For more than three years Brexit was a very boring affair, but now, as the deadline of October 31 fast approaches for the UK leaving, deal or no deal, a lot of things are starting to happen very quickly. If you’re a British national in Slovenia who wasn’t quite prepared for Brexit on March 31 then you should check your preparedness now, as you currently have just over two months to get things done, and some of them involve trips to upravna enota.
The question that started in all. Source: Wikipedia
Related: Social Security, British Nationals & No Deal Brexit in Slovenia
Note the date the stop of this story (30 August 2019) and be sure to check with the British Embassy’s website and Facebook to get the most official news and up to date news.
If there’s a no-deal Brexit then a number of EU countries have said they will offer continuity of rights to UK nationals already resident there. Slovenia has a law to take care of this, and the time of writing it’s been through all the processes except the last one (details here). The EU has put together a page explaining the implications of no deal for UK nationals’ residence rights in the EU27. The section on Slovenia can be summarised as follows, with some notes and observations, while the full text can be found here, with details for other Member States.
Residency in Slovenia after no deal Brexit
Even with no deal the Republic of Slovenia will protect your residency rights until the end of 2020, but you have to have a residence permit to prove these rights. If you’re not registered at all, then get temporary residence ASAP, while if you’ve got that and have been here at least five years then you should get permanent resident status.
Related: How to Get Temporary Residency in Slovenia
If you’ve been in Slovenia for more than five years then post-Brexit, then eventually you’ll be able to apply for “EU long-term resident status”. To quote the EU site:
This permit will grant you a permanent status, and allow you to enjoy the same treatment as nationals regarding access to employment, education, and core social benefits. This will also allow you, under certain conditions, to acquire the right to reside in another EU Member State.
I couldn’t find any details on how to apply for this, but I’d assume having proof of temporary / permanent residence would be a basic requirement. In short, get your residency sorted out.
Source: Led By Donkeys
Get a Slovenian driving licence
If you live here and drive here then you need a Slovenian driving licence. You can read how to get one here. If your upravna enota asks for documents that don’t exist in the UK then contact the British Embassy. They are aware of the problem and will issue a letter explaining the situation.
Basic rights in Slovenia after no deal Brexit
After Brexit most of your rights will remain unchanged, and you’ll be able to continue to live in Slovenia, work, look for work, study and buy property (which is open to all OECD members). One thing a British national shouldn’t be able to do post-Brexit is enjoy full free movement, so carry a passport if going over a border, even internal EU ones.
To that end, make sure your passport is valid and has at least six months on it. If you need to apply for a new one you can get it online (from a UK address, from overseas).
Source: Led By Donkeys
What the UK Embassy recommends
The advice listed above is culled from the EU website, based on the Slovenian side of the story. But what about the British Embassy in Ljubljana? The key point here is that the Embassy can’t force any changes in Slovenian law, and instead can only advise on how best to deal with the situation. The latest set of advice for UK nationals with regard to the possibility of no deal can be found here.
The main things they tell you to do – in a text dated 9 July 2019 – are as follows, and do read the whole thing if you’ve already done these:
- register as a resident in Slovenia – and change from temporary to permanent if you’ve been here for at least 5 years
- read the Embassy’s guidance on healthcare cover if the UK leaves the EU without a deal
- exchange your UK driving licence for a Slovenian licence
- check your passport is valid for travel (and get a new one if yours runs out in six months. This can be done online)
- sign up for email alerts for more guidance
- follow the British Embassy in Ljubljana on Facebook
Source: Led By Donkeys
News from the Government of Slovenia on no deal Brexit
In the event of a no deal Brexit, the Slovenian government has said it will notify UK citizens of any changes and deadlines required for any procedures to follow in order to retain their rights. However, they won’t notify you personally. Instead, a notification will be published on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and on the Info Tujci web portal. The government will also notify the UK Embassy, which should then pass on this advice.
For more information on Brexit, the best sources are the official sources. The Slovenian government has its own site (in English) on Brexit here, while the British Embassy’s current advice can be found here, you can sign up for email alerts here, and follow the Ambassador and her team on Facebook. All our posts on Brexit are here, but none of them are as valid as the official sources.
Related: Social Security, British Nationals & No Deal Brexit in Slovenia
