Employment of the EU and EEA nationals in Slovenia
Since 25 May 2006, Slovenia has ceased to apply the principle of reciprocity in the field of free movement of workers; the EU legislation has been applied. Consequently, the nationals of the EU and EEA Member States as well as the nationals of the Swiss Confederation and their family members do not need work permit for employment and work in Slovenia.
For the purpose of keeping statistics on labour market only, the nationals of the EU, EEA Member States and the Swiss Confederation and their family members must be registered with the Employment Service of Slovenia when concluding an employment contract. A person liable to effect the registration is the employer who must register a worker within 10 days of the commencement of work.
Employment of Slovenian nationals in the EU and EEA Member States
In the EU and EEA Member States applying the transitional arrangements for the free movement of workers, Slovenian nationals are employed in accordance with the national legislation of individual Member State and under conditions stipulated in agreements between the respective countries and Slovenia, if any. Consequently, they have to obtain a work permit to work and be employed in the mentioned states.
The EU and EEA Member States which have liberalized access to their labour markets or apply free movement of workers in respect of Slovenian nationals do not require them to obtain work permit for work or employment.
On 1 May 2006, the first two-year transitional period for the free movement of workers elapsed. Pursuant to the Accession Treaty, the EU-15 and EEA Member States had to inform the European Commission by 1 May 2006 whether they intended to continue applying the transitional arrangements for the free movement of workers or to open their labour markets to Slovenian nationals.
The EU-10 Member States (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia), have applied the free movement of workers among themselves since 1 May 2004, accordingly the Slovenian nationals do not need work permits for employment in those countries. In accordance with their legislation, Sweden, Ireland and Great Britain also opened their labour markets for employment of Slovenian nationals on 1 May 2004.
The Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs received notifications on the enforcement of the free movement of workers or continued application of transitional arrangements for the free movement of workers from the EU-15 and EEA Member States. The table indicates their official decisions. Despite the continued application of transitional arrangements for the free movement of workers, some Member States facilitate the employment of Slovenian nationals in certain professions.
EU MEMEBER STATE | ACTION | Austria | transitional period
(a work permit is needed for employment) | Belgium | transitional period, partly lightened
(a work permit is needed for employment - lightened procedure) | Bulgaria | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Cyprus | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Czech Republic | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Denmark | transitional period, to 80 % lightened
(a work permit is needed for employment in companies without collective agreements - simplified procedure) | Estonia | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Finland | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | France | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Germany | transitional period
(a work permit is needed for employment) | Greece | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Hungary | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Ireland | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Italy | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Latvia | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Lithuania | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Luxembourg | transitional period
(a work permit is needed for employment) | Malta | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Netherlands | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Poland | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Portugal | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Romania | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Slovakia | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Spain | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Sweden | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Great Britain | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS |
EEA MEMBER STATE | | Islandija | FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS | Liechtenstein | transitional period
(a work permit is needed for employment) | Norveška | transitional period
(a work permit is needed for employment) |
Further information about employment procedures in the EU and EEA Member States are available on the EURES website. |
