There is no direct route to obtain Slovenian citizenship by investment. However, foreigners can immigrate to Slovenia and invest in the country in order to receive residency. This can lead to citizenship if the other requirements are also met.
For more details on this subject, as well as for information on how to start a business here, or how to invest in a specific economic sector and the law regulating the respective industry, you can address to our team of Slovenian lawyers.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Direct route to Slovenian citizenship by investment | There is no direct route to citizenship, but investors can obtain residency in the country. |
|
Residency by opening a company |
Investors will obtain a one-year residence permit, which can be extended for up to five years as long as the company remains operational. |
|
Investment requirements for opening a company |
Minimum EUR 50,000 |
| Timeframe to obtain residency by opening a company | 3 months (approx.) |
| Documents required for obtaining residency by opening a company |
– ID documents, – criminal record, – business plan, – proof of investment, – company documents, etc. |
| Visa required (YES/NO) |
YES, for non-EU/EEA citizens |
| Permanent residency |
After 5 years of continuously living in Slovenia |
| Slovenian citizenship by investing in real estate (YES/NO) |
NO |
| Residency criteria for citizenship by naturalization |
Live in Slovenia for 10 years (a 5-year continuous living period is required before applying). |
| Other criteria for citizenship by naturalization |
– Be over 18 years old; – Provide proof for means of subsistence; – Pass the Slovenian language test; – Have no serious offenses; – Have no outstanding tax debts; – Take Oath of Allegiance. |
| Exceptional citizenship in Slovenia |
Granted to individuals who contribute to the national interest. |
| Other way of obtaining Slovenian citizenship |
You can obtain citizenship by descent if at least one of your parents/grandparents is Slovenian. |
| Marrying a Slovenian citizen |
You can obtain citizenship if the marriage lasts at least three years and you have lived in Slovenia continuously for at least one year. |
| Dual citizenship allowed (YES/NO) |
YES, under certain conditions |
| Assistance | Our lawyers can explain more about how investors can obtain citizenship in Slovenia. |
We are ready to help you in all the legal matters concerning immigration – obtaining a residence permit, applying for a visa, presenting the steps that can lead to citizenship and others.
Table of Contents
What is the most common way for Slovenia business immigration?
The simplest way to enter the Slovenia business immigration system is to incorporate a legal entity in this country. As a foreigner, you are allowed to relocate to Slovenia after starting a business.
In this case, you can simply prepare a business plan and invest the minimum required capital – which depends based on the type of company you want to register and start your business activity. Our Slovenian lawyers can offer more information. Foreign businessmen interested in expanding their business to another EU country, for example in the Netherlands should know that this country offers a startup visa which is valid for 1 year. For more details about the Dutch business visa, you may contact our partners who offer professional immigration services – Immigration-Netherlands.com.
As a foreigner from outside the European Union (EU), you will most likely need a visa issued for the purpose of your stay, which, in this case, is business or investments. Then, the residence permit is also necessary, as this document allows you to live in Slovenia. Our lawyers in Slovenia will present some of the highlights of this program. There is a program that allows investors to obtain permanent residency if they invest a specified amount of capital in Slovenia and meet certain criteria.
Apply for the Slovenia business visa
The Slovenia business visa is a document issued for short-term stays. It must not be confused with the visa that can be used for investment and which offers the right to residency in Slovenia, as they are 2 separate visas, offering very different rights.
While the visa for investments is a useful tool for those who want to start the process of immigration to Slovenia, the other one has limited rights, in the sense that it can be obtained by individuals who arrive here for business-related events. The Slovenia business visa does not offer the possibility of incorporating a business in this country.
Our team also invites foreigners to address us for advice on any other types of visas non-EU foreigners can apply for, outside of those for investment/business purposes.
Obtaining the Slovenian residency
Foreign businessmen can benefit from an immigration program in Slovenia that is designed especially for investment purposes. Although the program does not offer Slovenian citizenship by investment, it can become a pathway to it. You can find out in the list below some of the main characteristics of this program, presented by our Slovenian law firm:
- the minimum investment necessary for the Slovenia business immigration is of EUR 50,000;
- the processing of the application can last approximately 3 months;
- in order to qualify for this program, the foreign investor must have an age of at least 18 years old;
- in the case in which the investors will maintain their residency for 5 years, they will be entitled to permanent residency;
- in another 5 years, they will receive the right of becoming Slovenian citizens.
Please notice that if you want to apply for an investment visa in Slovenia in 2026, a major advantage is that you can include your close family members in the application (the term takes into consideration the investor’s spouse and children). This right is not granted for all types of visas, although many visas issued on a long-term basis can prescribe the possibility of relocating with close family members.
Apply for a residency permit in Slovenia
According to the Slovenian Business Point (an online platform operating under the Slovenian authorities, designed to assist foreign businessmen), foreign investors who hold the majority of shares in a company that they incorporate in this country can apply for a residence permit after their visa is approved.
Thus, individuals who hold a Slovenia entrepreneur visa can obtain employment permits for majority shareholders. This procedure can be done if the investor holds all company shares, or if she or she incorporates the business with a partner. In all cases, the applicant for residency in Slovenia must hold at least 51% of the shares.
The document will be issued as an employment permit (allowing the investor to be hired within his own company in a managerial position) without labor market control. The latter term refers to the fact that the businessowner will not go through the standard employment permit procedure, which implies the verification at a national level on whether a local employee can be hired in the company, instead of a foreigner.
