The amendment to the Foreigners Act (ZTuj-2I) enters into force. The Act on Amendments and Additions to the Foreigners Act was adopted by the National Assembly on 25 April 2025.

The amendment transposes into the legal order of the Republic of Slovenia the provisions of several legal acts of the European Union, the amended Directive 2021/1883 on the Blue Card (entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment) and Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 September 2018 establishing the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

It introduces a temporary residence permit for digital nomads, provides for the possibility to apply for a first temporary residence permit and to have fingerprints taken by a competent authority in the Republic of Slovenia if the foreigner is legally residing in the Republic of Slovenia, extends the validity of certain first residence permits from one to two years, and regulates the possibility for Foreigners in various international and temporary protection statuses to obtain a temporary residence permit.

The amendment to the Foreigners Act (ZTuj-2I) entered into force on 21 May 2025, but some provisions will apply later.

The amendment to the Foreigners Act transposes Directive (EU) 2021/1883 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2021 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly qualified employment and repealing Council Directive 2009/50/EC.

EU Blue Card

Directive 2021/1883 slightly modifies the existing regulation in this area in the Foreigners Act, by redefining the obligation to recognise professional experience acquired by a foreigner in a specific profession as evidence of high professional qualifications. In Slovenia, evidence of high professional qualifications could only be provided by proof of formal qualifications (diploma or other evidence of successful completion of a tertiary education programme).

Under Directive 2021/1883, beneficiaries of international protection and seasonal workers are now also eligible for an EU Blue Card. The Directive also lowers the salary threshold for highly skilled employment, setting it at between 1 and 1.6 times the average gross annual salary.

The Directive introduces facilitated conditions for mobility within EU Member States, for short-term and long-term mobility. For short-term mobility (up to 90 days in a 180-day period), the holder of a valid EU Blue Card issued by an EU Member State does not need to obtain any additional permits to reside and work in the other Member State in which he/she is mobilising. A valid EU Blue Card issued in the first Member State is sufficient.

In the context of long-term mobility, a foreigner who has been issued with an EU Blue Card in another Member State can work in the Member State where he or she is mobile, even if the decision to issue an EU Blue Card has not yet been taken. The period of residence in another Member State for the purpose of long-term mobility is also shortened. The EU Blue Card allows the holder to stay legally in the first Member State after only 12 months. It is also newly possible to aggregate the periods of residence of a foreigner in different Member States in order to obtain long-term resident status. This period includes the time spent in other Member States not only as an EU Blue Card holder, but also as a student, researcher or beneficiary of international protection.

Digital nomads

The introduction of a temporary residence permit for digital nomads ensures the implementation of the commitment made in the Coalition’s Work Programme for 2022-2026 and the Government’s Digital Slovenia 2030 strategy to encourage the arrival of digital nomads.

Compliance with the Act on Employment, Self-employment and Work of Foreigners

The proposed amendment eliminates the inconsistency between individual provisions of the Foreigners Act (ZTuj-2) and the Act on Employment, Self-employment and Labour of Foreigners. Thus, the single permit card issued on the basis of a consent for employment, self-employment or work (formerly known as a personal work permit), issued by the Employment Service of the Republic of Slovenia, shall mention this consent in a footnote. This will allow the foreigner to be employed, self-employed or work during the validity of the single permit without the need to be issued with a further residence permit for another purpose of residence (e.g. a single permit to work as a self-employed person).

Possibility to apply for a first temporary residence permit and to have fingerprints taken by the competent authority in the Republic of Slovenia if the foreigner is legally residing in the Republic of Slovenia

All foreigners legally residing in the Republic of Slovenia will be able to apply for their first temporary residence permit at the competent authority in the Republic of Slovenia (administrative unit) and will no longer have to leave the Republic of Slovenia just to apply at a diplomatic mission or consulate of the Republic of Slovenia abroad. This is a general rule that applies to all first temporary residence permits (unless otherwise provided for in this Law).

However, in these cases, the foreigner will not be issued with a certificate of the lodged application allowing him/her to reside in the Republic of Slovenia until the final or final decision on the application is taken, unless otherwise provided for in this Act (for example, in the case of a foreigner referred to in Article 37a(6), Article 38(5), Article 44(7) of the ITA-2, etc.). This is in order to pursue the principle of economy while maintaining the principle of security.

