SUMMARY

Travel Insurance

The Department of Foreign Affairs strongly recommends that you obtain comprehensive travel insurance which will cover all overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before travelling to Slovenia. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.

Irish Citizens should note that the Irish Government does not provide funds for medical treatment or for repatriation of remains.

You should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) free of charge which entitles you to emergency medical treatment. This card is NOT a substitute for travel insurance. See  www.ehic.ie   for further details. The EHIC replaces the E111 form, which is no longer valid.

SAFETY & SECURITY

Slovenia is relatively safe country. However, sensible precautions should be observed when carrying passports and money in busy tourist areas.

All incidents of crime should be reported to the local police station and a report obtained.

The telephone number for the Police is 113, while the general emergency number is 112.

LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS

Entry requirements

Irish citizens do not require a visa to enter Slovenia. Please ensure that your passport is valid for the length of your stay. Citizens intending to stay in Slovenia for a longer period of time are encouraged to register with the Irish Embassy in Slovenia.

Registration

All foreign citizens are required to register with the local police within a 72 hour period of arriving in Slovenia.  This is usually done automatically at your accommodation, as hotels, guesthouses and campsites, are obliged to register their guests. A standard fee of circa €1 may be charged on your accommodation bill for this service.

However, if you are staying in private accommodation, such as with friends or family, you are obliged to register at the local police station, together with your host, within 3 days of arriving in Slovenia. Failure to do so may result in a fine of up to €400 being levied at the airport on departure from Slovenia, or in your host having to pay a fine following your departure. Police have been known to carry out checks on tourists in Slovenia and a failure to produce appropriate proof of registration may also result in an on-the-spot fine being levied. Full details of the relevant legislation are available on pages 8 & 9 of the document found here.

All visitors to Slovenia are legally obliged to carry personal proof of identity with them at all times (passport, national ID document or driving licence). Anyone failing to produce such a document when requested may be fined up to €500 on the spot. The Embassy therefore recommends that all visitors to Slovenia carry at least a photocopy of their passport or other identity document on their person at all times, and original documentation where possible.

Irish citizens who intend to remain in Slovenia for some time are advised to register their details with the Embassy of Ireland in Ljubljana.

Rules in road transport

Vehicles are driven on the right hand side of the road. The use of seat belts in cars, front and back, is compulsory.

If hiring a car elsewhere i.e. Austria or Italy, you must declare to the car hire company that you are planning to travel to Slovenia in order to obtain adequate insurance cover.

Children under twelve are not permitted on a motorcycle. The rider and passenger on a motorcycle or motorised bicycle must both wear strapped homologised crash helmets.

Heavy on-the-spot fines are in place for traffic offences and jay walking. The Slovene police can stop drivers and levy on the spot fines, including for speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and for using mobile telephones without the use of a "hands free" device.

Roads are generally not lit outside urban areas so please take extra care when driving at night. It is obligatory to drive with dipped headlights at all times, even during the day.

Under Slovene law, it is illegal for professional drivers (class C, D and E) to drive with any alcohol in the system. The blood/alcohol limit is 0.05 for all drivers of private vehicles and motorcycles. In Ireland, the limit is 0.08. Anyone suspected of driving or attempting to operate a vehicle when under the influence of alcohol or drugs must submit to a breath test or a medical examination. Drivers who refuse to submit to a breath analyser test are presumed to have been driving while intoxicated.

From 15 November to 15 March and during winter weather conditions outside of these dates, vehicles up to 3.5t are obliged to have winter tyres by law. Under certain conditions, snow chains will suffice instead of winter tyres. Further information can be found on the website of the Automobile Association of Slovenia, AMZS.

Slovenia has a ‘Vignette’ system for motorway travel. From 1 July 2008, every vehicle with a maximum permissible weight of 3,500 kg must have a vignette to drive on motorways and expressways in Slovenia. Vignettes are available for weekly, monthly or yearly periods. The police monitor motorway use, and stop motorists who do not have a Vignette. Failure to have or display a Vignette will lead to an on-the-spot fine of up to €800.  Detailed information about prices and locations of where to buy the vignettes is available on the webpage of the Motorway Company of the Republic of Slovenia – DARS.

NATURAL DISASTERS AND CLIMATE

Western Slovenia is positioned on an earthquake fault line and is subject to occasional tremors.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Cash/Banking

Slovenia uses the Euro. ATMs are widely available and major credit cards/travellers cheques are accepted. Those with Maestro or Cirrus symbols on their ATM cards will be in a position to withdraw funds from their Irish accounts. Banks and bureaux de change will change travellers’ cheques, sterling and other main currencies.

Diplomatic and Consular Missions in Slovenia

The Embassy of Ireland is located in Ljubljana. Full contact details are available here. Irish citizens who intend to remain in Slovenia for some time are advised to register their details with the Embassy. The travel registration facility is available here.