The application for the permit must be submitted to the Employment Service of Slovenia, which will verify the company’s registration data, not only those of the individual who requests the issuance of the permit. Our immigration lawyers in Slovenia can provide foreigners with the necessary legal assistance during this step.
Our attorneys in Slovenia can offer more details on other formalities that may be required when you apply for a Slovenia entrepreneur visa. This visa type can be requested for a variety of business activities, including for startup businesses, because, at the moment, there isn’t a Slovenia startup visa prescribed under the local law.
Can I obtain Slovenian citizenship by investing in real estate?
There is no direct pathway to obtaining Slovenian citizenship by investing in real estate. Moreover, buying a property in the country does not automatically grant you Slovenian residency.
However, foreigners can buy property in Slovenia without having a residency permit. The process is easier for citizens from EU countries that have agreements with Slovenia, allowing them to purchase property with fewer restrictions.
For non-EU citizens, the process can be more complex and may require additional approvals or permits. There is also no minimum value for the purchased property for foreigners.
In conclusion, you cannot obtain residency based on real estate transactions and there is no Slovenian golden visa program that offers citizenship. Our Slovenian attorneys can explain more about the process of buying a property in the country for those interested. We invite you to discover the alternatives to citizenship by investment in Slovenia, presented in the following video:
Citizenship by naturalization
As there is no Slovenian investment visa that grants citizenship, the primary route for citizenship is through naturalization. This includes meeting the following criteria:
- live in Slovenia for at least ten years, with a continuous five-year period before applying;
- be over 18 years old;
- provide means of subsistence, at least equal to the basic minimum income in Slovenia;
- demonstrate proficiency in the Slovenian language;
- settle all your tax obligations in Slovenia;
- do not have a serious criminal record;
- take Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of Slovenia.
The residency requirement can be shortened if you have been married to a Slovenian citizen. In this case, you must have been married for at least three years and have lived in Slovenia continuously for at least one year. Additional shortened residency requirements apply for other situations as well. Our Slovenian immigration lawyers can help with the naturalization process.
In order to be able to take into consideration the right of becoming a Slovenian citizen, as a foreigner you will first need to become a permanent resident.
Although Slovenia does not prescribe a direct route for citizenship by investment, it must be noted that this is a trend in many European countries. The investment visas that provided automatic citizenship to those able to make large investments in local economies are no longer available in many countries. Instead, permanent residency by investments seems to be the norm, with the possibility of acquiring citizenship following the standard naturalization rules.
Exceptional citizenship in Slovenia in 2026
The Citizenship Act in Slovenia does not specify any provisions concerning a faster and simpler way for foreign investors to obtain Slovenian citizenship by investment by a direct route. However, the legislation on this matter stipulates that the local authorities are entitled to grant citizenship following simpler rules, in exceptional cases.
In Slovenia, there is a government regulation that addresses the situation where citizenship is granted to a foreigner. According to this decree, the competent Slovenian authority (such as the Ministry of Economy) can modify standard legal procedures for granting citizenship if the foreigner is considered a national interest to Slovenia.
In the infographic below, our lawyers present the alternatives to citizenship by investment in Slovenia available in 2026 (given that there isn’t a direct route for citizenship by investment in this country):
Dual citizenship in Slovenia
Dual citizenship is allowed in Slovenia for EU citizens, as long as there’s an agreement between Slovenia and their home country. This can be useful for those seeking to obtain Slovenian citizenship while also retaining their original citizenship. Minors also do not need to give up their previous citizenship when they become Slovenian.
If you have dual citizenship with Slovenia and another country, you will have a Slovenian passport and a passport from your other country of citizenship. However, you will not receive a Slovenian passport by investment as there is no such available program.
It is also worth mentioning that if you become a Slovenian citizen through an exceptional process, you can keep your original citizenship. Therefore, if you obtain Slovenian citizenship by investing significantly in the country (see exceptional citizenship rules), there is no need to renounce your citizenship. Our Slovenian lawyers can offer more details about dual citizenship.
Apply for a passport in Slovenia in 2026
Foreigners of all categories who have obtained citizenship in Slovenia (including investors) in 2026 can apply for a passport. The procedure can only be initiated after the Slovenian authorities have granted citizenship and the individual is listed as a citizen in the Slovenian official system. While it is not mandatory to apply for a passport, it is recommended to have this document as this is the only document that is recognized at an international level. Adults applying for a passport in 2026 will have a valid document for a period of 10 years.
Statistics about Slovenian immigration
Our team has gathered some interesting statistics about the Slovenian immigration trends in 2022:
- 35,613 people immigrated to Slovenia;
- 61% of immigrants were aged between 25 and 64 years;
- 51% of immigrants came to Slovenia to work;
- 22% of immigrants moved to Slovenia to join family members.
Most people who relocate to Slovenia opt to live as permanent residents, as the number of successful acquired citizenship is reduced compared to the number of foreigners. For example, in recent years, there were less than 2,000 citizenship acquisitions (more exactly, 1,649). Just 12 persons lost their Slovenian citizenship, as this can happen in certain conditions regulated by the law.
The country’s net migration stands at 5.4, at a total population of a little over 2.1 million inhabitants. Persons who want to relocate here must know that the country has a stable economy, as reflected in the data provided by the Statistical Office, which showed that consumption expenditure per household is EUR 24,329. It also revealed that 79% of the households in Slovenia afford to go to a one week holiday per year, and that the internet penetration on Slovene dwellings is 94%.
You can contact our law firm in Slovenia for more details on the subject of Slovenian citizenship and investment in the country.