In this article, we discuss how the education system in Slovenia works, what is needed for admission, what the opportunities and prospects are during and after your studies.
Almost every bachelor's place at a Slovenian public university is taught and examined in Slovenian. English-taught degrees exist at all three levels but cluster at master's and doctoral level, and the national portal republishes that list each spring instead of quoting a fixed number of programmes[1]. A school-leaver therefore has two honest options: take a Slovenian-taught place and learn the language on a Year Plus course, or plan English-medium entry one cycle higher. The language is not only an academic matter — it decides how easily you pick up student work, how you deal with the administrative unit that issues your residence permit, and how you compare with an EU candidate when a local employer is hiring. Below we set out what each level costs a non-EU applicant, how the eVŠ portal runs admission and qualification recognition in one application, what the residence permit demands in money and insurance, and what the months after graduation allow. For the institutions themselves, see our guide to universities in Slovenia.
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Installment plans up to 2 years
Slovenia at a glance for a non-EU applicant
Item
Number or condition
Degree ladder
Professional college 2 years, bachelor's 3-4, master's 1-2, integrated Single Cycle 5, doctorate 2-4
Tuition for non-EU students
2,260-12,430 USD per year at bachelor's, 2,260-16,950 USD at master's, 2,260-6,780 USD at doctoral level; free places go to EU and Slovenian citizens, Slovenian permanent residents and, on set conditions, citizens of five Western Balkan states[2]
A real fee, not a range
5,311 USD per year full-time and 4,294 USD part-time for a master's at the School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana, 2026/27[3]
Language of instruction
Slovenian at most bachelor's programmes; English concentrated at master's and doctoral level
Language requirement
B2 English on an English-taught programme, proven by TOEFL, IELTS or PTE, or by the faculty's own test; no Slovenian certificate is required to enrol
Where you apply
eVŠ, the national application portal, available in English; one submission covers admission and recognition of your foreign qualification[4]
Application waves
Three per cycle. In 2026/27: 18 February-18 March, 20-27 August, 23-24 September until 10:00[5]
When the call appears
By early February for bachelor's and integrated master's, in March or by early June for master's, by early March for doctoral programmes[6]
Academic year
Starts 1 October; winter semester October to January, summer semester February to mid-July
Living cost
169-282 USD per month for food and 136-395 USD for a dorm room or studio, highest in Ljubljana and on the coast[7]
Residence status
A temporary residence permit for studies covers a full degree; the Type D national visa is for exchange, training or internship stays of up to two semesters[8]
Permit money test
548 USD per month in subsistence funds, plus 56 USD to issue or renew the permit, 5 USD for the application and 17 USD for the biometric card[9]
Work during study
Through a Student Services referral, at a minimum of 10 USD per hour gross and 9 USD net since 5 February 2026[10]
Hour limits
Up to 40 hours a week and 10 hours a day over 18, 56 hours in a week on an uneven schedule, no night work under 18[11]
After graduation
A permit to look for work or start a business, maximum 9 months, granted once, no extension[12]
Long-term route
Permanent residence after 5 years of continuous legal residence, citizenship considered after 10 years counting both statuses
Reasons to choose Slovenia
🏛 One nationally ranked address, and it is moving up
The University of Ljubljana placed 530th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, its highest position since 2015 and a fourth straight year of improvement, with Employment Outcomes ranked 52nd worldwide[13]. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 it sits in the global top 400 in ten subjects, with pharmacy, archaeology, geography and agriculture and forestry inside the top 300[14].
🍽 Student status converts into cash, not goodwill
Subsidised meal coupons work in ordinary restaurants across the country: the state pays part of each meal and you cover the rest, which takes a real bite out of the monthly food budget. Public transport is discounted for students in every city, and a dormitory place sits at the bottom of the accommodation range rather than the top, well under what an own room in a private Ljubljana flat costs before utilities.
