What will happen when I first arrive?
When you first come, you will be settled in an integration house or private accommodation. The Integration Advisor in the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants will work with you to prepare a personal integration plan that will facilitate integration into the new environment. The plan consists of planned activities for easier integration into the Slovenian environment based on your knowledge, skills, competences and desires. In arranging the initial living conditions, such as finding an apartment, signing housing contracts, registration of residence, registering in the Employment Office, completing the application for financial social assistance, opening a bank account etc. you can be assisted by volunteers from non-governmental organizations, who carry out projects of assistance to persons with international protection.
What social welfare services are available to me?
If you are granted international protection and you do not have any income or your income is lower than the minimum income determined by the government, you are entitled to apply for financial social assistance. This financial help, subsidies and reduced payment are intended for those who, due to circumstances beyond their competence, cannot provide the means of subsistence for themselves and their family members. All rights are to be claimed at Social Work Centres (CSD). The application form is available on the website of the CSD and the Ministry of Labor, Family and Social Affairs, on the e-Government portal and in bookstores.
- social assistance benefit,
- child benefit,
- minimum pension support,
- school meal subsidy,
- reduced kindergarten payment,
- right to have the difference to the full value of healthcare services covered,
- Exceptional financial social assistance can be granted in exceptional circumstances. If you get this money, you must prove that you used it for the purpose for which it was granted.
Can I bring my family to Slovenia?
When you obtain international protection, you have the right to bring members of your immediate family to Slovenia through a process called family reunification. You have 90 days to start the process after obtaining a residence permit. After submitting the request you will need to prove your family relationships by providing all the necessary documentation and to cover travel costs or find a sponsor to assist with the payment.
Accommodation (On arrival and in the future e.g. renting, social housing etc.)
After your arrival, you will be accommodated in the Integration house or in a private accommodation, provided and financed by the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants. You can stay in the Integration house free of charge for 6 months. After that, you have to find your own accommodation, but you do get financial assistance for 18 months. If you regularly attend a Slovenian language course during this period, you can extend financial assistance for another 18 months. After 3 years altogether, your right to financial aid ends, so you have to pay for your accommodation by yourself. The most common way to find an apartment is through online ads. There are also real estate agencies that can search for an apartment or a house for you, and for this you will have to pay a certain fee. Some rental offers are also found in newspapers. You can rent different types of accommodation – from private houses to common dwellings (where you have shared facilities) and rooms (where you also share a room). Prices can vary considerably depending on the quality and the location. Be sure to check out the apartment before renting. The association Odnos can help you search for an apartment.
Further Information and Links
Available social welfare services:
Organizations and associations:
PIC Legal-Informational Centre for NGOs (legal advice)
This website was funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. The content of this website represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.
