Rights and Duties of refugees and asylum seekers

The moment you declare your intention to apply for asylum before an official authority in Slovenia, you are entitled to certain rights and obliged to comply with certain obligations.

As an asylum seeker, you have a right to:

• follow the asylum procedure in a language you understand;
• obtain information about your status;
• a free legal assistance in procedures before the Administrative and the Supreme Court;
• reside in the Republic of Slovenia and move freely within the municipality in which you are accommodated;
• an accommodation in the Asylum Centre or its branch and an accommodation package (hygiene supplies and bedding);
• a education (please note that the education for all children under the age of 15 is mandatory);
• access the labor market three months after submitting the application, if in the meantime you did not receive the decision on your application and you meet all relevant requirements;
• an emergency medical treatment;
• humanitarian aid;
• an allowance (currently 18 EUR/month).

After submitting the application, you will receive an international protection applicant card, which serves as a proof that you are an asylum seeker in Slovenia. With this card, you can reside and move freely only in the area of the municipality where you are residing or outside your municipality if you have a permission or you are unaccompanied child. If you leave the municipality without a permission, you can be apprehended by the police, ordered to return and your monthly allowance can be withdrawn. This card  is valid until the authorities decide on your application.

In the Asylum Home or its branch you will be provided with shelter, food, clothing, and any other necessities free of charge.

As an applicant for asylum, you are obliged to:

• respect Slovenian national laws and the legal order;
• respect the integrity of the officials;
• be responsive to the competent authority, respond to its invitations and comply with its decisions;
• immediately notify the office of the residence address change;
• immediately submit all documents relevant to the processing of your asylum application to the officials;
• participate in the identification;
• allow the official to conduct a security inspection of you and the items you carry with you when entering or leaving the Asylum Home premises and to conduct a security inspection of your room. Personal security inspections should be conducted by a person of the same gender, and should take into consideration your personal dignity, physical and psychological integrity;
• undergo a medical examination at the request of the authorities for reasons of public health;
• allow a public official to photograph you, take your fingerprints and, after giving notice, allow recording of the oral statements during the procedure;
• justify your asylum application in the shortest possible timeframe and truthfully present all of the circumstances and facts necessary to process the asylum application;
• convincingly and credibly explain the reasons with which you substantiate your asylum request, especially if you are not able to present any other evidence;
• follow the house rules and the fire safety regulations in the Asylum Home unit where you are accommodated;
• provide all relevant information and documentation that affects your rights and obligations on the area of reception and accommodation;
• handover offense orders or decisions issues by the authorities or inspection bodies.

After receiving a positive decision on your asylum application, you will be granted refugee or subsidiary protection status, which entitles you to certain rights and obliges you to comply with certain obligations. As a person granted international protection, you have the right to:

• receive information about your status, rights and obligations in Slovenia;
• a permanent (refugee status) or a temporary (subsidiary protection) residence in Slovenia;
• health care; (Slovenian and English language)
• social security; (Slovenian and English language)
• education; (Slovenian and English language)
• employment; (Slovenian and English language)
• assistance with integration. (Slovenian and English language)

The Integration Division of the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants (UOIM) provides assistance with integration.

An integration counsellor assigned to you will invite you to an interview and provide you with all the necessary information. Then you will prepare a personal integration plan together, where the integration activities will be defined. If you sign the personal integration plan within one month after the status recognition, you will be entitled to:

• an accommodation in the integration house or other accommodation facilities;
• financial assistance if you are accommodated at a private address;
• a Slovenian society orientation course;
• a Slovenian language course;
• coverage of the costs for the basic level Slovenian language exam;
• coverage of other costs related to education;
• coverage of the translation costs of diplomas and recognition of formal qualifications;
• coverage of the costs related to the recognition of diplomas and qualifications, when formal education cannot be proved by the documentation.

Additional information about the integration support is available on the following website Integracija oseb s priznano mednarodno zaščito | GOV.SI (Slovenian language).

If you received a positive decision and have a recognized refugee or subsidiary protection status in Slovenia and are entitled to the integration support, you can contact the Integration Division at the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants (UOIM) for additional information about your rights:

Address: Cesta v Gorice 15, 1000 Ljubljana
Tel: +386 1 200 84 01

Office hours:
Monday:     9.00–12.00
Wednesday: 9.00 –12.00 in 14.00 – 16.00
Friday: 9.00–12.00
Website: www.gov.si/en/state-authorities/government-offices/government-office-for-the-support-and-integration-of-migrants (Slovenian and English language)
Email: [email protected]

As a person granted international protection, you are obliged to:

• respect Slovenia’s national laws and regulations, as well as measures taken by the authorities;
• inform the authorities responsible for assisting with integration about the changes affecting your rights and obligations within eight (8) days from the day that they occur, or you learn about them. These changes in particular regard the following:
  • financial social assistance received, income gain or loss and other benefits and assets for yourself, and other family members;
  • completed procedures on assessment or recognition of education;
  • taking tests in the procedures related to the recognition of formal education;
  • taking a test on the knowledge of Slovenian language;
  • current education at all levels of education;
  • employment or termination of employment;
  • change of the residence address;
  • change of the contact data;
  • change of the personal name;
  • change of the marital status;
  • absence from Slovenia for more than 90 days;
  • acquiring a citizenship of a country other than Slovenia.