💼 Part-time work needs no separate permit
Student work runs on a referral form issued by a Student Services agency, so you do not apply to the labour office for a separate work permit. The agency invoices the employer, guarantees the agreed rate and pays you, which removes the informal-cash problem international students hit elsewhere. Exchange students may use the same channel.
📈 A labour market with very little slack
Slovenia's labour force survey put unemployment at 4.1% in the first quarter of 2026[15]. That sits well under the EU average, though the two use different survey bases and read as a direction rather than a like-for-like gap. Shortages concentrate in health, engineering and IT, where a graduate offer is most likely inside the post-study search window.
🗣 At bachelor's level the catalogue is a Slovenian-language catalogue
English-taught first-cycle programmes exist but are few, so you cannot plan around a headline number. If your subject is not among them, the realistic route is a Slovenian-taught place plus a Year Plus language course during your first year — which adds a semester of language work to a degree you are already paying for.
💶 There is no tuition-free door for you
Free study at public institutions is reserved for EU and Slovenian citizens, permanent residents, people with international protection and, on conditions, citizens of five Western Balkan states. Everyone else pays a real fee at every level, so the country is cheap by EU standards but not free by any reading of the rules.
🎗 Funding is thin and mostly attached to an exchange agreement
The CMEPIUS scholarship only reaches students who arrive on a short-term mobility exchange under a live bilateral agreement between Slovenia and their country, not students who enrol independently for a full degree[16]. The main open competition, the University of Primorska fund, admits applicants of any nationality including Slovenes, so the field is correspondingly crowded. Assume you are self-funding and treat any award as an upside.
📄 Recognition is a case-by-case opinion, not a published rule
The ENIC-NARIC Centre attached to the education ministry issues the opinion on your foreign certificate or degree, and it assesses each file individually rather than applying a blanket equivalence table[17]. Whether a twelve-year school certificate or a three-year bachelor's satisfies the entry rule for a given faculty is therefore decided on your documents, and you will not know before you file.
⏳ The stay-back window is measured in months, not years
The graduate permit is granted once, with no extension and no second attempt if the first search comes to nothing. It also licenses looking for work, not working, so an offer has to be converted into an employment-based permit before the window closes. In practice job-hunting has to begin in your final year, well before the thesis defence.
🎓 Academic careers stay hard for outsiders to enter
Slovenian academia remains a relatively closed community for foreign nationals outside the technical and exact sciences, and the promotion route runs through habilitation before you can hold an associate professorship. The gender balance among academic staff is also skewed, with women at about 35%[18].
Two profiles do well here. The first is a postgraduate applicant in business, economics, engineering, computing or the natural sciences who wants an EU degree for under roughly 11,300 USD a year including living costs and is content to study in English while picking up Slovenian on the side. The second is a school-leaver ready to commit to Slovenian from the start, usually because a Slavic first language makes it reachable inside a year and because working and staying in the country is the real goal.
Look elsewhere if you need a broad choice of English-taught bachelor's degrees, where Czechia and Austria hold far larger catalogues; if scholarship money has to make your budget work; or if you want a long post-study runway, since several EU neighbours give graduates two to three years. Our overview of study options across Europe sets the alternatives side by side.
Tuition fees in Slovenia
Slovenian higher education is divided into two types:
Short cycle. This is professional higher education that lasts 2 years. It can be obtained from specific colleges.
Full cycle. It consists of 3 levels: bachelor's degree (three or four years), master's degree (one or two years) and doctoral studies (two to four years). Education is conducted at universities and art academies.
The total cost of studying in Slovenia varies depending on the level of education, institution, and duration of the program[2]. For example, the Visual Communications Design program at the University of Ljubljana lasts 3 years, while the Primary Teacher Education and Law programs last 4 years. The same is true with professional colleges, master's programs, and doctoral studies. Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with the program and its duration on the university website before applying.
