{"id":2312,"date":"2023-09-29T13:00:04","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/?p=2312"},"modified":"2025-04-07T11:58:33","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T11:58:33","slug":"moving-to-slovenia-for-a-tech-job-the-ultimate-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/working-abroad\/moving-to-slovenia-for-a-tech-job-the-ultimate-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Moving to Slovenia for a Tech Job: The Ultimate Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 7<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<p>Slovenia is a beautiful European country bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. Its south-central location gives Slovenia a mild climate, making it highly appealing to expats from around the world. Of course, Slovenia remains small with only 2.1 million residents, but its tech sector is a force to be reckoned with.<\/p>\n<p>The country\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trade.gov\/country-commercial-guides\/slovenia-information-and-communications-technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">largest market<\/a> is information systems outsourcing, followed by systems integration and hardware support. Slovenia is also in need of specialized tech talent as a few of its largest sub-sectors include security systems, eBanking, and IT solutions.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking to move to Slovenia for a tech job, here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>How to Move to Slovenia for Work in Tech<\/h2>\n<p>A visa is not necessarily required to immigrate to Slovenia, but it all depends on where you\u2019re coming from. A Slovenia work visa may be needed to gain entry and establish residence.<\/p>\n<h4>Moving to Slovenia as an EU Citizen<\/h4>\n<p>If you\u2019re a citizen of one of the European Union Member States or a citizen of one of the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA), you do not need a visa or residence permit to enter Slovenia. However, you will need a valid identity card or valid passport.<\/p>\n<p>As of 2023, these rules apply to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/eu-eea#:~:text=The%20EU%20countries%20are%3A,%2C%20Slovenia%2C%20Spain%20and%20Sweden.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">citizens<\/a> of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Austria<\/li>\n<li>Belgium<\/li>\n<li>Bulgaria<\/li>\n<li>Croatia<\/li>\n<li>Republic of Cyprus<\/li>\n<li>Czech Republic<\/li>\n<li>Denmark<\/li>\n<li>Estonia<\/li>\n<li>Finland<\/li>\n<li>France<\/li>\n<li>Germany<\/li>\n<li>Greece<\/li>\n<li>Hungary<\/li>\n<li>Iceland (EEA)<\/li>\n<li>Ireland<\/li>\n<li>Italy<\/li>\n<li>Latvia<\/li>\n<li>Liechtenstein (EEA)<\/li>\n<li>Lithuania<\/li>\n<li>Luxembourg<\/li>\n<li>Malta<\/li>\n<li>Netherlands<\/li>\n<li>Norway (EEA)<\/li>\n<li>Poland<\/li>\n<li>Portugal<\/li>\n<li>Romania<\/li>\n<li>Slovakia<\/li>\n<li>Spain<\/li>\n<li>Sweden<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are not a citizen of one of these countries, you\u2019ll need to obtain a visa before moving to Slovenia.<\/p>\n<h4>Moving to Slovenia as a Non-EU Citizen<\/h4>\n<p>To visit or immigrate to Slovenia as a non-EU citizen, you\u2019ll need to obtain a visa by submitting an application explaining the reason for your visit and by providing a few identifying documents. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.si\/en\/topics\/entry-and-residence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">long-stay work visa<\/a> will allow you to stay in Slovenia for an extended period while you work.<\/p>\n<p>After getting your visa, you\u2019ll also need to apply for a temporary residence permit. You can do this before arriving in Slovenia at the same <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.si\/en\/representations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">embassy<\/a> where you apply for your visa or you can do it on arrival at the nearest administrative unit.<\/p>\n<p>Temporary residence permits last for a year before you\u2019ll need to ask for an extension. You\u2019ll need to stay in Slovenia for five years before you can apply for a permanent residence permit.<\/p>\n<h4>Can I Get a Blue Card to Move to Slovenia?<\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apply.eu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">EU Blue Card<\/a> program is available to non-EU\/non-EEA nationals and aims to simplify the immigration process. In effect, a Blue Card is a residence permit. If you qualify for a Blue Card, it will put you on the fast track toward permanent residence and citizenship in Slovenia (or any of the participating EU countries).<\/p>\n<p>Being a Blue Card holder also provides countless benefits outside of Slovenia. In many ways, it gives you the privileges of an EU citizen, including free movement throughout the EU (no additional visas required) along with full educational, economic, cultural, human, and health rights.<\/p>\n<p>To qualify for a Blue Card, you must fulfill all of the following criteria:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have a valid work contract or binding job offer for highly qualified employment that will last at least 12 months; and<\/li>\n<li>Meet the minimum salary threshold in Slovenia; and<\/li>\n<li>Present documents proving that the relevant higher professional qualifications have been met; and<\/li>\n<li>Present a valid travel document, an application for a visa or a visa and a valid residence permit or a national long-term visa; and<\/li>\n<li>Present proof of sickness insurance; and<\/li>\n<li>Prove you do not pose a threat to public policy in the view of the Member State.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In Slovenia, a Blue Card is valid for <a href=\"https:\/\/immigration-portal.ec.europa.eu\/slovenia_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">two years<\/a> and can be extended to a maximum of three years. The application process involves a thorough review of you and your skills, so set aside 4-6 months and prepare to pay an application fee of \u20ac140.