Slovenia

⇑Universities

In Slovenia you can study at public and private universities or at smaller independent higher education institutions. Study in Slovenia lists these universities:

• University of Ljubljana (Univerza v Ljubljani) – the largest in the country,
• University of Maribor,
• University of Primorska (Univerza na Primorskem) in Koper,
• University of Nova Gorica,
• Nova univerza and the University of Novo mesto.

Universities are made up of faculties and arts academies. There are also many independent institutions, often private and practice-oriented (visoke strokovne šole). You will find the full list in the search engine on studyinslovenia.si.

Universities in Slovenia – profiles

⇑Study system

Slovenia follows the Bologna system:

• first cycle (bachelor) – 3 or 4 years, either academic or professional,
• second cycle (master) – 1 or 2 years; there are also single-cycle master's programmes, e.g. medicine or veterinary medicine,
• third cycle – doctorate.

One ECTS credit stands for 25–30 hours of your work, and a full year for 1,500–1,800 hours.

The academic year runs from October to the end of September the following year. The winter semester usually lasts from October to January, the summer semester from February to mid-July.

Slovenia – bachelor's programmes
Slovenia – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Slovenia – master's programmes
Slovenia – doctoral programmes

⇑Admission

EU citizens apply under the same conditions as Slovenians – in the call for Slovenian citizens. You apply online through the eVŠ portal. Every academic year has a call for enrolment (razpis za vpis), in which institutions publish their conditions, the number of places and the selection criteria if places are limited.

Deadlines in the call for 2026/27 (published at the end of February 2026):

• first round – 18 February – 18 March 2026,
• second round – 20–27 August 2026,
• final round – 23–24 September 2026 (until 10:00).

Expect the call for 2027/28 around the same time. Calls for master's programmes usually come out in March or at the beginning of June, and for doctoral programmes at the beginning of March at the latest.

Students from outside the EU apply for the places reserved for foreign nationals – also through eVŠ, but under their own quota and conditions, so read the call carefully. Apply as early as you can: you need proof of enrolment for your residence permit, and Study in Slovenia advises applying for the permit 3–6 months before you arrive (see: Residence and formalities).

A foreign school leaving certificate must go through a recognition procedure before admission – start it in good time.

⇑Entrance exams

There is no central entrance exam. If a programme has more applicants than places, the selection criteria published in the call for enrolment decide – check them for your programme.

For some programmes you also have to pass a Slovenian language exam before enrolling in the first year – the call for enrolment tells you whether this applies and when any additional tests take place.

⇑Language

Most programmes are taught in Slovenian. You can start learning it before you arrive: free online courses are available on the slonline.si portal and at the University of Maribor (for its students), and the University of Primorska runs free courses from A1 to B1.

The Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language at the University of Ljubljana runs courses and issues state certificates of Slovenian. International students can also join the Leto plus (Year Plus) programme, in which a Slovenian course is compulsory.

There is a good choice of programmes in English, especially at master's and doctoral level – see the list on studyinslovenia.si. The university tells you which certificate it requires, e.g. IELTS or TOEFL.

⇑Residence and formalities

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens enter without a visa, with an ID card or passport. If you stay longer than 3 months, you must get a registration certificate within the first three months. You apply at the administrative unit (upravna enota) for your place of residence – in Ljubljana, Koper and Maribor you need to book an appointment.

You will need, among other things: the application form, a biometric photo, your ID card or passport, proof of address (e.g. a rental contract), confirmation of admission, a statement that you have enough money to support yourself and your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Fees: €9.10 for the certificate, €4.50 for the application and €12.32 for printing the card. The certificate is valid for up to 5 years.

Students from outside the EU/EEA need a temporary residence permit for the purpose of study. If you need a visa to enter Slovenia, you apply at a Slovenian embassy or consulate as soon as you are enrolled – Study in Slovenia recommends 3–6 months before you plan to arrive. If you are already legally in Slovenia, you apply at an administrative unit before your legal stay ends. You will need, among other things, a passport valid for at least three months beyond your planned stay, proof of enrolment, health insurance covering at least emergency care in Slovenia, a criminal record certificate and proof of funds for every month of your stay equal to at least the basic minimum income – €507.43 a month since 1 March 2026. The fee is €102 at an embassy or €50 at an administrative unit, plus the cost of the residence card.

Note: Study in Slovenia still gives €484.88 a month, while the Slovenian government (gov.si) gives €507.43 since 1 March 2026 – check the current amount with the embassy or administrative unit before you apply.

⇑Tuition fees

EU citizens on full-time programmes that are publicly funded pay no tuition – just like Slovenians.

Part-time students pay, including those from the EU. Students from outside the EU/EEA without permanent residence in Slovenia usually pay per year:

• first cycle – €2,000–11,000,
• second cycle – €2,000–15,000,
• doctorate – €2,000–6,000.

Private institutions and additional fees (e.g. for enrolment) are set by each institution – check them on its website.

⇑Accommodation and living costs

According to the European Commission, you will need €400–800 a month to live in Slovenia. Ljubljana is the most expensive.

A single room in a rented flat costs around €200–350 a month in Ljubljana, €120–150 in Maribor and €200–300 in the Primorska region. A shared double room is cheaper.

Be careful with student residences: if you come for your whole degree as a so-called private international student, you usually won't get a place in a student residence – Maribor is the exception. Residences (€120–250 in Ljubljana) are mainly for exchange students and scholarship holders, so start looking for a room early.

You can eat cheaply with subsidised student meals (boni): the state pays €2.63 towards each meal, and you pay between €0 and €4.37. A monthly student pass for public transport in Ljubljana costs €25.

⇑Scholarships

There are few scholarships for a full degree in Slovenia. Worth checking:

• Erasmus+ and CEEPUS – a semester or year in Slovenia as part of an exchange,
• Ad futura programmes – support for international mobility,
• university scholarships – ask the international office.

Public scholarships for foreigners are mainly aimed at citizens of the Western Balkans for master's programmes, with separate schemes for Slovenians living abroad. You will find the current programmes on studyinslovenia.si.

⇑Working while studying

In Slovenia, students work through the student work system (študentsko delo): you get jobs through a student employment agency (študentski servis) with a referral form (napotnica). To register you need an ID document, a Slovenian bank account, a Slovenian tax number and a certificate of enrolment.

15.5% in contributions for pension and disability insurance is deducted from every payment. For international students, agencies also deduct 22.5% as advance income tax – you can get part of it back if your country has a double taxation agreement with Slovenia.

Students from outside the EU/EEA with a temporary residence permit for study can also do student work through a student employment agency, or take a regular job alongside their studies – for regular employment, the employer needs an information sheet from the Employment Service of Slovenia. The official sources do not state a weekly hour limit.

Slovenia – why work there?
How to find a job abroad?

⇑Useful links

• Study in Europe – Slovenia – the official country profile on the European Commission's portal,
• Study in Slovenia – the national portal for international students: institutions, admission, living costs,
• programme and institution search – all study programmes in Slovenia,
• eVŠ – the portal for applications,
• Tuition and funding – tuition fees and scholarships,
• Temporary residence permit for studies – requirements for students from outside the EU,
• Študentski domovi Ljubljana – student residences in Ljubljana,
• ENIC-NARIC – recognition of qualifications in Europe,
• Eurodesk – free information on studying, traineeships and volunteering in Europe.