Some universities have combined undergraduate and graduate programs — Single Cycle degree programs. Such programs last 5 years, which cuts a year off the total time a separate bachelor's and master's would take.
In Slovenia, remote learning programs are not very common, but they are available at all universities in various specialties.
Type of program
Duration
Cost per year for non-EU students
Professional college
2 years
1,130-7,910 USD, set by each college
Bachelor’s
3-4 years
2,260-12,430 USD
Master’s
1-2 years
2,260-16,950 USD
Single Cycle
5 years
2,260-12,430 USD
Doctoral
2-4 years
2,260-6,780 USD
These are the national ranges for third-country citizens. The figure that binds you is the one printed in the faculty's own call for enrolment: medicine, dentistry and the arts sit at the top, the social sciences and humanities near the floor.
What you pay besides tuition
Three obligations sit outside the fee and catch applicants who budget only for tuition and rent.
Health insurance. Non-EU students not covered by a bilateral social security agreement cannot rely on a home policy. You register in person at a regional office of the Health Insurance Institute (ZZZS) and pay a monthly flat-rate compulsory health insurance premium plus the compulsory health contribution[19]. Both rates are revised periodically, so take the current amount from the office when you register rather than from a figure you read months earlier.
Permit charges. The residence permit has to be renewed for every year of your programme, and each renewal carries the issue fee, the application fee and, when the card is reprinted, the card fee. A Type D national visa, which covers exchange and training stays rather than full degrees, carries a consular fee of 87 USD[20].
Proof of funds. The monthly subsistence figure works out at roughly 6,554 USD for a year. It is money that must be visible in an account you control, not money you spend, and the benchmark tracks the statutory minimum income, so it moves during the year — confirm it with the administrative unit or embassy handling your file before you print your bank statements.
Add certified Slovenian translations of your diploma and transcript, which the recognition procedure requires and you pay for at home.
Additional costs
The cost of housing and transportation is highly dependent on the location and conditions[7]. For example, the prices are highest in Ljubljana and on the coast, while a monthly bus pass costs the most in Maribor. When looking for an apartment, the fact that rental prices are most often indicated without utilities should be taken into account. It is better to clarify additional expenses in advance with the landlord. Students receive a discount on public transportation, as well as on various events, such as the Škisova tržnic student festival in Ljubljana.
The easiest way to get around a Slovenian city is on foot or by bike, and both Ljubljana and Maribor are compact enough that many students never buy a transport pass at all.
The biggest benefit of being a student is the subsidized meals available at a variety of restaurants throughout Slovenia. A special coupon system ensures that you can always eat well at low prices, which also varies by city and restaurant. For each coupon, the state contributes 3 USD, and the rest of the cost is paid by the student — 0-5 USD. Since food prices in Slovenia are quite high, most students willingly take advantage of this opportunity.
The first step is to go through the recognition procedure of foreign education. To do this, you need to submit an application along with an application for admission on the eVŠ portal. The recognition procedure is necessary if you are studying in Slovenia for the first time, and occurs simultaneously with document submission for enrollment. If you have already completed a bachelor's degree in Slovenia and plan to enroll in a master's program, then you do not need to go through the recognition procedure.
Required documents for foreign education recognition and enrollment
Bachelor's degree/high school diploma/technical school diploma (confirming completed or partially completed foreign education)
Certified translation of the bachelor's degree/high school diploma/technical school diploma into Slovenian
Transcript copy (diploma supplement, annual report card with final grades)
Short chronological description of the entire education prepared and signed by the applicant or his/her legal guardian
Admission application form
Passport copy
If you are applying for a bachelor’s degree at a Slovenian university, your high school grades will be converted to the Slovenian grading scale.
How your certificate or degree is assessed
Academic recognition sits with the ENIC-NARIC Centre run by the education ministry, which issues the opinion used by faculties when they decide whether your qualification gives access to the level you are applying for[17]. CMEPIUS, which many applicants contact by mistake, is the national agency for Erasmus+ and mobility programmes and does not decide recognition for an independent applicant.
