence of the
State;
• the person has settled all tax obligations;
• the person submits a declaration that, by obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia,
he/she agrees with the legal system of the Republic of Slovenia.
Ad. 2
Acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia if a person is married to a
Slovenian citizen
A person who has been married to a citizen of the Republic of Slovenia for at least three
years and who has actually been living in Slovenia continuously for at least one year prior to
filing the application may submit an application for the acquisition of citizenship of the
Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the third paragraph of Article 12 of the Citizenship of the
Republic of Slovenia Act, which stipulates the following conditions:
• the person must be at least 18 years of age;
• the person must have a release from current citizenship or prove that he/she will obtain a
release if he/she acquires citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia;
• the person has a guaranteed permanent source of income in at least the amount that
enables material and social security;
• the person has a command of the Slovene language for the purposes of everyday
communication, which he/she shall prove with a certificate verifying that he/she passed a
basic level exam in Slovene;
• the person has not been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence longer than three
months, nor conditionally sentenced to a prison sentence with probation longer than one
year;
• the person’s residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia has not been annulled;
• the person’s naturalisation poses no threat to the public order, security or defence of the
State;
• the person has settled all tax obligations;
• the person submits a declaration that, by obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia,
he/she agrees with the legal system of the Republic of Slovenia.
Ad. 3
Acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia for someone who lost
citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia due to renunciation of or release from
citizenship
A person who lost Slovenian citizenship due to renunciation of or release from citizenship
and who has been living in the Republic of Slovenia for six successive months prior to filing
the application may submit an application for the acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of
Slovenia on the basis of the second paragraph of Article 12 of the Citizenship of the Republic
of Slovenia Act, which stipulates the following conditions:
• the person must be at least 18 years of age;
• the person has a guaranteed permanent source of income in at least the amount that
enables material and social security;
• the person has not been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence longer than three
months, nor conditionally sentenced to a prison sentence with probation longer than one
year;
• the person’s residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia has not been annulled;
• the person’s naturalisation poses no threat to the public order, security or defence of the
State;
• the person has settled all tax obligations;
• the person submits a declaration that, by obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia,
he/she agrees with the legal system of the Republic of Slovenia.
Ad. 4
Acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia if a person is a Slovenian
expatriate or his/her descendant
A person who is a Slovene expatriate and his/her descendants to the fourth generation in
direct descent and who has actually been living in Slovenia continuously for at least one year
prior to submitting the application may submit an application for the acquisition of citizenship
of the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the first paragraph of Article 12 of the Citizenship
of the Republic of Slovenia Act, which stipulates the following conditions:
• the person must be at least 18 years of age;
• the person has a guaranteed permanent source of income in at least the amount that
enables material and social security;
• the person has a command of the Slovene language for the purposes of everyday
communication, which he/she shall prove with a certificate verifying that he/she passed a
basic level exam in Slovene;
• the person has not been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence longer than three
months, nor conditionally sentenced to prison sentence with probation longer than one year;
• the person’s residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia has not been annulled;
• the person’s naturalisation poses no threat to the public order, security or defence of the
State;
• the personhas settled all tax obligations;
• the person submits a declaration that, by obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia,
he/she agrees with the legal system of the Republic of Slovenia.
Ad. 5
Acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia if a person is without any
citizenship (stateless person)
A person without any citizenship (a stateless person) and who has been living in Slovenia for
5 successive years prior to submitting the application may submit an application for the
acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the eighth paragraph of
Article 12 of the Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act, which stipulates the following
conditions:
• the person must be at least 18 years of age;
• the person has a guaranteed permanent source of income in at least the amount that
enables material and social security;
• the person has a command of the Slovene language for the purposes of everyday
communication, which he/she shall prove with a certificate verifying that he/she passed a
basic level exam in Slovene;
• the person has not been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence longer than three
months, nor conditionally sentenced to prison sentence with probation longer than one year;
• the person’s residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia has not been annulled;
• the person’s naturalisation poses no threat to the public order, security or defence of the
State;
• the person has settled all tax obligations;
• the person submits a declaration that, by obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia,
he/she agrees with the legal system of the Republic of Slovenia.
Ad. 6.
Acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia if a person is a refugee
A person with refugee status granted pursuant to the Asylum Act and who has been living in
Slovenia for 5 successive years prior to submitting the application may submit an application
for the acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the seventh
paragraph of Article 12 of the Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act, which stipulates
the following conditions:
• the person must be at least 18 years of age;
• the person has a guaranteed permanent source of income in at least the amount that
enables material and social security;
• the person has a command of the Slovene language for the purposes of everyday
communication, which he/she shall prove with a certificate verifying that he/she passed a
basic level exam in Slovene;
• the person has not been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence longer than three
months, nor conditionally sentenced to prison sentence with probation longer than one year;
• the person’s residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia has not been annulled;
• the person’s naturalisation poses no threat to the public order, security or defence of the
State;
• the person has settled all tax obligations;
• the person submits a declaration that, by obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia,
he/she agrees with the legal system of the Republic of Slovenia.
Ad. 7
Acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia if a person attended and
successfully finished at least a university study programme in the Republic of
Slovenia
A person who attended and successfully finished at least a university study programme in
the Republic of Slovenia, who has been living in the Republic of Slovenia at least 7 years,
and continuously for the 5 years prior to the submission of the application, may submit an
application for the acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the
ninth paragraph of Article 12 of the Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act, which
stipulates the following conditions:
• the person must be at least 18 years of age;
• the person must have a release from current citizenship or prove that he/she will obtain a
release if he/she acquires citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia;
• the person has a guaranteed permanent source of income in at least the amount that
enables material and social security;
• the person has not been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence longer than three
months, nor conditionally sentenced to prison sentence with probation longer than one year;
• the person’s residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia has not been annulled;
• the person’s naturalisation poses no threat to the public order, security or defence of the
State;
• the person has settled all tax obligations;
• the person submits a declaration that, by obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia,
he/she agrees with the legal system of the Republic of Slovenia.
Ad. 8
Acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia if a person was born in the
territory of the Republic of Slovenia and has been living in the Republic of Slovenia
since birth
A person who was born in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia and who has been living in
Slovenia since his/her birth may submit an application for the acquisition of citizenship of the
Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the fifth paragraph of Article 12 of the Citizenship of the
Republic of Slovenia Act, which stipulates the following conditions:
• the person has not been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence longer than three
months, nor conditionally sentenced to prison sentence with probation longer than one year;
• the person’s residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia has not been annulled;
• the person’s naturalisation poses no threat to the public order, security or defence of the
State;
• the person has settled all tax obligations;
• the person submits a declaration that, by obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia,
he/she agrees with the legal system of the Republic of Slovenia.
Ad. 9
Naturalisation of children under the age of 18 years
Children under the age of 18 years share the fate of their parents with regard to citizenship.
Independently, they cannot acquire citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia, but only together
with one or both of their parents. There shall be no automatic naturalisation of children under
the age of 18 years; even if both parents acquire citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by
naturalisation, their child does not obtain it automatically if the parents do not file an
application. The legal representatives of children under the age of 18 years have jurisdiction
in this matter; if the child is over the age of 14, his/her consent is necessary to acquire
citizenship.
Parents may submit an application for the acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of
Slovenia for their child under the age of 18 on the basis of Article 14 of the Citizenship of the
Republic of Slovenia Act, which stipulates:
• a child under the age of 18 years shall acquire citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia if so
requested by his/her father and/or mother, who acquired citizenship of the Republic of
Slovenia by naturalisation (the first paragraph of Article 14 of the Act);
• if one of the parents has acquired citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by naturalisation,
his/her child under the age of 18 years shall acquire it as well if said parent so requests and if
the child has been living with him/her in Slovenia continuously for at least one year prior to
submitting the application and has the lawful status of an alien (the second paragraph of
Article 14 of the Act);
• citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia shall be granted to a child born in the Republic of
Slovenia and not yet having reached one year of age if so requested by the parent who has
obtained citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by naturalisation (the third paragraph of
Article 14 of the Act);
• if one of the parents has acquired citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by exceptional
naturalisation pursuant to Article 13 of the Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act for
national reasons, his/her child under the age of 18 years shall also obtain citizenship upon
request by said parent (the fourth paragraph of Article 14 of the Act);
• citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia may be granted to a child having no parents or
whose parents have lost their parental rights or their functional capacity, and who has been
living in Slovenia since his/her birth, upon the request of his/her guardian who is a citizen of
the Republic of Slovenia and with whom the child lives, provided that consent is given by the
Ministry competent for family and social affairs, due to the acquisition of citizenship
representing a benefit to the child (the fifth paragraph of Article 14 of the Act);
• in the case of adoption in which no such relation between the adoptive parent and the
adoptee is established as between parents and children, an adoptee who has not reached
the age of 18 years can acquire citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia upon request of
his/her adoptive parents who are citizens of the Republic of Slovenia, if he/she lives
permanently with the adoptive parents in Slovenia (the seventh paragraph of Article 14 of the
Act).