MNZ Ministry of Interior : Citizenship & Naturalisation Slovenia

Organization : Ministry of Interior
Type of Facility : Citizenship & Naturalisation
Country: Slovenia

Website : http://www.mnz.gov.si/en/services/slovenia_your_new_country/citizenship/

Citizenship & Naturalisation :

Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia may be acquired by origin, which means that a person may obtain citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia through his or her parents or at least one of them, provided that the parent is a Slovenian citizen at the time of the birth of the aforementioned person.

Related : Ministry of Interior Slovenia Registration of Residence : www.statusin.org/9697.html

However, citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia may also be acquired by naturalisation, i.e. on the basis of a prescribed period of actual and continuous residence in the Republic of Slovenia, provided that the person also meets all other conditions for admission to the citizenship laid down by law.

Naturalisation is a manner of acquisition of Slovenian citizenship based on the will of the individual expressed through the filing of an application. Naturalisation is based on the genuine bond between the individual and the state, when a foreigner who has resided in Slovenia for many years adapts to the environment in which he or she lives to such an extent that he or she accepts the country of his or her permanent residence as his/her new homeland, and that he or she accepts the country’s constitutional and legal order in the widest sense. To establish such a mutual legal and political relationship between the state and the foreigner applying for citizenship, obligatory conditions are laid down by law, which must be fulfilled in order for the state to decide whether the individual is truly prepared to accept not only the rights but also all the obligations. To be able to determine this, the foreigner needs to reside in Slovenia for several years. During the period in which he or she is exercising rights as a foreigner in Slovenia, he or she needs to prove, through his or her behaviour, the existence of those suppositions that allow for the conclusion that there is “entitlement” to the acquisition of Slovenian citizenship. The state may, at its own discretion, decide whether or not to grant citizenship. Admission to citizenship is hence not a right but a possibility, provided that the individual can prove compliance with all the prescribed conditions. When deciding, the state also takes into account public (national) interest, which has priority over the interest of the individual.

In the framework of the acquisition of citizenship, Slovenian citizenship legislation distinguishes between regular naturalisation that provides for a ten-year residence period of a foreigner in Slovenia and naturalisation with benefits that provides for a shorter prescribed period of actual residence of a foreigner in Slovenia and hence gives the opportunity to acquire citizenship under easier conditions only to certain categories of foreigners (if the person is married to a Slovenian citizen; if the person lost Slovenian citizenship on the basis of a release or renouncement; if the person is a Slovenian emigrant or his or her descendant; if the person has no citizenship (a stateless person); if the person is a refugee; if the person attended and successfully finished at least higher education studies in the Republic of Slovenia; if the person is born in Slovenia and has lived in Slovenia since birth onwards; if the person is a minor and lives in Slovenia).

In addition to regular naturalisation, there is also exceptional naturalisation, which provides for the acquisition of Slovenian citizenship in the case of a state advantage in a specific field of social life, provided that this is advantageous to the state due to scientific, economic, cultural, national or similar reasons and provides for a one-year period of actual residence in Slovenia and gives the opportunity to acquire citizenship under easier conditions, inter alia, the foreigner may keep his or her current citizenship.

Cessation of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia is possible by discharge or renouncement.

Additional information:
The administrative unit is competent for the conduct of the procedure for the acquisition of Slovenian citizenship. The ministry responsible for internal affairs is the audit authority in these procedures.

The filing of an application is the basic condition for the initiation of the procedure for the admission to Slovenian citizenship. By signing the application, the applicant confirms that he or she has decided to obtain Slovenian citizenship out of his or her own free will.

The application can be filed with any administrative unit. The administrative unit in the area in which the applicant has registered permanent or temporary residence is competent for the conduct of the procedure and making a decision in this matter. A curriculum vitae and supporting documents on the fulfilment of the conditions laid down by law need to be enclosed in the application.

The administrative body checks ex officio whether the following conditions are met:
** the residence of the person in the Republic of Slovenia has not been annulled;
** the admission of the person to the citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia does not represent a threat to the public order, security or defence of the country;
** no criminal proceedings are in progress against the person in the Republic of Slovenia and the person was not convicted by final judgement for a criminal offence in the Republic of Slovenia;
** the person was issued a work permit for the Republic of Slovenia;
** the tax liabilities of the person are paid (in compliance with special consent from the person).

A positive decision of the administrative unit allowing a person to obtain citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia or an assurance that the administrative unit has decided that the person is to be admitted to the citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia, if he or she submits the decision on release from his or her current citizenship within two years, must be submitted to audit by the ministry responsible for internal affairs. If the ministry responsible for internal affairs gives its consent to the decision or assurance of the administrative unit, the decision forms the basis for the acquisition of citizenship, and the assurance forms the basis for the lodging of the application for release from the current citizenship. If the decision or assurance in the audit procedure is issued by the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia, an audit is not required.

Additional Information:
Internal Administrative Affairs, Migration and Naturalisation Directorate
Administrative Internal Affairs and Naturalisation Office
Citizenship Division

T: +386 1 428 46 37