The reference point for first-cycle entry is the Slovenian matura, taken at the end of a four-year upper-secondary programme. A CBSE or ISC Class 12 certificate, a WAEC or NECO senior school certificate, a US high school diploma, the IB Diploma and A-levels are each assessed against it on the documents you file, subject by subject. No published table guarantees any of them a pass, so applicants from twelve-year school systems should file early and expect a faculty to ask for extra evidence or a subject test.
At master's level your first degree is judged on content, credit load and duration rather than on its title, so a three-year bachelor's worth 180 ECTS with a matching subject profile is the strongest file to submit. A two-year Slovenian master's built on a three-year bachelor's usually fits cleanly; a one-year master's designed to follow a four-year degree gets a closer look. File the recognition request inside the same eVŠ application, not after an offer arrives — the assessment and the admission decision run on the same clock.
Before accepting applications, each university publishes a document with a detailed description of the admission procedure — the so-called call for enrollment. It indicates programs for different levels, study durations, number of available places, study modes, and other factors.
The call for enrollment is usually published for:
Bachelor's and integrated master's programs — no later than the beginning of February
Master’s programs — in March or at the latest in early June
Doctoral studies — no later than the beginning of March[6]
Each university also warns about additional exams and their dates (determined independently). These may be entrance exams for special talents and abilities.
Submission runs in three short waves rather than one long window; the dates are in the summary table above. The first, in late winter, is open to every nationality and is where the places actually are. The August wave targets EU citizens and programmes with places still free, and the September wave lasts barely a day and a half. Treating the winter wave as optional is the commonest way a Slovenian application fails, because a non-EU file still has to fit recognition, a permit appointment and a consular queue in before 1 October.
For admission to bachelor's programs, applicants need to confirm their secondary education with a technical school or high school diploma. For master's programs, foreigners are admitted on a competitive basis according to their bachelor's degrees and high school diplomas. There are entrance exams in creative areas (cinema, directing, design), pedagogy, and journalism.
A runway to October 2027
Slovenia publishes each year's call only a few months ahead, so plan against the recurring rhythm and adjust when the 2027/28 call appears.
Spring and summer 2026. Fix the level and the language. If your subject has no English-taught bachelor's, decide now between learning Slovenian and waiting for master's entry, and start the language either way.
September to December 2026. Order transcripts, apostilles and certified translations. This is the slowest part of the file and the only one your home country controls.
January 2027. Watch for the call for enrolment and shortlist up to three programmes, since one eVŠ application covers three choices.
February to March 2027. File through eVŠ inside the first wave with the recognition request attached, and book any entrance or language test in the same weeks.
April to July 2027. Offers and recognition opinions arrive. Confirm the place, pay the first instalment and apply for a dorm room — supply is limited and allocation is not automatic.
July to September 2027. Apply for the residence permit with proof of funds, insurance and the enrolment confirmation. Appointments at administrative units and embassies are the usual bottleneck.
October 2027. Matriculate on 1 October, then register with ZZZS, obtain a tax number and open a bank account — you need all three before a Student Services referral can be issued.
Professional education in Slovenia
Higher professional education (Višje strokovno izobraževanje) lasts two years and costs from 1,130-7,910 USD per year. Vocational college curricula focus on the development of practical skills in areas such as tourism, health and sports, economics, logistics, security, electrical engineering, and computer science. The program ends with the defense of final work based on the practice. Graduates receive an inzenir diploma.
Colleges prepare specialists primarily in industries short of personnel, so graduates find work more easily. However, vocational education is still not as popular among foreigners as university education. Not all professional colleges are open to foreign students. This option can be considered if you already know Slovenian well and definitely want to work in Slovenia. It is also important that educational institutions work closely with local companies, in which students annually complete about 400 hours of practice, thereby increasing their chances of finding a job after graduation.
