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Outside the EU - Slovenia

Updated 04/2010

Legal requirements

Slovenia has adopted the Common Commercial Policy with all its instruments and trade agreements with third-party countries – countries not members of the EU.

  • Preferential trade agreements between the EU and third-party countries slovenščina

The Trade Act, which is applied to regulate the area of trading activities, lays down the provisions for the manner of and conditions for conducting trade in the national market and abroad, as well as the proper surveillance of the implementation of these provisions.

  • Trade Act slovenščina

Slovenia has, as an EU member, taken over all its customs regulations and implemented them by a specific Act.

  • Application of the Community Customs Regulations Act slovenščina
  • Customs Service Act slovenščina

Exports of Goods

Customs services, in connection with exports, must examine and record the actual exports of declared goods. The certain types of sensitive goods are subject to the limitations, in particular dual-use goods which may be used for both civil and military purposes.

  • Control of Exports of Dual-use Items and Technology Act slovenščina
  • Decree on the Performing the Control of Exports of Dual-use Items and Technology slovenščina

Imports of Goods

Slovenia has, as an EU member, taken over the Common Commercial Policy which is aimed at promoting trade as freely as possible, without measures which might limit or change the flow of trade.

The companies which import sub-products and component parts, originating from extra-EU markets, may exceptionally apply for absolute or partial relief from duty. To cover all the needs of manufacturing or processing companies, quotas may be allocated to such companies (limited quantities regarding the quantities available), and the rate of customs duty for those quotas will be reduced or free quotas will be allocated.

In accordance with the Regulation on exemption from import duites the import of goods from third-party countries is in certain exceptional cases entitled to full exemption from import duties. The most interesting cases of import, in the area of trading activities, refer to the import of capital goods and equipment when a taxable person has decided to transfer his/her business from a third-party country to Slovenia, and the import of fishing products from the territorial sea of a third-party country.

  • Regulation on claiming entitlement to exemption from import duties slovenščina

 The Customs Administration of the Republic of Slovenia periodically publishes a list of anti-dumping and countervailing measures.

  • List of anti-dumping measures slovenščina

Exports and Imports of Services

Exports and imports of services are usually free. For the export of services from Slovenia, where a provider of services is a taxable person with a Slovenian ID for VAT and the recipient is a taxable person with a Member State's ID for VAT, the place of taxation is that Member State (VAT reverse charge); however, if a service-provider is a taxable person with a Slovenian ID for VAT, and the recipient of services is a foreign entity which is not a taxable person subject to VAT or does not appoint his tax representative, in accordance with the VAT Act the place of taxation is the location where the service-provider has his registered office (in this example, Slovenia).

  • The Value Added Tax Act slovenščina
  • Regulation on the Application of the VAT Act pdf slovenščina

National aid for exports

Exporters in Slovenia are not granted any direct aids for exports.  The Ministry of the Economy first of all wants to provide better development opportunities and the accelerated growth of existing export enterprises, as well as to promote new innovative export-oriented enterprises.

 Slovenian Enterprise Fund, which works within the Ministry, offers favourable financing to small and medium enterprises in the form of loans, guarantees, subsidies and capital investments.

  • Slovenian Enterprise Fund slovenščina

Statistics

The data on trade in goods between Slovenia and countries abroad are collected from two separated systems:

 Intrastat iis the system for the statistical measurement of trade in goods between EU Member States, which is designed to conduct monthly surveys, and

 Extrastat is the system which compiles statistics on the exchange of goods with non-EU countries (which uses customs declarations as the main source of data).

  • Intrastat slovenščina
  • stat.si ppt16 [108 KB] slovenščina

Statistical data are regulated by the National Statistics Act .

  • National Statistics Act slovenščina
 

Administrative procedures

Exports of Goods

If the export of certain goods, software or technologies from Slovenia is subject to control, these goods cannot be legally exported without an appropriate export authorisation. An application for an export licence should be submitted to the Ministry of the Economy. All the necessary information relating to the licensing procedure and exporter obligations are collected in the Instruction Manual at the Ministry of the Economy.

  • Application for an export licence slovenščina
  • Instructions Manual msw8 slovenščina

Firstly, an application for issuing an export licence for dual-use goods and the statement on end-use should be submitted to the Ministry of the Economy.         