<\/p>\n<p>While entering Slovenia without a Blue Card means you\u2019re 5 years away from permanent residence, a Blue Card could allow you to become a permanent resident in as little as 21 months if you achieve B1 level knowledge of the Slovenian language (or 33 months otherwise).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>Cost of Living in Slovenia<\/h2>\n<p>Excluding rent, a single person\u2019s estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.numbeo.com\/cost-of-living\/country_result.jsp?country=Slovenia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">cost of living in Slovenia<\/a> is \u20ac791. A one-bedroom apartment ranges from \u20ac484 to \u20ac605 per month on average. A three-bedroom apartment is about twice as much.<\/p>\n<p>The capital of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitljubljana.com\/en\/visitors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ljubljana<\/a> has the most amenities and it\u2019s naturally the country\u2019s economic and cultural hub, meaning many job opportunities can be found there \u2014 but it also has a higher cost of living.<\/p>\n<p>In Ljubljana, the average <a href=\"https:\/\/www.numbeo.com\/cost-of-living\/in\/Ljubljana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">cost of living<\/a> is \u20ac803 for a single person without rent. A one-bedroom apartment in the city center starts at \u20ac700 a month. With some good searching, you may be able to find a two-bedroom apartment for around \u20ac1,000 a month, but it won\u2019t be downtown. Utilities range from \u20ac250 in the summer to \u20ac350 in the winter for a couple or small family.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>Average Salary in Slovenia for Tech Jobs<\/h2>\n<p>When searching for jobs in Slovenia, you may be surprised by the average salary, which will look quite low compared to some other EU countries.<\/p>\n<p>For a software engineer, the average salary is just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.levels.fyi\/t\/software-engineer\/locations\/ljubljana-svn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">\u20ac34,774<\/a> annually, which works out to around \u20ac2,897 monthly. As with any country, salaries vary across the market and it is possible to find a good offer if you spend time looking.<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, you can work remotely for a non-local company and try to get a residence permit by <a href=\"https:\/\/sibiz.eu\/en\/temporary-residence-permits\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">opening a company<\/a> of your own.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/salaries\"><strong>Average Salary by Country \u2192<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>Taxes in Slovenia<\/h2>\n<p>There are a few different types of <a href=\"https:\/\/spot.gov.si\/en\/info\/taxes\/taxes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">taxes in Slovenia<\/a> and you\u2019ll need to sort them out before you arrive to ensure you\u2019re budgeting based on your actual take-home pay:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Personal Income Tax<\/strong>: You will need to pay taxes on all the money you earn in Slovenia. This is a progressive tax with brackets of <strong>16%<\/strong>, <strong>27%<\/strong>, <strong>34%<\/strong>, <strong>39%<\/strong>, and <strong>50%<\/strong>, depending on your income. If you enter your salary and resident status into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icalculator.com\/slovenia.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">this calculator<\/a>, it\u2019ll estimate your personal income tax obligation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Social Security Contributions<\/strong>: Both employers and employees must contribute to the Social Security fund. 16.1% will be paid by your employer and 22.1% will be paid by you as an employee.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Capital Gains Tax<\/strong>: If you sell a home or other asset, or inherit certain property in Slovenia, you may have to pay Capital Gains Tax, which ranges from 0% to 25% depending on the situation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Value Added Tax (VAT)<\/strong>: All EU countries now charge VAT at a standard rate of 22%. There is also a reduced rate of 9.5% and a few goods and services are excluded entirely. In most cases, the prices you see when shopping in Slovenia will be \u201cVAT inclusive,\u201d meaning this tax has already been factored into the display price.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Property Tax<\/strong>: There is no property tax in Slovenia.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Payroll Tax<\/strong>: The payroll tax was abolished in 2009.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>Renting an Apartment in Slovenia<\/h2>\n<p>All sorts of accommodations are available in Slovenia, ranging from shared accommodations and spare rooms to apartments and houses.<\/p>\n<p>In your search, know that many people do not want to report the income they receive from renting out a property. This may mean they try to lease to you without an official contract \u2014 and you should be wary of these situations. You may also experience challenges due to language barriers, especially in more rural areas.<\/p>\n<p>Most apartments that aren\u2019t being leased \u201cunder the table\u201d are handled by real estate agencies, which means they likely have an English-speaking representative. However, these agencies often require at least one month\u2019s rent upon signing and may ask for other deposits as well.<\/p>\n<p>As far as where to look for housing, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nepremicnine.