Consular information of the Consulate General Cleveland

Consular district

The Consulate General of the Republic of Slovenia in Cleveland is responsible for matters relating to and applications from Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Matters relating to and applications from other US states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are handled by Embassy in Washington.

Consular hours

The Consulate General periodically organizes consular hours in cities within its jurisdiction (Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa and Colorado). Once the date for the consular hours is set, precise information is published in the news section of our website and Facebook page.

Consular fees

Consular fees in USD

Consular fees can be paid with:

• valid credit or debit cards,
• cash

Passport

Who can request a new passport and where?

Citizens with permanent or temporary residence outside Slovenia can apply for a new passport at the Embassy in Washington DC or at the Consulate General in Cleveland, OH.

You can also apply during consular hours that are periodically offered by the Consulate General in cities within its jurisdiction. Both the Embassy and Consulate General announce such offerings in advance on their websites and through social media. You cannot apply for a new passport at the Honorary Consulates.

For the purpose of identification and fingerprinting, the applicant has to apply for a new passport in person.

Passport validity and the corresponding consular fees:

• 10 years for adults from the age of 18 – EUR 115
• 5 years for children from 3 to 18 years – EUR 76
• 3 years for children under 3 years – EUR 57
• 1 year – EUR 47

Passports are only issued directly to the applicant or to his/her legal representative or guardian.

Appointments 

An appointment is necessary and can be requested by email to sloconsulate.cleveland@gov.si, or by calling (216) 771-7010. Appointments are scheduled during office hours, and should be scheduled at least one week prior to the date requested by the client.

What needs to be updated before a new passport can be issued

Name - If your name has changed due to marriage, you must complete the procedure of registering your marriage, thereby recording your name change within the registry, before a new passport bearing your new name will be issued.

Permanent Residence (Address) - Before you apply for a new passport, your permanent or temporary residence (address) must be updated in the Slovenian records.

What you need to bring with you to the appointment

The (expired) Slovenian passport, if applicable

If you do not have one, then a color photo ID and proof of Slovenian citizenship is required.

Photo

One photo (please consult the attached instructions accurately and warn the photographer about the requirements).

Prepaid express envelope with tracking number (i.e. US Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, etc.; must have tracking number) addressed from the Consulate General in Cleveland to your address, if you wish to receive the passport back by mail. You will be asked to submit a statement of permission to mail a passport. Please note, the Consulate General in Cleveland does not take responsibility for passports lost in the mail.

If the prepaid express envelope is not provided with the application, the passport must be collected in person at the Consulate General in Cleveland.

Biometric data

Control of biometric data written on the chip can be implemented solely when a person crosses a border, and involves comparing the actual biometric characteristics of the person of the facial image and fingerprints contained on the chip.

The Slovenian legislation stipulates the following regarding the use of biometric data:

• fingerprinting is obligatory for every applicant above 12 years of age;
• during the application process, the applicant's fingerprints are obtained from both index fingers using an electronic device (special fingerprinting scanner). If health reasons prevent the fingerprinting of the index fingers, other fingers can be scanned for prints (print of the middle finger, ring finger or a thumb);
• in case of an acute medical condition (e.g. burns, cuts or other injuries which are expected to heal within a year) preventing fingerprinting, a passport containing only facial image biometric data is issued with the validity of 1 year;
• in case of a lasting medical condition (e.g. a person without fingers or with lifelong injuries) preventing the fingerprinting a passport containing only facial image biometric data is issued with a standard validity;
• fingerprints are not kept in the system once the receipt of the passport is registered in the system.

Identity card

• Identity Card Act*

Application

A citizen may file an application for an identity card at either the Embassy or at the Consulate General.

An application for an identity card must be lodged by an adult citizen in person. In some cases, the consent of both parents is required. A minor’s application must be submitted by his/her legal guardian. If the minor is over 8 years of age, he/she must also be present in person.

The application must be accompanied by:

• The (expired) Slovenian ID, if applicable
  If you do not have one, then a color photo ID and proof of Slovenian citizenship is required.
• One photo (please consult the attached instructions accurately and warn the photographer about the requirements).

Issue and validity

An identity card with a validity of three years is issued to a national under three years of age. An identity card with a validity of five years is issued to a citizen aged between three and 18 years. An identity card with ten-year validity is issued to a citizen aged 18 to 70. After the age of 70, an identity card with permanent validity is issued.