  • Application for obtaining an export licence for the export of goods with dual use slovenščina
  • Statements A, B, C, D slovenščina Online government service

An administrative tax in the amount of EUR 17.73 should be paid to the Ministry of the Economy; proof of payment should be enclosed with the application (the purpose of the payment is: "The issue of a licence for dual-use goods"). For the transfer of dual-use goods within the Community you should submit an Application for the issue of a licence .

  • Enclosure 1: Application for the issue of a licence for the export/transfer of dual-use goods within the Community slovenščina Online government service

The Application for relief from customs duty or granting a quota should be submitted in the Ministry of Economy.

  • Application for tariff total suspension or tariff quota pdf slovenščina

The official form for the written customs declaration of goods within the standard procedure for entering the customs procedure or re-export is a customs document (EUL).

  • Regulations on filling in a customs document slovenščina

Imports of Goods

The system of quantitative limits is still used only for the imports of steel and, to a lesser extent, for textiles.    The competent body for issuing documents which the importer needs for textiles and steel is the Customs Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.         

  • Import licences slovenščina
  • Customs Administration of the Republic of Slovenia slovenščina

The competent body for issuing the documents necessary for the import of textiles and steel products is the Customs Administration of the Republic of Slovenia. All applications for these documents should be sent to the TARIC Centre and quotas in the Customs office in Jesenice (TARIC – Integrated Tariff of the European Communities).

  • Import licences slovenščina

Resources

The Izvozno okno (Export Window) Web Portal offers information on world markets. The information is available free of charge on the website www.izvoznookno.si/ or by phone on the numbers published on the Portal.

  • Export Window – Free Information on export markets slovenščina

The Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments (JAPTI) provides information on world markets. The information on the Agency website, or on the " Izvozno okno " (Export Window) Web Portal, or on one of phone numbers published on the Agency's websites, is available free of charge.

  • JAPTI slovenščina
  • Export Window slovenščina

Information on the legal framework and special procedures is available on the Ministry of the Economy Website.

  • Ministry of the Economy slovenščina

In addition to the issue of a craft permit and keeping a Business Register, The Chamber of Crafts and Small Businesses offers information about various possibilities for international cooperation and new possibilities for obtaining financial help.

  • Chamber of Crafts slovenščina

Programmes

 Slovenian Enterprise Fund offers favourable financing to small and medium enterprises in the form of loans, guarantees, subsidies and capital investments.

  • Slovenian Enterprise Fund slovenščina

A club known as the Business angels of Slovenia links up the best Slovenian businessmen who are prepared to invest in ambitious entrepreneurs at the beginning of their company's growth.

  • Business Angels of Slovenia slovenščina

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

  • References

    Legal texts

    • Application of the Community Customs Regulations Act, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 25/2004, 19/03/2004, National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia slovenščina
    • The Customs Services Act (Official Consolidated Text), Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 103/2004, 23/09/2004, National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia slovenščina
    • Control of Exports of Dual-use Items and Technology Act (ZNIBDR), Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 37/2004 of 15 April 2004 slovenščina
    • Value Added Tax Act, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 117/2006, 16/11/2006, National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia slovenščina
    • Decree on Controlling Exports of Dual-use Items and Technology, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 53/2005, 31/05/2005, Government of the Republic of Slovenia slovenščina
    • State Aid Control Act, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 1/2000 of 7 January 2000 slovenščina
    • Monitoring of State Aid Act, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 37/2004 of 15 April 2004 slovenščina
    • National Statistics Act, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 45/1995 of 4 August 1995 slovenščina
    • Regulation on claiming entitlement to exemption from import duties, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 33/2004, 6/04/2004, Ministry of Finance slovenščina

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Further help

The Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments promotes the business environment by offering comprehensive support services at local level through a network of operators of local OSS entering points.

  • Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments slovenščina

Consultancy and information on business opportunities are available from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.

  • Chamber of Commerce and Industry slovenščina

The Slovenian Employers' Association is a commercial interest group which represents and protects employers' interests, offers consultative services, in particular relating to employment relationships.

  • Association of Employers of Slovenia - Commercial Interest Group (GIZ) slovenščina

The RSG Kapital offers services in the field of venture capital for enterprises in their early phase of development, and advises on searching for the optimum sources of financing.

  • RSG Kapital slovenščina