It also allows a foreigner who is legally residing in the Republic of Slovenia to submit fingerprints to the competent authority (administrative unit).

These amendments allow for greater flexibility in the operation of the procedures for issuing the first temporary residence permits for foreigners, competent authorities in the Republic of Slovenia and abroad, employers and other stakeholders, and consequently relieve them of tasks that do not contribute to greater protection of the rights of the parties and the protection of public interests and the economy of the procedure.

Two-year validity of the first temporary residence permit and the first uniform residence and work permit

A new provision stipulates that the first temporary residence permit shall be issued with a validity of up to two years, unless otherwise provided for in this Law. Until now, the first temporary residence permit could be issued with a maximum validity of one year, except in certain exceptions.

The validity of the first single permit for residence and work is also newly defined, which can be issued for the duration of an employment contract or a work contract, up to a maximum of two years. The same applies to temporary residence permits for foreigners carrying out work in the fields of research, higher education and higher education, and volunteer work. Until now, the first residence permit was limited to a maximum of one year for the reasons mentioned above.

The renewal of the single residence and work permit is now extended for three years. Until now, the extension of a single residence and work permit was limited to a maximum of two years.

These measures are aimed at relieving foreigners of the burden of applying for the extension of temporary residence permits and administrative units of the burden of assigning cases.

Possibility to move between different statuses (applicant for international protection, foreigner with recognised international protection status and temporary protection status, refused applicant for international protection with a final decision)

The possibility is provided that a foreigner who has been granted international protection status (refugee status or subsidiary protection status) in the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the Law on International Protection and a foreigner who has been granted temporary protection in the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the Law on Temporary Protection of Displaced Persons may apply for the first single permit for the purpose of employment to the competent authority in the Republic of Slovenia (i.e. to any administrative unit). In this case, by granting the application, the foreigner is deemed to have renounced his/her status as a person granted international protection or temporary protection.

It also provides for the possibility for a foreigner who has the status of an applicant for international protection in the Republic of Slovenia in accordance with the law on international protection to apply to the competent authority in the Republic of Slovenia (i.e. any administrative unit) for the issue of a first uniform residence and work permit for the purpose of employment, subject to certain conditions.

Following the example of the Law on Measures to Optimise Certain Procedures in Administrative Units, which introduced the possibility of issuing a first single permit for the purpose of employment as a temporary measure to a foreigner whose application for international protection in the Republic of Slovenia has been definitively rejected and who has been given a time limit for voluntary departure, this possibility is now also being regulated as an unlimited measure under certain conditions and for an unlimited period of time.

Counting the period of residence of a foreigner in the Republic of Slovenia as a person with temporary protection towards the five-year period for issuing a permanent residence permit

When issuing a permanent residence permit to a third-country national, it is possible for the period of the foreigner’s stay in the Republic of Slovenia as a person with temporary protection to be counted towards the period for issuing a permanent residence permit.

Bringing the family together

The following shall be added to the categories of Foreigners who may unite family members immediately or without restrictions on the length of the foreigner’s stay in the Republic of Slovenia and the validity of his/her permit:

  • a foreigner who has been issued with a temporary residence permit for a digital nomad;
  • a foreigner who is of Slovenian descent up to the second knee in the straight line and who has been issued a temporary residence permit pursuant to Article 48 of the Act on Temporary Residence;
  • a foreigner who, immediately prior to obtaining a residence permit under this Act, resided in the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of temporary protection granted under the Act on Temporary Protection of Displaced Persons.

In addition, a family member of a foreigner who falls under one of the exceptions allowing for immediate family reunification and for whom the ZTuj-2 does not yet provide for this, may be issued with a certificate of the application for the first temporary residence permit for the purpose of family reunification. This will allow the family member to reside in the Republic of Slovenia until a final decision on the application is taken.

European Travel Information and Authorisation System

The amended law also includes amendments that are necessary to comply with the obligations under Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 September 2018 establishing the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). The proposed amendments ensure the implementation of the Ombudsman’s recommendation to prepare legislative amendments to enable all foreigners referred to in the LTUJ-2 to be recognised and enjoy long-term resident status without hindrance and in practice, in accordance with Council Directive 2003/109/EC of 25 November 2003.

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