Asylum Seekers
As an asylum seeker, you get a work permit after 3 months from entering the asylum procedure. Basic knowledge of Slovene and/or English is required by most employers.
Persons with International Protection
Persons with international protection have access to the labour market. You do not need to get a separate work permit. You have access to the labour market equal to that of a Slovene citizen.
Employers can violate the rights of migrant workers. For information about your working rights and their violations, you can contact the organisation Delavska svetovalnica.
Acquiring Residency and Work Visa as an Asylum Seeker
In September 2025, the Foreigners Act changed, and these changes affect you if you are applying for international protection in Slovenia. Now you can, under certain conditions, apply for a single residence and work permit, which means you can change your status from asylum seeker to migrant worker.
You can apply for this permit if you are employed and have social insurance for at least three months in the last four months, and if you have not yet received a final negative decision. If you have received a negative decision on your asylum case, you should appeal on court. If the court rejects your appeal, you have ten days from receiving the removal decision to apply for the permit for residency. In this case, you must show 6 months of employment and have an active work contract. If you are staying in Slovenia illegally, you cannot apply. Your asylum procedure continues while you wait for the permit decision, and if you get the permit, the asylum procedure stops. If the asylum procedure ends with a negative decision before the permit is issued, you can still stay and work in Slovenia until the final decision on your permit.
You also need basic documents, a valid passport or ID card and a criminal record certificate from your home country, not older than three months. If you cannot get a passport, Slovenian law allows other options, such as a temporary travel document or a foreigner’s passport, although practice can differ. You can submit the application for the single permit at any administrative unit in Slovenia, and you can also apply there for a foreigner’s passport.
In case of violation from you employer you can contact following organization:
DELAVSKA SVETOVALNICA
Location: Dalmatinova 4, 1000 Ljubljana
Tel. + 386 1 43 41 293
080 14 34
Email: info@delavskasvetovalnica.si
Whatsapp: Delavska svetovalnica +386 31 517 201
Viber: Delavska svetovalnica +386 31 517 201
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delavskasvetovalnica
Additional information on employment and counselling for migrant workers:
INFO-POINT FOR FOREIGNERS
Location: Dalmatinova 4, 1000 Ljubljana
Tel. +386 (0)1 330 81 20
Email: info-tocka@ess.gov.si
Working hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 8.00–15.00
Wednesday: 8.00–17.00
Friday: 8.00–13.00
EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OF SLOVENIA (ESS)
ESS registers unemployed persons, provides information, organises different workshops, and provides job opportunities.
ESS Ljubljana
Location: Parmova ulica 32, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
ESS Maribor
Location: Gregorčičeva ulica 37, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Finding a job is a self-initiative task. The help of public services is limited.
You can also find employment through private employment agencies. Private employment agencies will take a percentage of your paycheck but they can quickly find job opportunities for you.