Slovenian schoolchildren can enter a vocational college upon completion of secondary vocational or general secondary education (9 grades + 3-4 years) and passing the poklicna matura final exam. Foreigners, on the other hand, require complete secondary education or a diploma from a technical school/college. For some programs, such as Photography and Media Production, you need to pass a creative exam.
In Slovenian colleges, the academic year begins on October 1st and ends on September 30th of the following year. To move on to the next year, you need to pass all seminars, exams, and practices. College programs are based on a modular system of education. Within a month or two, students take one subject and at the end of the module take an exam.
Teaching takes place only in Slovenian. For admission, a language certificate of Slovenian proficiency is not required. However, it is better to learn the language before studies begin to fully understand the material and communicate with fellow students and teachers.
Bachelor's programs are the first stage of higher education in Slovenia, lasting 3-4 years and costing 2,260-12,430 USD. There are two main types of programs:
Academic programs (AP) — a form of education relevant for areas such as law, philosophy, chemistry, and those in which it is impossible to work without a clear theoretical basis. Academic bachelor's degrees are available only at higher education institutions.
Professional programs (PP) — more attention is paid to practical disciplines and the acquisition of specialized skills. Students often do project work in teams, which allows them to create approximate working conditions in a real company and learn to evaluate their work more critically. Vocational education can be provided not only by universities, but also by professional colleges.
Typically, most universities write the program focus, AP or PP, in their descriptions, such as the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Ljubljana.
It is necessary to collect from 180 to 240 credits, depending on the duration of study (in other words, one year is equal to 60 credits). At the end of the program, students are required to defend their diplomas.
Most programs are conducted in Slovenian. Foreign students can opt to study in Slovenian if they have previously studied the basics on their own. This can be done on Slonline, an interactive site where applicants take a free online course and gain basic listening, reading, and writing skills. During the first year of studies, many universities offer the Year Plus program. These are mandatory Slovenian language courses for international students that aim to help them adapt to the Slovenian system and culture. Also, students have the opportunity to learn the Slovenian language in specific courses from universities — for example, at the Summer School of the Slovenian Language at the University of Ljubljana.
A number of first-cycle programmes are taught entirely in English, though the choice is narrow compared with what opens up at master's level. For admission to one, you must confirm your knowledge of English by passing an internal exam or providing TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE results. Internal exams are especially common in theater and film departments, where it is mandatory to prove a B2 level of English at the university itself.
The academic year is divided into two semesters: fall — from October to January, and spring — from February to mid-July. Bachelor’s programs are designed for 30 weeks in the academic year, with 20 to 30 hours of lectures, seminars, and exercises per week. If the program includes practical training, then it can last up to 42 weeks, but the total workload will not exceed 40 hours per week.
All programs are evaluated with ECTS credits. One credit point is 25-30 academic hours; one academic year can last from 1500 to 1800 working hours.
Student performance is assessed on a scale from 6 (minimum passing score) to 10 (maximum score). Some courses use a Pass/Fail system instead of a scale.
Regarding the actual studies, it is usually not necessary to attend lectures, but professors strongly recommend doing so. Seminars and laboratory work are required. The university library is free for students — you just need to register.
You can also take part in a student exchange under the Erasmus+ program or on the basis of a bilateral agreement between countries.
Documents for admission
Application for admission
Passport copy
High school diploma
Transcript with final grades
Certificate confirming B2 language proficiency (if the program is conducted in English)
You can simultaneously apply for three different programs.
Master’s programs in Slovenia
Master's programs are the second stage of education in Slovenia. They last 1-2 years depending on the program and end with the defense of a master's thesis. For example, Urbanism at the University of Ljubljana is studied for 2 years, and Law for 1 year. Also, some programs have a "4+1" system or a Single Cycle master’s program, which combines bachelor’s and master’s programs and reduces the study time to 5 years (this is true when a separate master's program in the chosen direction lasts 2 years).