Identity card validity and consular fee:

• 10 years for adults from 18 to 70 years – EUR 76
• 5 years for children from 3 to 18 years – EUR 60
• 3 years for children under 3 years – EUR 44
• Permanent identity card – EUR 76

The identity card is only issued directly to the applicant or to his/her legal representative or guardian.

Delivery for destruction

The citizen must deliver the identity card to the competent authority for destruction no later than 30 days in the following cases:

• Change of surname or name
• Change of permanent residence
• The photograph on the identity card no longer shows a true image
• The identity card is damaged or worn out or can no longer be used for any other reason
• Termination of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia

Declaration of a missing, lost or stolen passport or identity card

A citizen is obliged to report a missing, lost or stolen (hereinafter: missing) passport or identity card abroad immediately to the competent authorities in the Republic of Slovenia, at the diplomatic mission or consular post.

Procedure at the diplomatic mission or consular post

The missing document must be reported to the local police or another competent institution and a certificate of declaration of the missing document is issued. The certificate must be submitted to the diplomatic mission or consular post, where the applicant needs to give a statement regarding the missing document. True information should be provided on the circumstances in which the document went missing, since the citizen is criminally and materially liable in the event of a false statement. Documents are revoked on the basis of false statements.

Reporting a missing document is free of charge.

After reporting a missing document

The diplomatic mission or consular post may issue a passport for return with a validity of up to 30 days or for the time needed to return to the country where the citizen is registered as a resident or temporary resident.

The return passport is a temporary document intended only for the return to the place of residence. It does not allow you to continue your travels to the remaining countries of your destination. You should also inquire about additional visas to be obtained for such a document from the competent authorities of the country where you are staying or the countries through which you will be travelling.

Procedure

In order to obtain a passport for return, you need to submit the following:

• The original certificate of declaration of the missing document
• Photograph
• Consular fee in the amount of EUR 19

Citizenship

• Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act*

Information on the acquisition of, release from, and renunciation of, Slovenian citizenship is available under the topic Citizenship.

At diplomatic missions or consular posts, you may submit appropriate applications to be forwarded to administrative units or to the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia.

Fees:

• Registration of citizenship: EUR 13
• Admission to and release from citizenship: EUR 354
• Declaratory decision on citizenship or renunciation EUR 181

Registration of a child (under the age of 18)

A child born in a foreign country to a parent who is a citizen of the Republic of Slovenia at the time of the child’s birth, obtains citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by origin. Children should be registered before the age of 18.

PLEASE NOTE: Parents' marriage and other status changes (address, name change, etc.) must be registered with Slovenian Authorities prior to the submission of the citizenship application.

IF BOTH PARENTS ARE SLOVENIAN CITIZENS, please use the form for persons under the age of 18 or the form for persons above the age of 18. 

Documents to be submitted:

1. Completed and signed application form, must be filled out and signed by the parent, who is a Slovenian citizen. If child's age is between 14 and 18 please fill this form (Child's signature is required).
2. Child's Birth Certificate with an Apostille Seal and a translation to Slovenian language. Click here for more information. The Apostille seal has to be obtained from the Secretary of State's office of the state in which the certificate was originally issued.
3. Consular fee for registration
4. Completed form for Registration of Permanent Address
5. Completed form for Registration to the Electoral Roll (Please note: the child is registered into the Electoral Roll AT BIRTH/REGISTRATION OF BIRTH)
6. Completed and signed permission to copy personal documents
7. Prepaid express courier envelope (i.e. US Postal Service, UPS, Fedex etc.; must have tracking number) addressed from the Slovenian Consulate to your address to receive the Slovenian birth certificate back by mail.

Please, do not forget to enclose a cover letter with your contact information, stating what you are applying for, and a complete list of enclosed documents.

Registration of an adult (age 18 to 36)

A child born in a foreign country to one parent who is a citizen of the Republic of Slovenia at the time of the child’s birth, with the other being a foreign citizen, and who was not registered for citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by his parents before the age of 18, acquires citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by origin, if he/she registers for citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia prior to reaching the age of 36 years.

PLEASE NOTE: Parents' marriage and other status changes (address, name change, etc.) must be registered with Slovenian Authorities prior to the submission of the citizenship application.

