Temporary residence permit for digital nomads
In Slovenia, a digital nomad is defined as a foreigner who is not a citizen of an EU or EEA country and who is either employed or performs work under a civil-law contract for a business entity based outside Slovenia or works as a self-employed person abroad, with all such work carried out remotely via information and communication technologies. The essential point is that the foreigner is not entering the Slovenian labour market. As a result, labour-market admission requirements do not apply to them (they do not need the permit normally issued by the Employment Service of Slovenia).
Foreign nationals have to apply for a temporary residence permit for digital nomads at any diplomatic representation or consular post of the Republic of Slovenia abroad. Those already legally residing in Slovenia may also submit their application at any administrative unit in Slovenia.
A temporary residence permit for digital nomads may be issued for up to one year and cannot be extended, reflecting the highly mobile nature of this category of foreigners, who usually stay in a country only for a limited period (for example, during the summer season). A foreigner may reapply for a temporary residence permit for digital nomads six months after the expiry of their previous permit. However, if a digital nomad decides that they wish to continue residing in Slovenia (for example, because they wish to take up employment in the country), they may apply at any time during the validity of their digital-nomad temporary residence permit for another type of temporary residence permit based on a different purpose of stay.
To meet the requirement for sufficient means of subsistence, the foreigner must have monthly funds amounting to at least twice the average annual net salary in Slovenia, calculated on the basis of the average monthly gross salary most recently published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia. Proof of meeting this requirement may be provided through any lawful sources of income, as is the case for all other categories of foreigners.
A notable feature of the temporary residence permit for digital nomads is the more favourable family-reunification regime. Digital nomads may reunite with their family members immediately, without any restrictions linked to the duration of the foreigner’s residence in Slovenia or the validity of their permit.