Master's programs have the same requirements for the number of credits earned — that is, one year is equal to 60 credits. You need to obtain 60-120 credits during the course of study.
Master’s students have access to considerably more programs in English than bachelor’s students. You can find one in almost any field, although most are related to management, marketing, entrepreneurship and economics. This is the level at which studying in Slovenia entirely in English is a realistic plan rather than a lucky match.
In some fields, employers can only accept candidates with a master's degree — biology, chemistry, physics, computer technology, and natural sciences. This is considered a mandatory requirement for employment.
When applying for a master's degree in Slovenia, you need to think about your funding in advance. Because the education is quite intensive and takes up a significant amount of time, it is more difficult to combine master’s programs with work than at the bachelor's level.
Documents for admission
Scan/photo of the bachelor's diploma (all pages of the document)
Scan/photo of the transcript or other relevant document confirming the content and duration of study. In order to find out whether translations are needed, it is best to refer to the website of the chosen university or write an email
Chronological description of the entire education signed by the applicant
Certificate confirming B2 language proficiency (if the program is conducted in English)
Doctoral studies in Slovenia last from 2 to 4 years, in most cases — 3 years. A longer period of study is most often found in medical programs and a few other specialties. The program ends with the defense of doctoral work. Doctoral studies are the most inexpensive cycle of education in Slovenia. Programs cost 2,260-6,780 USD per year.
Like in other programs, a certain amount of credits must be obtained. Most of the credits (two thirds if the program lasts 3 years, and three quarters if it lasts 4 years) must be obtained as a result of research work.
During doctoral studies, students are required to conduct research on their own or take part in existing research. Vacancies, funding calls and mobility resources are posted on the Slovenian EURAXESS portal. Registered research organisations, their groups and their fields are listed by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency, which is the practical place to identify a supervisor before you apply rather than after.
There are fewer doctoral programs in English than there are for master's programs[1]. They are mainly available for physics, mathematics, natural sciences, law, computer science, and philosophy.
Most graduates of doctoral programmes go on to an academic career, which for a foreign national comes with the constraints set out below.
Documents for admission
Scan/photo of the master's diploma
Scan/photo of the transcript or other relevant document confirming the content and duration of study. In order to find out whether translations are needed, it is best to refer to the website of the chosen university or write an email
Chronological description of the entire education signed by the applicant
Documents confirming academic achievements (participation in scientific conferences, international exchanges, publications, etc.)
Certificate confirming B2 language proficiency (if the program is conducted in English)
Academic career
Doctoral and postdoctoral positions open to foreign nationals are announced annually by the Slovenian Fund for Human Resources Development and Scholarships, and each university posts its own vacancies. The exact sciences are the most open; in the social sciences and humanities, private institutions have only recently started recruiting internationally.
To become an associate professor after receiving a doctorate in Slovenia, you must undergo special training, known as habilitation. This is a mandatory requirement for moving up the academic career ladder.
Academic staff members are civil servants in Slovenia. Therefore, their salary is determined by law and averages 1,611-4,227 USD per month[21].
An academic career in Slovenia involves the following positions:
Lecturer (lektor), most often associated with linguistic fields
Assistant (asistent), equal to a teaching assistant
Assistant Professor (docent)
Associate Professor (izredni profesor)
Full Professor (redni profesor) — the highest rank
Vocational colleges use two teaching ranks, junior lecturer and senior lecturer, and universities add the administrative posts of rector, vice-rector, dean, deputy dean and head of department, plus the honorary title of Emeritus Professor.
Scholarships and grants in Slovenia
Most scholarships in Slovenia are intended for EU citizens. There are also separate programs that support students from Jordan and Palestine[16]. However, there are several other financial support options that students from other non-EU countries can apply for:
CMEPIUS scholarship
CMEPIUS, a scholarship from the Slovenian Mobility Center and European education and training programs, can be obtained if you participate in a short-term mobility program based on a bilateral agreement between countries. The scholarship is available to students of all levels of education — bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students. The agreements currently listed cover Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Mexico, Montenegro, North Macedonia, People's Republic of China, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Turkey[16].
