Slovenia · Citizenship by naturalisation
Ordinary Naturalisation
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open but effectively closed to most UHNW families: renunciation of the existing citizenship is required.
Ten years plus surrendering your existing passport plus a Slovene language exam. For a UHNW family this is a non-starter, and it is why the only realistic Slovenian citizenship conversation is the narrow Article 13 descent route.
Qualifying routes
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Ordinary naturalisation
10 years total residence, including 5 continuous years immediately preceding the application
The facts
- Total landed cost
- Administrative fees only
- Timeline
- 120–156 months — 10 years of residence plus processing
- Physical presence
- 10 years total, 5 of them continuous and immediately preceding
- Family
- spouse route: 3 years married plus 1 year continuous residence
- Permanent residency
- Permanent residence precedes citizenship
- Citizenship
- 10 years, subject to renunciation
- Language test
- Compulsory Slovene language examination before a government-appointed commission
- Dual citizenship
- Not permitted — you would have to renounce
- Requirements
- 10 years total residence including 5 continuous immediately precedingrenunciation of foreign citizenshipSlovene language examinationguaranteed means of subsistence and clean record
What can go wrong
- Renunciation of foreign citizenship is required, or proof it is automatically lost.
- The Slovene language exam is compulsory. Note that the gov.si topics page omits it — that is a page limitation, not an absence of the requirement; it is confirmed in the Citizenship Act.
- Other Article 12 pathways carry shorter clocks: spouse (3 years married plus 1 year residence), former citizens (6 months), refugees (5 years, renunciation waived), higher-education graduates (7 years including 1 continuous).