Documents to be submitted:

1. Completed and signed application form
2. Birth Certificate with an Apostille Seal and a translation to Slovenian language
   The Apostille seal must be obtained from the Secretary of State's office of the state in which the certificate was originally issued.
3. Consular fee for registration
4. Completed form for Registration of Permanent Address
5. Completed form for Registration to the Electoral Roll
6. Completed and signed permission to copy personal documents
7. Prepaid express courier envelope (i.e. US Postal Service, UPS, Fedex etc.; must have tracking number) addressed from the Slovenian Consulate General to your address to receive the Slovenian birth certificate back by mail.

Extraordinary naturalization (Article 13 of Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act)

Individuals of Slovenian descent (up to the second generation in direct descent, i.e. have one of the parents or one or more grandparents who were Slovenian citizens), who cannot register for citizenship, because they are older than 36 or none of the parents is a registered Slovenian Citizen, may apply for Slovenian citizenship according to the provisions of Article 13 of Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act.

The provision of Article 13 of the Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act allows for the granting of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia to persons if it is in the interest of the country due to scientific, economic, cultural, national or other similar reasons. The existence of circumstances that justify the reasons for this kind of citizenship being granted is established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the opinion of the competent authority.

In the procedure, the applicant must demonstrate:

1. Slovenian descent (up to the second generation in direct descent)
2. a multiannual active connection with the Republic of Slovenia; and
3. at least 5 years of activity in Slovenian associations, schools of Slovene language or Slovenian expatriate, emigrant or minority organizations.

Exceptions from above mentioned criteria can only be granted by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia.

Documents to be submitted are listed in the application form:

1. Completed Citizenship application - Article 13 (descendance) or Citizenship application - Article 13 (other reasons); must be filled and signed by the applicant himself. The list of required documents to be submitted is contained in the application.
2. FBI criminal history search - U.S. citizen can apply directly to the FBI for a criminal history search. The first step is to download the FD-258 fingerprint card and application form from the FBI website.
3. Consular fee 
4. Completed and signed permission to copy personal documents

All documents must be filed in Slovenian.

Please note that the Slovenian Consulate General does not offer translation services. Slovenian Consulate General only authenticates the translation provided by the applicant (confirms that the translation corresponds to the original text). Translations using Google Translate are not adequate.

Important: Applicants who apply for citizenship under Article 13 through the consulate are urged to submit the authorization for serving administrative documents to a representative in Slovenia together with their application.

Authorization form

Please, do not forget to enclose a cover letter with your contact information, stating what you are applying for and a complete list of enclosed documents.

Additional clarifications:

• US documents must be accompanied with an Apostille Seal. The United States of America is a member of The Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. First, you should obtain the original document from the appropriate US authority (example: Vital records for Birth and Marriage certificates and FBI for background check certificate) and then verify with the responsible authority (usually Secretary of State's office of the state in which the certificate was originally issued) on the procedure of obtaining the Apostille seal.
• Slovenian documents are officially recognized without an authentication, and no additional certification (i.e., Apostille) is needed. For official Slovenian documents, copies will be accepted.
• As the citizenship application according to the provisions of Article 13 can be time consuming, and all foreign documents are required to be translated to Slovenian, we do recommend having a legal representative in Slovenia (family member, friend, legal advisor). With a power of attorney, the person can file the application on your behalf. In this case, you do not need to file the application with the Slovenian Embassy/Consulate General of Slovenia, as we do not process applications. Also, administrative fees are different (lower, as no postage or additional costs are necessary), and Administrative Units can easily confer with your representative during the process.
• If you decide to file your application at the Consulate General of Slovenia, please contact the Consulate by e-mail to sloconsulate.cleveland@gov.si prior to sending the application to make sure you have all the documents.

Marriage and Divorce

Marriage Registration

If you have married in the territory of the US, you are also obliged to register your marriage in the Slovenian Vital Records.

American documents need to be translated into Slovenian.