The award covers a monthly stipend, accommodation in a student dormitory, discounted student meals and basic health insurance. The list is revised between cycles, so confirm your own country is still on it with CMEPIUS and with your host faculty before you prepare documents.
Required documents
One copy of each document is to be submitted:
Letter of representation from the university, signed by the rector or vice-rector
Curriculum vitae of the candidate
Certificate of Slovenian or English proficiency (for all categories of candidates)
Student record book (transcript)
Diploma copy (for candidates with higher professional education)
Passport copy (the first page with a photo)
Consent to the processing of personal data
Each of the listed documents, except for the passport copy and consent to data processing, must be certified by the seal of the university. The final decision on the admission of candidates is made by the host partner. Documents must be submitted by March 31st.
University of Primorska – Scholarship Fund
Competition for the University of Primorska scholarship is higher than for CMEPIUS, because undergraduate and graduate students from any country, including Slovenia, can apply for it.
The exact amount depends on the student's academic grades and can vary from 2,260 USD to 5,424 USD per academic year (10 months).
The scholarship application must be submitted online by September 30th.
Certificate of a successfully passed foreign language exam
Evidence of extracurricular activities (volunteering, tutoring at the university, participation in the activities of the University Career Center)
Evidence of international cooperation (participation in international exchanges and competitions)
Selected candidates are placed in a special register of the best students of the University of Primorska. They get the opportunity to conclude a scholarship contract for a period of one year.
By signing the contract, the student agrees that if he/she is offered a job by a partner of the Foundation (employer), he/she will accept the offer after graduation and continue working at least until the end of the scholarship period.
GEA College scholarship
The GEA College is located in Ljubljana and focuses on entrepreneurship and management. Foreign bachelor’s students can receive a scholarship of 1,356 USD for three years (i.e. 452 USD for each academic year). You can also pay for your education with the scholarship.
To do this, you need to submit the following documents:
All applications are sent by email. The selected candidates are invited to an online interview. Whether you get a scholarship or not depends on the motivation shown in your letter, video, and interview.
Foreign students in Slovenia can work while studying under the Student Work program. This is a special contract that allows students to work part-time or on a temporary basis. You can get a job under such an agreement with Student Services agencies throughout Slovenia. They offer a list of available professions and control timely and full pay.
There is no student-specific weekly cap for adults, but ordinary labour law still applies: a working day may run to 10 hours and a week to 40, an uneven schedule may reach 56 hours in a given week, and overtime is limited to 8 hours a week, 20 hours a month and 170 hours a year. Students under 18 may not work at night, between 22:00 and 06:00. To be included in the database as a worker, you need to provide:
Identity document (ID)
Slovenian bank account
Slovenian tax number
Certificate of admission to a university
Proof of residence (optional)
There are two ways to get a job:
Register in the Student Services system and choose one of the offered vacancies
Find a job on your own and inform the agency, which will provide you with a referral form for the employer
What you actually receive is lower than the headline rate. From the gross amount on the referral, 13.95% goes to pension and disability insurance and 10% is treated as standardised expenses, and non-residents may claim a personal allowance that reduces taxable income if they qualify[11]. Work out your budget from the net rate rather than the gross one.
To avoid being taxed twice on the same earnings, your home country needs a double taxation agreement with Slovenia; where one exists, part of the deduction can be reclaimed. Check whether yours is covered with the international taxation department of the Slovenian Financial Administration. All information about available jobs, pay, contracts, and employment rules for foreign students can be found on the official Student Services website.