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nepremicnine.net<\/a> is the largest and most popular real estate site in Slovenia. You can also find a partially translated version in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realestate-slovenia.info\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">English<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>Healthcare in Slovenia<\/h2>\n<p>Slovenia has a social health insurance system offering universal coverage to all residents and a broad range of benefits. It costs around 30 euros a month for an adult and children&#8217;s healthcare is fully covered. There are co-pays for healthcare services, so some Slovenians choose to take out private health insurance to cover these co-payments.<\/p>\n<p>Until you become a resident of Slovenia, you\u2019ll likely need to purchase a private expert health insurance plan. This is a type of international medical insurance policy that will cover both emergencies and routine care while you\u2019re in Slovenia or elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to the quality of care, Slovenia\u2019s healthcare system is considered good and may even offer state-of-the-art equipment and services, especially in Ljubljana.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>Language<\/h2>\n<p>Locals speak Slovenian, which is a Slavic language that can be challenging for non-Slavic speakers to learn. However, Slovenian is rarely spoken outside of the country and most locals have learned to speak English. German and Italian are also widely spoken.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>Coffee Culture<\/h2>\n<p>Slovenia is renowned for its thriving coffee culture, notably the increasing abundance of <a href=\"https:\/\/specialtykava.si\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">specialty coffee<\/a> shops and roasters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>International Tech Companies in Slovenia<\/h2>\n<p>Some of the largest international tech companies in Slovenia include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/infomediji.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infomediji<\/a> is a virtual reality streaming company with a team of more than 100 skilled engineers and developers. They are rapidly growing and need specialists across the fields of data analytics, machine learning, UX\/UI, and more.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/outfit7.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Outfit7<\/a> is a game development company with 20 hits and counting, entertaining billions of people around the world.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sportradar.com\/?lang=en-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SportRadar<\/a> is a sports technology company that offers immersive experiences for sports enthusiasts and bettors. They\u2019re partnered with DraftKings, FanDuel, the NBA, and countless other major organizations.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hisense-europe.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hisense Europe<\/a> has a more than 70-year-long reputation providing home appliances to Slovenia and other nations. They have a growing R&amp;D center and recently invested 45 million euros into a new factory that will produce side-by-side refrigerators.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outbrain.com\/?cq_plt=gp&amp;utm_source=google-ww&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=a1y2p00000AqzYYAAZ--amplify-google-ww-leads-text-brand_english_speakers_hp_expe-12.6.2023&amp;utm_term=outbrain&amp;utm_ad_group=outbrain_exact&amp;utm_matchtype=e&amp;utm_device=c&amp;utm_content=en_4&amp;gad=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwvL-oBhCxARIsAHkOiu0DJ1jhHeJBIVsieLfl22j1U8HzTJcyYB0VvzfHFeAjaJQt0gS2pKEaAgwHEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Outbrain<\/a> makes over 344 billion recommendations each month to people around the world. Its algorithms are embedded into countless social media networks, determining what shows up in user feeds. The company is a powerhouse that continues to innovate.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.comtrade.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Comtrade Group<\/a> is home to a number of innovative IT businesses across the area of smartphones, consumer electronics, software, development, gaming, and more. They have won multiple awards for their sustainability efforts and they have global partners like Microsoft helping them continue to grow.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.endava.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Endava<\/a> has over 12,000 employees around the world working to provide solutions to companies in the payments, financial services, telecommunications, media, technology, consumer products, retail, mobility, and healthcare sectors. They\u2019re one of the largest tech companies in Slovenia and have a growing world-class engineering team.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While Slovenia has relatively low salaries compared to places like <a href=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/salaries\/germany-average-salary\">Germany<\/a>, it has many benefits, including a high quality of living, great work-life balance, free medical insurance, a good education system, a convenient location, and many opportunities for remote work.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to start searching for job opportunities abroad, let Relocate.me help you <a href=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/international-jobs\">find the perfect position<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 7<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Slovenia is a beautiful European country bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. Its south-central location gives Slovenia a mild climate, making it highly appealing to expats from around the world. Of course, Slovenia remains small with only 2.1 million residents, but its tech sector is a force to be reckoned with. The country\u2019s largest [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-working-abroad"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2312"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2312\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3434,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2312\/revisions\/3434"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}