Dublin III Regulation

When you submit an international protection application, your fingerprints, as well as the fingerprints of any members of your family who are above fourteen (14) years old, will be taken. The fingerprints will be entered into EURODAC, the European Central Database, which aims at the implementation of the “Dublin III” Regulation.

The “Dublin III” Regulation determines which of the European States that are bound by it is responsible to examine your application.

The States which implement the “Dublin III” Regulation are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (hereafter “Dublin III” countries).

How do I know which country is responsible for my application under Dublin III Regulation?

  • You are an unaccompanied minor
    • and a member of your family (parent, brother/sister, uncle/aunt, grandfather/grandmother) is legally present in a “Dublin III” country, then this country is responsible for the examination of your application.
    • and no members of your family are legally present in any of the “Dublin III” countries, then your application will be examined by Slovenia.
  • You are an adult and have a member of your family (spouse (husband or wife) or a life partner (not in all countries) and a minor unmarried children), providing that the family already existed in your country of origin, is present in one of the “Dublin III” countries as a beneficiary of international protection or as an international protection applicant, then that country is responsible for examining your application, if you so wish.
  • You have a residence permit, then the country responsible for the examination of your application is the “Dublin III” country that issued the residence permit, even if it expired in the last two years.
  • You have a visa, then the country responsible for the examination of your application is the “Dublin III” country that issued the visa, even if it expired in the last six (6) months.
  • You have multiple residence permits or visas. If you have more than one residence permit or visa, which “Dublin III” country is responsible for the examination of your application depends on the duration and the expiry date of the residence permits or visas.
  • Before entering Slovenia, you irregularly entered another “Dublin III” country, then that country is responsible for the examination of your application. This responsibility expires twelve (12) months after the irregular entry.
  • You are staying irregularly in another “Dublin III” country for five (5) consecutive months before submitting your application in Slovenia, then that “Dublin III” country is responsible for the examination of your application.
  • You legally entered a “Dublin III” country, which does not require a visa, then that country is responsible for the examination of your application.
  • You submitted your application in an international transit area of an airport of a “Dublin III” country, then that country is responsible for the examination of your application.
  • You have already submitted an application in another “Dublin III” country, then that country is responsible for the examination of your application.

If, based on the aforementioned criteria, another “Dublin III” country is responsible for the examination of your application and agrees to examine it, your application in Slovenia will be rejected as inadmissible and you will be transferred to that country, normally within six (6) months from the date it agreed to examine your application.

If none of the aforementioned criteria apply in your case, then the country which is responsible for the examination of your application is Slovenia.


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