Slovenia - Business TravelSlovenia - Business Travel

Business Customs

In general, business managers in Slovenia take a market-based approach to business.  Management in Slovenia tends to concentrate decision-making at the senior levels, with relatively little delegation of authority or decision-making to middle management.  In principle, one should not consider negotiations concluded until confirmed by the general manager or a clearly acknowledged decision maker.  Slovenians place a premium on personal contacts and correspondence, and personal visits are important in conducting business.  Clarity and continuity in communication are important. 

Travel Advisory

travel advisories have been issued for Slovenia.

Visa Requirements

Slovenia is a party to the Schengen Agreement.  As such, U.S. citizens do not need a visa for business or tourist stays up to 90 days in a six-month period.  (Note:  The 90-day timeline starts on the date of first entry into the Schengen Zone.)  For other types of travel, a visa or residence permit must be acquired at a Slovenian embassy or consulate. 
For American citizens residing in the United States, an application for the initial visa or residence permit should be filed at the Slovenian Embassy in Washington DC or the Consulate in Cleveland.  For American citizens residing outside the U.S., the application may be filed at the Slovenian embassy with jurisdiction over the individual’s country of residence. 
More information is available on the website of Slovenia’s Ministry of Interior.
For more information on Slovenia’s entry and visa requirements and additional information for travelers, please see the State Department’s Country Specific Information page for Slovenia.  Travelers should also refer to the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana’s website at and U.S. citizens are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
U.S. companies that require travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States should be advised that security evaluations are handled via an interagency process.  Visa applicants consult the following links:
State Department Visa Website

Currency

Slovenia is a member of the Eurozone and has used the euro since January 2007.

Telecommunications/Electronics

Slovenia has efficient postal and telephone services.  Email communication is widely used, although fax usage has decreased significantly in recent years.  Local telephone calling card services are not available in-country, and long-distance charges tend to be high, even by European standards.  In most areas, tone-dialing has become standard.
The dialing code for Slovenia is 386, followed by the appropriate area code:  Ljubljana (1), Maribor (2), Celje (3), Kranj (4), Nova Gorica (5), and Novo Mesto (7), followed by a seven-digit telephone number.  Codes for GSM mobile phones are 30, 31, 40, 41, 51, and 70.  When dialed within Slovenia, the codes are 030, 031, 040, 041, 051, and 070, followed by a six-digit telephone number.  To dial internationally from Slovenia, one must dial 00 plus the country code. 
Mobile telephone use is widespread.  Virtually every businessperson has a mobile phone, and many companies also have a general mobile number for the reception or information desk, because calling from a mobile phone to a stationary line is considerably more expensive than calling mobile-to-mobile phone.  Three major service providers offer mobile telephone service in Slovenia:  Telekom Slovenije, Si.mobil, and Telemach.  Each company offers a range of services and packages, and consumers are recommended to compare tariffs and conditions carefully before entering into a contract.
Directory assistance is 1188.

Transportation

Ljubljana is easily accessible by air.  Jože Pučnik Airport is an international airport located 27 kilometers (approximately 17 miles) outside of Ljubljana, the capital city.  The airport is serviced by the Slovenia’s national carrier, Adria Airways (a Star Alliance member), as well as other international airlines including Air Serbia, Air France, Finnair, Montenegro Airlines, Lot, Lufthansa Cargo, Turkish Airlines, EasyJet, Transavia, and Wizzair.  Additional information on Jože Pučnik Airport.

Other airports in Slovenia and neighboring countries are listed below, with the distance and travel time by car in parentheses:  Slovenia’s transportation system is very good.  Highways connect most cities and numerous border crossings into neighboring countries are easily accessible.  Air travel within Slovenia is not available, but is also not necessary given the country’s small size.  Major cities in Slovenia have efficient public transportation systems, relying mainly on buses and taxis.  In Ljubljana, buses require a prepaid “Urbana” card, which may be purchased easily at newspaper stands or post offices.  Taxi service is readily available at designated taxi stands or by telephone.  While taxis are metered, taxi companies have the right to set their own rates, which may vary widely.  Be sure to check the posted rate before using a taxi.  It is usually cheaper to call a taxi by telephone than to take a taxi waiting at a hotel or a stand. 

Slovenia joined the Schengen zone in 2007.  With Slovenia’s accession to the Schengen zone, land border check checkpoints with Austria, Italy, and Hungary were removed.  Slovenia implemented Schengen zone rules for air travel in 2008.  Since Croatia’s accession to the EU in 2013, the Slovenian-Croatian border is no longer an external border of the EU customs territory, although it is still an external Schengen border.  This means the movement of goods across the Slovenian-Croatian border is now free, with no customs formalities required, but movement of people is subject to customs and passport control.

The Schengen Borders Code allows member states to temporarily restore border controls at internal borders in the event of a serious threat to public safety or internal security.  For example, as a result of the 2015-16 refugee crisis, Austria reintroduced border controls on some of its land borders with Slovenia and Hungary.

Language

Slovenia’s official language is Slovene, a southern Slavic language with some resemblance to Croatian and Serbian.  Slovene is written in the standard Roman alphabet, with several additional letters.  Most businesspeople in Slovenia speak at least one foreign language, with English being the most common.  German is also useful in some parts of the country, and a number of people in areas bordering Italy speak Italian.  When necessary, translators and interpreters may be hired through the 

Slovenian Association of Conference Interpreters (telephone: +386(0)41-648-416, email: zkts@zkts.si).

The EU has 24 official and working languages, including Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, and Swedish.

Health

There are no immunization or special health concerns related to Slovenia.
Local Time, Business Hours and Holidays
Local time is GMT + 1.

Daylight savings time is between March 25, 2018, and October 28, 2018. 
Typical business operating hours in Slovenia are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Business travelers to the European Union seeking appointments with officials in the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, should contact the Commercial Service in advance by telephone at +32-2 811-4817, by fax at +32-2 811-5151, or email at brussels.ec.office.box@trade.gov.  A current directory of staff and locations worldwide is accessible on the U.S. Commercial Service website.

Holidays
In 2018, the following holidays will be observed in Slovenia.  Most businesses in Slovenia will be closed on these days.  In addition, many Slovenians take several weeks of vacation in late summer, and most businesses are lightly staffed in August.

Monday January 1—New Year’s Day
Tuesday January 2—Day after New Year’s Day
Thursday February 8—Prešeren Day
Monday April 2—Easter Monday
Friday April 27—Resistance Day
Tuesday May 1—May Day
Wednesday May 2—May Day
Monday June 25—Statehood Day
Wednesday August 15—Assumption Day
Wednesday October 31—Reformation Day
Thursday November 1—All Saints Day
Tuesday December 25—Christmas Day
Wednesday December 26—Independence and Unity Day

The U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana observes both American and Slovenian holidays.  A full list of all 2018 Slovenian and American holidays is available at https://si.usembassy.gov/holiday-calendar/.

Temporary Entry of Materials or Personal Belongings

Personal or household items temporarily imported by domestic and foreign natural persons entering Slovenia for a temporary sojourn are generally exempt from customs duties.  For more information, please consult the Commerce Department’s Market Research Library at http://www.library.doc.gov/home or the Country Commercial Guides on EU member states

Travel Related Web Resources

Market Research Library:
EU Member States’ Country Commercial Guides:
State Department Visa Website:
 
Commercial Service at the U.S. Mission to the European Union General E-mail Address
brussels.ec.office.box@trade.gov
Current directory of Commercial Service staff and locations worldwide
 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.