Slovenia

On the 10 March 2022, the Republic of Slovenia introduced temporary protection for persons displaced from Ukraine due to the military invasion by the Russian Armed Forces.
You need to fill in an Application for Temporary Protection form and submit it to the police, and you must also present all the evidence in your possession which will affect their decision to grant temporary protection.
People subject to temporary protection procedures are exempt from paying fees.
By means of a summary fact-finding proceeding, the administrative unit determines whether you meet the conditions for temporary protection. When you have been granted temporary protection, an Administrative Unit will provide you with a card acting as a temporary residence permit in the Republic of Slovenia. This card is valid for as long as you have temporary protection (for one year after the decision enters into effect, and it may be extended for a maximum of two times for a period of six months each time).
In addition to the right to temporary residence, temporary protection in the Republic of Slovenia will also give you access to:

• accommodation and meals in accommodation centres or financial assistance for private accommodation,
• health care,
• work,
• education,
• financial assistance or pocket money,
• family reunification,
• free legal assistance,
• information on rights and obligations and assistance in exercising your rights arising from the Temporary Protection of Displaced Persons Act.

Individuals who are not staying in an accommodation centre, who have not applied for international protection (asylum seekers status), have no financial resources of their own, or who have no contacts in the Republic of Slovenia who can support them, may be eligible to receive financial support. The Application for Financial Support form shall be filled in using the Latin letters and submitted in person to the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants during office hours, or it can be sent by post. The following documents are required to be enclosed with the Application:

• cash flow statements of any bank account of the Applicant or Their family members;
• cash flow statements of any bank account of the person who is liable and able to support the Applicant in accordance with the regulations of the Republic of Slovenia;
• evidence proving you have been granted temporary protection (a copy of the decision on granting temporary protection or a copy of the temporary protection card).

Financial support shall be determined on the basis of the minimum income, in accordance with the following criteria:

• for the first adult person or Applicant 100% (approx., €420)
• for each additional adult family member 70% (approx., €295)
• for a child up to 18 years of age 30% (approx., €125)
• for an unaccompanied minor 100% (approx., €420)

Minors living in the Republic of Slovenia with only one parent shall have their financial assistance increased by 30% of the basic amount of the minimum income.
Beneficiaries are required to report any circumstances or changes affecting the allocation and payment of the financial support by means of the prescribed form, which is to be submitted within eight days of the date such changes occurred or came to their notice.
A person who is unable to provide cash flow statements of their bank accounts is required to submit a self-declaration in its stead.

Pocket money

There are certain individuals who are entitled to receive pocket money, namely beneficiaries of temporary protection who are staying in an accommodation centre, who are deprived of income and other earnings and have no one who can support them in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Slovenia. Temporary protection beneficiaries shall be allocated pocket money by the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants on the basis of a signed statement declaring that they are deprived of income and other earnings and have no one who can support them in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Slovenia.
They are entitled to receive pocket money from the first day of the month, starting on the month after they were placed in the accommodation centre. The pocket money is paid by the Office monthly and amounts to 30 % of the basic minimum income.

Obtaining a tax number and bank account

To claim financial aid, you need to provide a tax number and a bank account number. It is possible to apply for a tax number even before obtaining temporary protection. You need to fill in the DR-02 form which is to be submitted to the tax office:

• in person (it is necessary to have an identification document with you) or
• by post (it is necessary to enclose a copy of your identification document).

Contact details of tax offices.
To open a bank account, you will need to provide an identification document (temporary protection card, passport), proof of registered residence, and a tax number. An account can be opened at any bank.

Ukrainian citizens have the right to emergency health care:

• emergency medical assistance and emergency ambulance transport;
• emergency treatment and urgent medical and dental services, in accordance with the Patient Rights Act, following the decision of the doctor;
• women's health care: contraceptives, terminations of pregnancy, medical care during pregnancy and at birth.

Accommodation for individuals with temporary protection

The Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants ensures that people with temporary protection will be properly accommodated. In line with the number of Ukrainian refugee arrivals, the Office has been seeking to increase the number of migrant accommodation facilities. The reception of refugees is carried out at the accommodation centre in Logatec and, afterward, migrants shall be placed in the available accommodation facilities. Once a certain accommodation facility is fully occupied, the next available facility will be used.
Migrants are currently being housed in the accommodation centre in Debeli Rtič, but in the future the Office is also planning to use the facilities in Jelšane, Gornja Radgona, and Velenje (currently, the accommodations in Velenje are intended only for people who are travelling to other countries and just need short-term accommodation in Slovenia).

Private accommodation

Many Ukrainian refugees have found accommodation with friends or relatives. In this case, they must apply for temporary protection and register their residence at the nearest police station or administrative unit. Beneficiaries of temporary protection registered at private addresses are also entitled to receive a cash allowance to cover their accommodation costs.

EL*C has created a lesbian hosting network of individuals who made their flats and spare rooms available for Ukrainian refugees. Please notice that EL*C can provide you with a temporary solution (up to a few months). Contact the relocation team at: +48 571 944 400 and info@lesbiangenius.org

Kindergarten enrolment takes place throughout the year, and parents can enrol their child in the full-day or half-day kindergarten programme, provided that their kindergarten of choice has a place available for their child. Kindergartens are open to children from the age of 11 months until they start primary school. Before enrolling their child in a kindergarten, parents must provide a certificate issued by a paediatrician, stating that the child has been vaccinated (against measles, mumps, and rubella). Parents with temporary protection who are entitled to receive financial assistance or pocket money are fully exempt from kindergarten fees for the duration of their temporary protection . In order to be granted an exemption from payment, parents must provide the kindergarten with the relevant proof of eligibility for cash or pocket money.

