Foreign students
FOREIGN STUDENTS
Application process
Welcome to our webpage, dear foreign students!
Let’s clear the most important issue right at the beginning – yes, you can study in Slovenia, whether you are interested in undergraduate or postgraduate studies.
Here are some benefits of studying in Slovenia.
Slovenia offers a wide range of quality studies – here you can find a list of academies and faculties offered by our largest and oldest university, University of Ljubljana. In the Eastern part of Slovenia there is University of Maribor, here is a list of its members. By the sea side we have another university with six faculties University of Primorska.
Once you have selected the university, or even better, the faculty where you would like to study, it is time to get down to some serious business and discuss the application process. Some brief information is listed here and here. But we would recommend you to read the application procedure described at the University of Ljubljana’s webpage. Whether you are a citizen of European Union Member State or from a non-member state, you will find the application procedure defined in detail here.
During your application, you will be required to go to the process of recognition of your foreign diploma. If you are applying to the University of Ljubljana, you will get all the relevant information here, but you can get all the important information also at the webpage of the University of Maribor or University of Primorska. They both offer information for foreign students in English language. University of Primorska, for example, offers a guide for foreign students with all important information.
When it comes to dates of application, candidates have three application periods, during which they can apply. You can find the three cycles here with some helpful instructions as well.
There are two major groups of foreign students applying at Slovenian universities: citizens of the member states of the EU form one group, while in the other there are Slovenians without a Slovenian citizenship and foreign citizens form countries that are not member states of the EU. Those two groups differ when it comes to the application procedure, so we advise you that you follow the instructions for one of the two groups specifically.
You can find more useful information at Slovenia.si and studyinslovenia.si.
Accommodation and Health insurance
After you read all the important information, fulfilled all the requirements and got accepted to the faculty of your choice, it is time to arrange a residence permit (or a visa), a place to stay and health insurance.
The procedure to gain the temporary residence permit (needed since you are probably staying in Slovenia for more than three months) is described here. When it comes to finding a place to stay, things are a bit more complicated. Student dormitories are not available for foreign students in Ljubljana (except for exchange students and Slovenians without Slovenian citizenship), due to shortage of vacant residential capacities. You can read more about it here. Also in Maribor student dormitories are mainly reserved for students with Slovenian citizenship. This is the case in Koper (University of Primorska) as well, but if you read the already mentioned guide you will learn more.
If you are not entitled to a student dormitory – don’t panic! There are plenty of rooms available and they aren’t too expensive either. Unfortunately the webpages offering student accommodation are mostly in Slovenian language. But with a little help of an online translation engine (we all know which one we are talking about, but advertisement is not allowed) you can figure it out. Plus, you can always write to us (info@svetovalnica.com) and we will be more than happy to help you. Let us give you some online sites where you can find a room for you:
http://www.mkvadrat.si/ (This is our webpage, mostly for rooms in Ljubljana. You can locate apartments near to your selected faculty, see the prices and photos of the room(s). Once you click on the ad, you should pay attention to the “Primerno za tujce” line. If there is a tick R next to it, it means that the landlords are willing to rent it to foreigners as well.)
http://www.bolha.com/nepremicnine/stanovanja/ (Probably the largest Slovenian site with free classified ads.)
http://www.housinganywhere.com (Housing Anywhere is a platform being used all throughout Europe, so the students going abroad can also search for their own accommodation in another country, while they are subletting their room in the country they are studying.
Web pages designed solely for students:
http://erasmusu.com/en/erasmus-ljubljana/student-housing
http://www.rent-a-realestate.com/apartments-for-rent-slovenia
http://www.dostop.si/kamrica.aspx
https://www.mojcimer.si For University of Primorska)
When it comes to health insurance, you can be either covered by the European health insurance card (if you are a citizen of EU member state) or you should arrange health insurance in your home country prior to arrival in Slovenia.