In order to register your marriage the following documentation is required:

1. Registration form and statement of the name chosen after your marriage
   In case this is not your first marriage, you need to submit a proof of a divorce, notarized by District court in Slovenia or other appropriate document (i.e Death Certificate of the previous spouse,...)
2. Marriage certificate - original with an Apostille seal  with Apostille (more information), both translated into Slovenian.
   Please note the Consulate does not offer translation services! The Consulate only authenticates the translation provided by the applicant (confirms that the translation corresponds to the original text). Translations using Google Translate are not adequate! For translator info, please see the above section on translators.
3. A copy of your spouse's passport or an official copy of your spouse's birth certificate translated into Slovenian with Apostille, 
4. Completed and signed permission to copy personal documents 
5. Prepaid express courier envelope
   (i.e. US Postal Service, UPS, Fedex etc.; must have tracking number) addressed from the Consulate General to your address to receive the Slovenian Marriage Certificate back by mail. If the envelope is not submitted, the Marriage certificate will be sent back by ordinary USPS mail. In this case the Slovenian Consulate General does not guarantee the shipment will be delivered.

Please do not forget to enclose a cover letter with your contact information, stating what you are applying for and a list of enclosed documents.

Divorce Registration

Registering divorces processed in the US Courts is divided into two phases:

1. RECOGNITION OF THE FOREIGN COURT DECISION – done by the District Court in Ljubljana

This part of the procedure is done by the applicant HIM/HERSELF.

For this procedure, you need:

• Final Divorce Decision - original with Apostille (more information)
• Translation into Slovenian BY A COURT CERTIFIED TRANSLATOR (list)

More information on the procedure is available on the website of the District Court in Ljubljana.

The Court is willing to help the applicants directly in determining the requirements for a specific procedure.

PLEASE NOTE! Applicants with decisions from US Courts usually encounter problems with providing the Certificate of Finality of the Decision, as the US courts do not issue such certificates.

We recommend the applicants authorize a representative for the service of documents in the Republic of Slovenia.

The payment of the court fee is done on the basis of a Payment Order issued by the Court upon receipt of the Request for Recognition of a Foreign Court Decision. The Order includes the information on payments from abroad.

After this part of the procedure is concluded, the Court is willing to send the final Decision to the competent Administrative Unit, provided they are supplied with the information on the competent Administrative Unit, Reference Number and that the request is contained in the Request for Recognition of a Foreign Court Decision. The Request is written by the applicant (there is no form!).

2. REGISTRATION IN THE VITAL RECORDS IN SLOVENIA – done by the Administrative Unit

For this procedure, you need:

• Recognized Foreign Court Decision (the result of the procedure under A)
• Statement on the Choice of Name after the Divorce – to be done at the Consulate
  The change to maiden name in the first 6 months after the divorce is free of charge; after this period the name change has to go through the ordinary name change procedure to which consular fees apply.
  
  The Embassy/Consulate sends the Statement to the competent Administrative Unit with notice that the recognized Foreign Court Decision will be submitted upon completion of the court procedure.
  
  You receive the reference number to be included in the Request for Recognition of a Foreign Court Decision from the Embassy/Consulate.
• Consular fee for registration of divorce.

Weddings in Slovenia

Foreigners wishing to have a wedding in Slovenia need to submit the following documents to the competent Administrative Unit:

• Extract from the Birth Records (Birth Certificate) - if not submitted on an international form, Apostille is required (more information)
• Citizenship Certificate with Apostille or Valid passports
• Certificate of Single Status - Duly Authenticated

The documents must not be more than 6 months old and have to be translated into Slovenian BY A COURT CERTIFIED TRANSLATOR.

For any additional information please contact the Administrative Unit, competent for the location where the wedding is to take place.

More information for American citizens is available on the website of the US Embassy in Ljubljana.

Change of Address

Change of permanent address

In accordance with the Residence Registration Act, citizens of Slovenia intending to permanently emigrate outside of Slovenia are obligated to register their new permanent address with the Slovenian authorities (Administrative unit, Embassy, Consulate or the Ministry of Interior).

The legislation differentiates between a permanent residence in the Republic of Slovenia and a permanent address abroad.

If the exact address is unknown at the time of leaving, they can notify the authorities any time thereafter, including through the Embassy or Consulate General. The exact address and updates thereof are important for the exercise of the voting rights of the Slovenian citizens, as all Slovenian citizens are registered in the electoral roll. The election material is sent to the address on file by mail, therefore the registration and updating of the permanent address is important for receiving the election materials in due time.

Permanent address abroad for a child can be registered by both parents, or one of the parents with the consent of the other, or by another legal representative. For the form please click here.