Basic school and basic education. Individuals under 18 years of age with temporary protection are enrolled in primary education under the same conditions as citizens of the Republic of Slovenia. In accordance with the regulations on the basic education program, they are usually enrolled in the school located in the school district where they reside. Parents enrol their children in school by going to the school by themselves or accompanied by their relatives living in Slovenia.
Students with temporary protection are entitled to free lunch, snacks, and free transport.
Students with temporary protection receive textbooks from the textbook fund, while the cost of school supplies is covered by the Office for the Care and Integration of Migrants.

Enrolment in secondary and higher education

People under the age of 18 with temporary protection are enrolled in secondary education under the same conditions as citizens of the Republic of Slovenia, which means that their education is free of charge. However, they must meet the entry requirements set out in the General Upper Secondary School Act and the Vocational Education Act.
You can enrol in a programme and department of your choice in a secondary school that still has a vacancy. You can also get enrolled in a secondary or higher vocational education institution during the school or study year. In the list of secondary schools in the Republic of Slovenia, the person to contact is usually the principal or a school counsellor.
Temporary protection beneficiaries shall apply for admission to higher education within the application deadlines specifically determined for them. They must submit their enrolment application via the eVŠ portal, where information on study programmes offered by higher education institutions in the Republic of Slovenia is published, along with instructions on how to fill in the enrolment application.

The Infrastructure Ministry has issued a decree making public transport in Slovenia free of charge for refugees from Ukraine.

A person granted temporary protection status has free access to the labour market and can be registered as an unemployed jobseeker through the Employment Service of Slovenia (ESS). Each registered unemployed refugee is assigned a personal career counsellor by the ESS. Together they prepare a personal employment plan, review the knowledge and work experience acquired, and determine possible employment options. Emphasis is placed on learning the Slovene language and familiarising oneself with the labour market system.
Some important labour market integration measures for Ukrainians include:

• on-the-job training: support of work and social integration through working experience in real workplaces, so that the person improves their competitiveness in the labour market;
• initial integration in labour market workshops: gaining information and knowledge on the Slovene labour market (types of employment, salary, health and safety, etc.);
• support for vulnerable groups: workshops about career development skills, functional literacy, financial literacy for vulnerable groups;

inclusion in all available active employment policy measures: Slovene language courses, short training programmes, inclusion in education, etc.

Registered partnership for same-sex couples has been legal since 2006, with limited inheritance, social security, and next-of-kin rights, following the civil union legislation adopted in 2017. And, finally, in 2022, the Constitutional Court of Slovenia voted in a court decision that same-sex marriages are allowed in Slovenia, the law enforcement procedures are in process of being implemented.

Second parent adoptions, as well as same-sex adoptions, are allowed in the country since 2011 and 2022 respectively. Also, Slovenia allows adoption by single people regardless of sexual orientation.
However, there is no possibility of accessing IVF for lesbians and bisexual women in the country.

Being a trans person in Slovenia is still challenging due to traditional value systems, discrimination, and social exclusion. The Register of Deaths, Births and Marriages Act enables people to have their gender legally recognised (changing their gender marker) and entered into the register. The procedure is, however, very uncertain since the law provides no guidance as to the criteria to be taken into consideration by the “competent healthcare provider or medical doctor” in determining whether a person has "changed their gender", nor does it provide guidance as to which healthcare provider or medical doctor is competent to issue a certified document clearly stating that a person has changed their gender.

LGBT+ organisations

Legebitra
Email: info@legebitra.si
Trubarjeva 76a, 1000 Ljubljana
014305144

Društvo DIH
Email: info@dih.si
+386 41 562 375
+386 51 815 476
Slomškova ulica 25
1000 Ljubljana

Zavod TransAkcija
https://www.facebook.com/transakcija
Trg prekomorskih brigad 1
3. nadstropje, soba 317
1000 Ljubljana

Kvartir Society
info@kvartir.org
https://www.facebook.com/drustvokvartir

Organisations helping Ukrainians

Slovenian Red Cross

Slovene Philanthropy
This organisation provides material help, such as food, clothing or sanitary items.
They are available every working day from 10:00 to 18:00, you can talk to them either in person at their main office, by telephone at +386 1 430 12 88, or on WhatsApp at +386 41 654 726.

Ukrainian Humanitarian centre "Chervona Kalyna"
Humanitarian help (food, clothes), cultural and educational events, information assistance
Latinski trg 6, 1000 Ljubljana

The University of Ljubljana is offering legal help for refugees. You can write to them at the following addresses: sasa.zagorc@pf.uni-lj.si, ana.samobor@pf.uni-lj.si, samo.bardutzky@pf.uni-lj.si

Slovenia has temporarily relaxed the rules for bringing pets across the border, but you will need to complete this form and send it to pets-crisisUA.uvhvvr@gov.si. After you arrive at your final address in Slovenia, inform the authorities at the same email address. Remember to keep your pet in isolation.