Slovenia

Welcome to Slovenia, also nicknamed as “little Europe” and has an alluring landscape for lovers of nature. Whether it’s just a short stay adventure visit, holiday or a complete relocation to Slovenia, it will turn out to be so enchanting.

The singles who wish to try dating in Slovenia or newly wed looking for a honeymoon destination, truly Slovenia could just be it. From its eye catching snow covered mountains, lush green environment, exciting caves to winding rivers, nature seems to have conspired to make Slovenia such a great natural destination.

One thing that always hits the minds of many arriving in Slovenia or planning a visit is how the Slovenians treat foreigners. Of course Slovenians have courtesy and will not just discriminate against those they don’t know. Initially you may feel ignored before making new friends but then over time, they will easily open up and become warm company. 

For those who look to work in Slovenia, you have to be quick in adjusting to the work culture there. The Slovenians have a general liking for work. They take work seriously and do not shy away from working hard to pay their taxes as well as afford a good standard of living. 

What a life in Slovenia looks like

Slovenians themselves may not so much pose to look at what an everyday life is. After all, they have lived in that environment long enough and take everything as usual. But for a foreigner, you can’t ignore the fact that work has a special place in Slovenia.

As a non Slovenian entering the country, the key goal is to thrive and prosper. To get this in the country, work is necessary. With the cost of living varying depending on where you choose to live in the country and personal needs, lifestyle choices you still need to arm yourself with  around $1212, per month. This shows why working is a must for foreigners. Some even take multiple jobs to get higher income. 

For easy everyday life in Slovenia, you need to master the Slovenian language because its the number one spoken language in the country. You may speak other languages but that doesn’t prepare you to enjoy the time in Slovenia especially for those with long term residence permits. 

If not at work, you can spend free time making new friends or doing a nature walk to the many attractive natural sites in the country. As a routine, you may join friends climbing the mountains or enjoying the sea breeze. If not, walk to the city streets and sample drinks, food or check in at a cinema. There’s just lots of pastime activity to do.  

Facts to master about Slovenia

As a newly arrived international in Slovenia, the first few months need to go into learning the country. In fact, before choosing to visit or live in Slovenia, knowing pertinent information will serve a great purpose.

• Slovenia was formed only in 19991 following the split of Yugoslavia 
• The country has a tough anti-immigration laws and do not easily take in Asylum seekers
• Climate in Slovenia is varied; some areas experience continental climate, others alpine or mediterranean
• Culture and heritage play a critical role in the Slovenian identity
• Registered residents of Slovenia get high quality healthcare just as citizens.
• The education system in Slovenia has three tiers consisting of primary, secondary and higher education.
• The cities in Slovenia are exciting in their own ways

The Fulfilling Beauty of its Amazing Cities

When you arrive in Slovenia as a new person, you will most definitely be living in the cities. Yes some people especially Slovenians and long established foreigners may live in the countryside but a majority live and work in the cities. 

Just so that one makes the correct decision, it’s necessary to remember that the choice of residential city will influence the cost of renting and more. But whatever the place one lives, there’s a guarantee of getting access to all necessary public amenities and whatever defines good standards of living. 

Being a small country of just slightly above 2 million people, it is easier to provide everyone with a living wage and decent life. Nowonder Slovenia ranks highly in the Human Development Index and is still regarded as one of the best performing EU member states.

Driving in the Slovenian cities, you’ll catch sight of amazingly built roads, great traffic flow and design of  driveways. Also walkways and cycling lanes have become a critical component of pedestrian ways in most Slovenian cities. 

You can as a personal choice explore Slovenia by bike. Here, you get to have a close up and can make stopovers to just admire the different terrains and attractions around. Without the rush of traffic common when driving, cycling especially when the weather is all good lets you savour the breathtaking environment. . 

Take some time to choose your home city or visit the rest of them. Some of the amazing cities to live in Slovenia include Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje and Velenje. The name of these cities may be hard to pronounce for a newcomer but the beauty is in visiting and experiencing whatever they have to offer. For example, Maribor has a great name to itself for having the oldest grapevine in the whole world.

The city of Kranj flies high when it comes to display of Slovenian art and culture. This city is also a home to Slovenian greatest poet, France Preseren. It will be quite an honour to visit Kranj. While in Slovenia, get to know many other interesting places like Novo mesto, Koper, and Piran.

Have you Considered Slovenia on Your Travel List?

To travel is surely the best way to learn and that fits so well for Slovenia. This underscores why adventure seekers would love to visit if not live in the country. Even the few who get a chance for a Slovenian residence permit can sample attractions in the country. 

For your vacation and holiday travels to or across Slovenia, its possible to pick out the best adventure places around, The high peaks of the Alps, clear waters and glacier lakes can be near magical.

 Have you seen the mysterious underworld caves filled with spectacular stalagmites and stalactites? Talk of the green and undistorted rivers and the vast cultivated landscape. The scenery is satisfying and exploring the outstanding amazingness of Slovenia should be at the top of your vacation agenda.