Prospects and employment opportunities
A tight labour market does not automatically translate into a graduate job. Non-EU citizens compete against Slovenian graduates and against EU nationals who need no permit at all, and an employer who has to sponsor a permit will usually take the candidate who does not. Speaking both Slovenian and English is what closes that gap: in most non-technical roles the language, not the degree, is the deciding factor.
The average work week is 36-40 hours. Employees are provided with annual leave of at least 20 days per year (which increases depending on how long you have worked at the company) and about 12 holidays per year. Locals and foreigners have the same labor rights, including annual leave and public holidays.
There are types of contracts in which people are not insured by labor laws — these are student jobs, copywriter positions, contract work, and tutoring positions.
When applying for a job, be sure to send a motivation letter along with your resume, in which you should focus on the benefits you will bring to the company and how you will fit into its culture.
Average gross earnings, and the breakdown by occupation and by activity, are published monthly by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia[22]. Check the live figure there before you negotiate an offer: pay has moved quickly in recent years, and the highest earnings sit with medical specialists, the judiciary, law and senior finance roles rather than with graduate entry positions.
Employers recruit consistently in:
Medical workers
Pharmacists
Mechanical, electronic, and chemical engineers
IT specialists and programmers
Online and multimedia solution developers
Demand is thinnest, and competition with local graduates hardest, in:
Specialists in the humanities, such as history, politics, philosophy, and sociology
Foreigners often come to Slovenia to teach English. You can find a job as an English teacher or tutor on the ESL Employment website.
You can also work for yourself, but the very concept of "freelancing" in Slovenia is not as common as in other countries. If you are self-employed, there is a discount for the first year and you pay less taxes. The exact amount will depend on income and the insurance that is required.
For seasonal work in tourism, sport, hotels and catering, the EU-wide EURES network lists Slovenian vacancies open to any EU-resident jobseeker and runs online recruitment days where employers interview directly[23]. It is the most reliable route into summer work if you have not yet built a local network.
Staying on means moving through three separate permits in order: a one-off job-search permit, an employment-based permit once an offer lands, then permanent residence.
The graduate job-search permit
Once you finish a Slovenian degree you can apply for a temporary residence permit to look for employment or to set up as self-employed[12]. You need to show that you completed the qualification in Slovenia within the previous two years, plus a valid passport, sufficient subsistence funds and health cover — the same money tests you already met as a student.
Read the permit narrowly: it authorises the search, not the job. If you find work or register a business, you have to apply for the matching employment-based permit while the search permit is still valid, or your legal residence lapses and you start again from outside the country. Since it is granted once, the practical sequence is to line up interviews in your final semester and use the permit for the switch rather than for the search.
Other routes to a long stay
The study-to-residence route. Renew the study permit on time, then apply for permanent residence after five years of continuous legal residence. You can travel abroad in that period as long as the permit stays valid.
Business immigration. Registering a d.o.o. requires a minimum share capital of 8,475 USD, out of which wages and taxes are paid, plus roughly 904 USD in notary costs if you incorporate by proxy. Registration alone carries no residence right: to use the company as the basis for a permit it must pass an activity test — broadly, real investment in fixed assets, an EU citizen employed full-time for at least six months, or sustained turnover over six consecutive months. Confirm the current thresholds with the administrative unit before you incorporate.
EU Blue Card. For graduates who already hold a qualifying job offer: a higher education qualification, a contract of at least one year, and a salary at or above the statutory threshold, which is pegged to Slovenia's average gross annual salary and moves with it[24]. Its advantage is family reunification from the start rather than after five years.
Permanent residence lets you stay indefinitely, and after ten years counting both statuses you may be considered for citizenship. None of these steps is automatic, and each renewal is decided on its own conditions. Slovenia is otherwise a workable base for a long stay: it scores well among regional neighbours on organised-crime measures[25], company registration is light, and public primary and secondary schools are free for the children of foreign residents. For the country profile and institution list, see our pages on Slovenia as a study destination and Slovenian universities.
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