Europe

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

• There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• All foreign Nationals visiting Slovenia must register with the Police within three days of arrival. See Local Laws.
  
  
• Around 91,000 British tourists visit Slovenia every year (Source: Slovene Nationality and Population Database). If you need to contact the emergency services in Slovenia 112. See General - Consular Assistance Statistics.
  
  
• From 1 July 2008, Slovenia introduce a "Vignette" system for motorway travel, which is compulsory if you wish to use the motorways in Slovenia.  See Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel.
  
  
• You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  See General - Insurance.

Safety and Security - Terrorism
There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

See our Terrorism Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Crime
Precautions should be taken when carrying money in busy tourist areas.

Safety and Security - Crime - Scams
Foreign visitors and residents can be targeted by scam artists. These scams can pose great financial loss to victims. If you receive an e-mail purporting to be from HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) offering a tax refund on provision of your bank details you should make absolutely sure that it is not part of a scam.

See our Victims of Crime Abroad page.


Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel
Slovenia has a ‘Vignette’ system for motorway travel. Vignettes are available for weekly, monthly or yearly periods, and can be purchased at petrol stations and DARS (the Slovenian Motorway Company) offices in Slovenia as well as outlets in neighbouring countries near the Slovene border. The Vignette is compulsory for vehicles under 3.5 tonnes in weight. The police and DARS officials are monitoring motorway use, and are stopping motorists who do not have a Vignette. Failure to have or display a Vignette will lead to an on-the-spot fine of up to €800. For more information on the Vignette system and where to buy one, please visit http://www.cestnina.si/Dokumenti/Vignette_308.aspx.

If you are driving to Slovenia during the winter period, be aware that winter equipment is mandatory from 15 November until 15 March. This means that your car must be equipped with either winter tyres, or have snow chains and radial tyres with at least 4mm tread depth. You can be fined 125 Euros for not having this equipment, or 417 Euros if you cause a delay on the road for the same reason. By law, you must have your headlights on at all times, while driving in Slovenia. You are also required to carry a reflective jacket, a warning triangle and a first aid kit in the vehicle. If you intend to hire a car and drive it into Slovenia you must declare this to the car hire company first, as you must have adequate car insurance cover. Heavy on-the-spot fines are in place for traffic offences and jaywalking.  The police are empowered to impose on-the-spot fines for offences including speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and for using mobile phones without properly installed wireless headsets (Bluetooth).

In 2010 there were 138 road deaths in Slovenia (source: DfT). This equates to 6.7 road deaths per 100,000 of population and compares to the UK average of 3.1 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2010.

See our Driving Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Air Travel
The revised EU-wide security measures that came into effect for all passengers departing from UK airports in November 2006 are also being implemented in Slovenia.  For more details about this see

Airline Security 

Remember to reconfirm your return flight if your airline advises it.

Safety and Security - Political Situation
Slovenia Country Profile

Carry a copy of your passport at all times as a form of identification.

All foreign nationals visiting Slovenia must register with the Police within three days of arrival or risk paying a fine. If you are staying at a registered hotel or guest house, they will register you when processing your arrival. If you are staying in self-catering accommodation, check with your booking agent as to whether they will register your visit. If not, you will have to do so on arrival by registering your visit at the nearest police station. If you are staying with friends or family, you or your host will need to visit the nearest police station to register your presence in Slovenia.

See our Your Trip page.

Entry Requirements - Passport validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Slovenia. For stays of up to three months your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this. However, it is always sensible to have a short period of extra validity on your passport in case of any unforeseen delays to your departure. You do not have to wait until your old passport expires to apply to renew it. Any time left on your old passport when you apply will be added to your new passport, up to a maximum of nine months. For passport applications in the UK, you should apply to the Identity and Passport Service. For stays of longer than three months, contact the Embassy of the country to which you are travelling.

Entry Requirements - Visas  
UK Nationals do not require a visa to travel to Slovenia

Entry Requirements - Travelling with children   
Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. For further information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact the Slovenian Embassy in London.

You can gain access to medical treatment in Slovenia. Obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Slovenian nationals. It also does not cover you for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature. See our EHIC page.

Tick-borne encephalitis is common to Slovenia, especially if you intend to visit forested areas during the summer months.

In the 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around less than 1,000 adults aged 15 or over in Slovenia were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at less than 0.1% of the adult population compared to the prevalence percentage in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. See our HIV and AIDS page.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to Slovenia and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

See our Travel Health page.

Western Slovenia is on an earthquake fault line and is subject to occasional tremors.

General - Insurance 
You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. Check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake.  See our Travel Insurance page.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas see our When Things Go Wrong page.

General - Registration
Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.  

General - Accommodation 
Ljubljana is a small capital city and an increasingly popular destination as its air services grow. We strongly advise that you arrange accommodation before travelling.  

General - Skiing/Mountaineering Holidays  
If you are planning a skiing or mountaineering holiday, we advise you to contact the Slovenian Tourist Board in the UK (Tel:  0870 225 5305) for advice on weather and safety conditions before travelling.  Be aware that off-piste skiing is highly dangerous.  You should follow all safety instructions meticulously, given the danger of avalanches in some areas.  

General - Passports  
The British Embassy in Ljubljana does not issue passports or process applications so, before setting off, ensure that your passport has sufficient validity and a plentiful supply of unused pages. Passport applications will need to be sent direct to the British Consulate-General in Dusseldorf. Please visit www.ukingermany.fco.gov.uk/en/passports/welcome for more information.  

General - Customs Regulations
If you travel within the European Union (EU) you can bring an unlimited amount of most goods.  For example, you can bring in any alcohol, tobacco, meat and diary products - as long as they are for your own use and transported by you. If you are bringing in alcohol and tobacco goods and the Customs officer may have reason to suspect they may be for a commercial purpose, an officer may ask you questions and make checks. This refers to travelling into Slovenia and/or entering the UK. See the website of HMRC (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingeu.htm).

General - Money
ATMs are easily accessible and major credit cards/travellers' cheques are widely accepted.  Banks and bureaux de change will change travellers' cheques, sterling and other main currencies.  The Euro is the legal currency in Slovenia.

General - Consular Assistance Statistics
Around 91,000 British tourists visit Slovenia every year (Source: Slovene Nationality and Population Database). Five British nationals required consular assistance in Slovenia in the period 01 April 2010 – 31 March 2011 for the following types of incident: one death and four hospitalisations.