Slovenia is a small country but oozes so much bliss from its bubbly and friendly population. It sits on the crossroads of four geographical terrains which extends to Hungary through to Ukraine and Romania. The huge diversity that is evident from the Slovenian terrain picture, is just a pregnant answer to explain the beauty of Slovenia. Just remember to take caution by ensuring you are covered especially if you will be driving as no one is prone to accidents. Secure an insurance cover from the readily available insurance companies that guarantees your safety.

Slovenia has some great things going on that one may not see all the time. The fact that the country is quite small is a positive thing as it gives you an opportunity to drive across it in just a few hours. What this means is that you get to see lots of interesting things on a short holiday. However, you need to slow down and truly spend your amazing time in this wonderful pint-sized country.  

Coming to Slovenia

For people within the EU, it should not be difficult to enter or start off life in Slovenia. But for third country nationals, you must have a compelling and legally prescribed way of moving to the country. As noted by the country’s strong stance against irregular migration and unfounded asylum seeking, your documents must be fool proof. Gaps in your reason for moving to Slovenia will either lead to a complete refusal of residence permit or delays in processing time. 

The phrase third country national carries a lot of weight when it comes to immigrating to the republic of Slovenia. Processing such immigration takes a much longer time and a lot of checks done to ascertain if your reason for moving merits issuance with a visa or residence permit. As a requirement, you need to first send an application to a Slovenian representation in your home country or designated service provider closer to you for consideration.

While its stated that EU citizens or those who come from the European Economic Area do not have a lot of inhibitions posed to them when entering Slovenia, its not completely true. Certain conditions must be satisfied for extended stays and also verification of identification documents as well as national security. See here for more. 

Some of the common ways people use to immigrate to Slovenia include;

1. International protection pathway including asylum and refugees
2. Family reunification
3. Work related immigration
4. Immigration for Study, vocational training or any other form of education.

NOTE!!!    As you make the final decision to move to Slovenia, its important to understand the strict definition of who can apply for residence permit under family reunification. Also, carefully read and understand the time validity of various statuses. 

What to expect when visiting Slovenia

As usual, visiting a new country comes with a lot of anxiety, curiosity and expectations. As much as there is some primary reason that brings you to Slovenia, there always comes lingering questions to satisfy and experiences to live.

Draw solace from the fact that visiting Slovenia ushers you into the world of diverse cultures and natural attractions. Having broken away from Yugoslavia, you will subtly find influence of the former federal states in Slovenia. 

The country has a thriving economy with people living a high standard of life. This explains why modern methods of completing transactions such as debit cards, credit cards and cheques occupy a reputable place in the economy. 

For someone coming from countries where gender discrimination may be rife, that’s no more in Slovenia. The system and people operate in a way that gives everyone a chance to explore their full potential and thrive in their own ways. This explains why in 2002, the country elected its first female president, Natasa Pirc Musar with a majority vote of 54% of the votes cast. 

Enjoying the Freshness and Beauty of its Pedestrian Friendly Capital, Ljubljana

As a newly arrived person in Slovenia, you’re likely dogged by the nudging question of where exactly to live. There are so many exciting cities around to choose from but of course convenience is key. You want to be at a close proximity to schools in case you have school going children, workplace or other public amenities.

Here is where a city like Ljubljana comes in. So many people find it liveable with a lot of facilities that keep arriving foreigners enchanted and less homesick. You’ll not only have housing that has reliable heating and supply of electricity but also an entirely serene environment around you. The ambience accentuated by the exciting landscape makes this city a true gem. 

Like they say, visitors have keen eyes to pick out a miss in their new environment, you will struggle to find one in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. The town presents a great deal of fresh environment from the gorgeous river flowing through it. Various cafes and restaurants are well aligned at the waterfront forming a perfect scenery where one can enjoy their love life. This makes Slovenia’s capital a perfect destination for your honeymoon.

Ljubljana is a slow town that offers you an easy to walk around atmosphere at a leisurely pace soaking your sorrows away. If you are intending to fall in love or looking to find a perfect spot for your date, the city of Ljubljana has some of the quiet and peaceful sites to soothe your love feeling. Besides, there is the presence of some lovely churches, pretty squares surrounded with statues and some bridges. Up on the hill, you get to enjoy the view of some very impressive castles. 

Shopping will be equally interesting with the presence of the open-air market that is very easy to navigate. Most traders and merchants readily accept credit cards thus making it very easy to pay for services without having to carry your monies around. Ljubljana city is very easy to navigate thus, quite impressive for non-city people who often shy away from intimidation by huge cities.

Slovenian Media Scene

in a fast moving world where virtually all of us have become journalists albeit with no training, you may be wondering what happens in the Slovenian communication and media space. Maybe this will to an extent influence your internet subscription or mobile phone subscriptions. 

Many people coming from countries where media freedom has been curtailed and publicly forbidden from publishing content carelessly may be reluctant to make a move in Slovenia. But never despair, the media in Slovenia enjoys a reasonable level of responsible freedom. 

You may be excited to know that households in Slovenia have the pleasure of being connected to cable, internet protocol TV, and satellite. In short, Slovenia is under an advanced digital terrestrial TV network.

When in Slovenia, you are free to express yourself since the constitution allows for freedom of expression. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean that one can go against the protocol procedures. Internet access and subscription is almost at 100% as almost three quarters of the population is using the internet. This is a clear indication that one should not worry about communicating with people at home.