There is no need for the consent of the other parent in the following cases:

• if they register the child at an address which is identical to the address of both parents;
• if the registration is performed for a foreigner's child;
• if the child's address is registered by the parent to whom he is entrusted with the care and education;
• if the child's place of residence is determined by an agreement on the protection, education and maintenance of children or the decision of the competent court;
• if the residence of the other parent is unknown;
• if the parent's right parental rights or competence have been revoked;
• if the other parent is prevented from exercising the parental right

Permanent address abroad registration also has consequences on tax obligations.

More information on international taxation is available on the website of the Ministry of Finance here.

In order to register your new address abroad please send the following form and proof of your new address to the Slovenian Consulate General email address.

Certificates

Consulate General of the Republic of Slovenia can upon request the issuance of the following certificates:

1. Certificate of permanent residence / permanent address abroad
2. Certificate of previous permanent residences / permanent addresses abroad
3. Certificate of address for service
4. Certificate of temporary residence / temporary address abroad
5. Certificate of previous temporary residences / temporary addresses abroad
6. Certificate from a household record with personal data of all members
7. Certificate from household records on the number of members

The fee for a certificate outside of the change procedures is 16 USD.

Notarizations and authentications

Diplomatic - Consular representations of the Republic of Slovenia offer administrative notarizations of signatures on private documents, authentications of copies and translations. An authentication does not verify the authenticity or truthfulness of the content of a document. An authentication is not performed for documents, signatures or manuscripts when the content of the document in question is not permissible by norms of public order.

Notarizations of signatures

Notarization of a signature at the Consulate General

Notarization of a signature at the Consulate General is to be done in person at the Slovenian Consulate General. The request form can be obtained here, a consular fee for authentication of translation is 22 USD per document.

Please request an appointment by e-mail to sloconsulate.cleveland@gov.si. Suggest a day and hour within official hours.

Please consult with the Slovenian authorities to whom you will submit the document to ensure that authentication from the Slovenian Consulate General is sufficient.

Notarization of signature by a Notary Public and Apostille certification

The Republic of Slovenia and the United States of America are members of The Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (please see here for further information). A document having an Apostille will be directly accepted in Slovenia without needing any further authentication by a Slovenian representation.

Please note: Apostille is a separate piece of paper attached to the original document by the responsible authorities.

Your signature has to be authenticated by a Notary Public, then you need to verify with the responsible authorities in the US the procedure for obtaining the Apostille on the document.

Authentications of photocopies or translations

Can be done by mail. Fill in the request form, provide the original document and a photocopy/translation of the document with the application and also a prepaid express courier envelope (i.e. US Postal Service, UPS, etc.; must have tracking number) addressed from the Consulate General of Slovenia to your address to receive the authenticated documents back by mail.

The Consular fee for authentication of photocopies or translation is 16 USD per document.

Please note the Slovenian Consulate General does not offer translation services.
The Slovenian Consulate General only authenticates the translations provided by the applicant. Authentication involves checking to ensure that the translation matches what is contained in the original document. Translations using Google Translate are not adequate. See the section entitled Translators for the Slovenian Language above.

Birth, death and marriage certificates

To obtain a birth or marriage certificate or a death certificate from the Republic of Slovenia, please submit a completed application form to the Consulate General of Slovenia.

The consular fee is 30 USD per certificate.

We strongly suggest you include with your application a prepaid express envelope with a tracking number (i.e. US Postal Service, UPS, Fedex etc.) addressed from the Consulate General of Slovenia to your address, if you wish to receive the certificate back by mail.

If a prepaid express envelope is not provided with the application, the certificates will be sent by regular mail. In this case, the Consulate General of Slovenia does not take responsibility for lost documents.

Reporting the death of a Slovenian citizen

The death of a Slovenian citizen living abroad should be reported to the Slovenian authorities, so that the person's status can be correctly updated in the register of births, marriages and deaths (Slovenian vital records).

 To report a death, you should send the following documents to the Consulate:

1. A completed registration of death form,
2. An official copy of the death certificate with Apostille.

Name change

To change your name submit the following form Name change form  and FBI criminal history search with an Apostille seal translated to slovenian language. There is a consular fee for this procedure.

Translators for the Slovenian language

List of translators for the Slovenian language

The Consulate does not guarantee the quality of the translation and is in no way connected to the persons/companies on the list.