Študentska svetovalnica ~ Poglej temo

Free slovene language and history courses for foreigners

The Ministry of the Interior has recently organized a series of initiatives with the goal of greater integration of foreigners in the slovene society. All foreigners with a permanent residence permit and their family members are welcomed to attend a 180-hour course of slovene language with an introduction to slovene culture, history and government regulations. Alternatively, foreigners with only a temporary residence permit but who have been living in Slovenia for at least two years and who were extended their permit for another year can attend a 60-hour slovene language course and a 30-hour introductory course in slovene culture, history and government regulations. The latter are also granted a one-time right to a free slovene language exam, the passing of which will among other things be acknowledged, when considering their citizenship applications.

Free courses have already started in eight slovene cities: Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje, Kranj, Koper, Velenje, Nova Gorica and Novo mesto.

To participate in the courses a foreigner must file the following requests at the local administrative office, where he has obtained his residence permit:
- a request for a certificate which acknowledges the fulfillment of conditions for participation in the slovene language course
- a request for a certificate which states, that the person is taking the free slovene language exam for the first time,
- a request for a certificate which acknowledges the fulfillment of conditions for participation in the introductory course in slovene culture, history and government regulations

If a foreigner is meeting all the required conditions his local administrative office will provide him with a certificate which states his fulfillment of the conditions for the participation in the educational courses. He/she must then deliver this certificate to the course organizer. A list of all course organizers can be found at the local administrative offices.

The Ministry has also published broshures containing much useful information about entry and residence, education, employment, health insurance, social security, free legal assistance in Slovenia, general information about Slovenia and contacts of the administrative offices, the local offices of the Employment service of Slovenia and the local Social security offices. The broshure is also translated into nine languages.

The broshures will be available at the Student counselling office at Kersnikova 4, Ljubljana.

The broshure in Slovene language can be found here