Below is a detailed summary of the procedures and main steps, and costs to build a greenfield project in Republic of Slovenia.This includes obtaining necessary licenses and permits, completing required notifications and inspections and obtaining utility connections for the particular building.

Example bellow is made under assumption that building will occur in City of Ljubljana.

Step 1

Obtain the location information 

Before preparation of the project documentation, either the investor or the project manager must acquire location information. The location information includes data on plot conditions, as determined by the municipal Spatial Acts (zoning laws), and data on the intended use of the area.

A copy of the cadastral plan of the plot should be attached to the application for the location information.
The cost for the procedure is a stamp duty of EUR 17.73 for the location information and EUR 1.42 per sheet of the cadastral plan.

According to the Spatial Planning Act amended in 2008, the applicant is not obliged to obtain the location information any more. Also, according to the Construction Act amended in 2008, the location information is no longer a part of the project documentation for building permit. All data included in the location information must be obtained ex officio by the local administration that issues the building permit. However, in practice obtaining the location information is still done by most applicants to provide additional guarantee. Additionally, the location information provides a clear list of project approvals that must be obtained in the process of obtaining the building permit for the area in question. Location documents can be obtained online on http://www.gu.gov.si/en. This lagged reform has allowed anybody to obtain land maps, geodetic data directly online.

Agency: City of Ljubljana

Step 2

Obtain project conditions from water and sewage provider

Project conditions from the water and sewage provider – JP Vodovod-Kanalizacija d.o.o. must be obtained before the project design is completed in order to define all special requirements which should be taken into consideration while preparing the project design with respect to the connecting of the building to the water and sewage network.

According to the last amendment to the Construction Act which came into force on 15 April 2008, all agencies authorized for issuing the project conditions and approvals to the project solutions (i.e. water provider, electricity provider etc.) must issue the aforementioned conditions and approvals to the investor or to the project manager free of charge. The project conditions must be issued in 30 days (15 days in case of simple constructions) from the day of submitting the application. In case the project conditions are not issued within the aforementioned deadline, it is deemed that the agency does not impose any conditions to the project design. It is deemed that the authority gives its approval to the project approval stage. That means that the investor may start soliciting the building permit without attaching the project approval to the application (the investor must only attach the confirmation of receipt of the application for the project conditions as a proof that the application was filed to the agency). Nevertheless, the agency can still impose its conditions later when the building permit is being obtained and in that case the investor must apply for the project approval.

Further under the new Construction Act, the investor is not obliged to obtain the project conditions in case that the construction area in question is covered by the spatial planning act. In that case authorized agencies already gave their opinions regarding the spatial arrangement of the area already in the process of adopting the spatial planning act. In that case the investor is obliged to obtain only the authorized agency` s approval to the project approval. A draft of the project design is an obligatory attachment to the application for the project conditions.

Agency: JP Vodovod-Kanalizacija d.o.o

Step 3

Obtain project conditions from electricity company

The project conditions must be obtained from Elektro Ljubljana d.d. before the project design is completed in order to define all special requirements that should be taken into consideration while preparing the project design with respect to the electrification of the building. No formal feasibility study is required. Applicants for electricity service must obtain general approval of the location documentation. This approval is issued after an on-site examination has been completed and the layout of the future electrical connection determined, provided that no hindrances emerge.

According to the last amendment to the Construction Act which came into force on 15 April 2008, all agencies authorized for issuing the project conditions and approvals to the project solutions (i.e. water provider, electricity provider etc.) must issue the aforementioned conditions and approvals to the investor or to the project manager free of charge. The project conditions must be issued in 30 days (15 days in case of simple constructions) from the day of submitting the application. In case the project conditions are not issued within the aforementioned deadline, it is deemed that the agency does not impose any conditions to the project design. It is deemed that the authority gives its approval to the project approval stage. That means that the investor may start soliciting the building permit without attaching the project approval to the application (the investor must only attach the confirmation of receipt of the application for the project conditions as a proof that the application was filed to the agency). Nevertheless, the agency can still impose its conditions later when the building permit is being obtained and in that case the investor must apply for the project approval.

Further under the new Construction Act, the investor is not obliged to obtain the project conditions in case that the construction area in question is covered by the spatial planning act. In that case authorized agencies already gave their opinions regarding the spatial arrangement of the area already in the process of adopting the spatial planning act. In that case the investor is obliged to obtain only the authorized agency’s approval to the project design. A draft of the project design is an obligatory attachment to the application for the project conditions.

Agency: Elektro Ljubljana d.d.

Step 4

Obtain project approval from electricity company

After the project design has been prepared, approval by the same agencies which previously imposed conditions on the project design must be obtained, confirming that the project design is completed in accordance with the requirements stated in the project conditions. Approval from the electricity company is necessary to obtain the building permit and to connect the premises to the electricity network.

As already stated (Procedure 4), the authorized agencies’ approvals to the project solutions are according to the last amendment to the Construction Act free of charge. The authorized agency must issue the approval (or disapproval) to the project solutions in 30 days from the moment the application was submitted. If the agency’ s approval (disapproval) is not issued within the 30 days, it is deemed that the agency has given its approval (i.e. the investor may start with the building permit obtaining procedure without attaching the project approval to the application).

The obligatory attachment to the application for the project approval is a part of project design which applies to the electrification of the building. The agency may require additional attachments (such as proof of ownership of the land etc.).

Once the approval to project solutions is obtained, the next step to be taken regarding the electrification of the building is obtaining the approval for connecting to the network. Connection approval must be issued in 30 days from the day of submitting the application, however the practice is that the connection approval is usually issued in 14 days. The connection approval must be issued free of any charge. The application for connection approval may be submitted before the building permit is obtained. In that case the investor must obtain the building permit and submit it to the utility in two years from the date the approval to connect to the network was issued. In that case the validity of the connection approval is automatically pro-longed for the next two years. Within that time the investor must fulfill all technical requirements (in order to connect to the electricity network) stated in the issued connection approval. In the case the investor fails to obtain the building permit or to fulfill all technical requirements from the approval in the mentioned deadlines, the issued connection approval is not valid any more (unless the validity of the connection approval is pro-longed by the utility).

Once the approval for connecting to the network is obtained, a connection contract may be concluded with the utility (time needed is 1 day). The connection contract defines all rights and obligations of the parties with respect to the payment for connection, its setting up, maintenance of the grid connection and other rights and obligations of the parties. The connection fee depends on the main power fuses needed (connection fee for 132 kW amounts to 11.312 EUR and for 148 kW 12.683 EUR (VAT included)). Once the connection fee is paid, the process of connecting to the electricity network may start .

Agency: Elektro Ljubljana d.d.

Step 5

Obtain project approval from water and sewage provider

After the project design is completed, approval from the same agencies which imposed conditions on the project design must be obtained, confirming that the project design is completed in accordance with the requirements stated in the project conditions.

As already stated in (Procedure 2), the authorized agency’s approval to the project solution is according to the last amendment to the Construction Act free of any charge. The authorized agency must issue its approval (or disapproval) to the project solutions in 30 days from submitting the application. If the agency’s s approval (disapproval) is not issued within the 30 days, it is deemed that the agency has given its approval (i.e. the investor may start with the building permit obtaining procedure without attaching the project approval to the application).

The obligatory attachment to the application for approval to the project solutions is a part of the project design which applies to connecting of the building to the water and sewage network.

This procedure can take place simultaneously with previous procedure.

Agency: JP Vodovod-Kanalizacija d.o.o