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SLOVENIA - A PROUD HISTORY, A PROMISING FUTURE

Getting along in Slovenia
A Chardonnay Lifestyle on a Beer Budget
Residency Requirements

A Mediterranean climate along the coast, lush vineyards and fields of sunflowers inland, virgin forests, snow capped mountains and sky resorts -- no, we're not talking about California. You'll find all this plus Gothic cathedrals, baroque palaces and more in Slovenia, a tiny country no bigger than New Jersey. From Slovenia you could go to Venice, Italy, for a Sunday outing and be back in time for dinner.

Oddly enough, many people haven't even heard of it, and others confuse it with Slovakia. Slovenia broke away from Yugoslavia in 1990 while Slovakia broke with the Czech Republic in 1992. Of the two, Slovenia is the more prosperous.

Slovenia has a many advantages for expats seeking a beautiful country with European ambiance and convenience. Slovenians like sports, and skiing is the most popular and it's affordable. Along with Italy and Austria, it will host the winter Olympics in 2006. Slovenia is also a nation of equestrians. The entire country is dotted with spas offering various types of cures at reasonable prices. Moderate priced tourist accommodations enable visitors to get by on $100 a day or even less.

The first republic to break away from Yugoslavia, Slovenia escaped the turmoil that and violence that occurred in the region over the past decade. It secured its independence in a mere 10 days of fighting. The richest republic in the former Yugoslavia, it has been dubbed "the golden goose that got away." Today it has the highest GDP per capita of the countries in transition in this region. The rate of inflation is about 6%.

The infrastructure and the economy are sound. Privatization and capital market reform are underway in such areas as banking, telecommunications and public utilities. The government is easing restrictions on foreign investments, and expats are being welcomed to invest, work, study or retire.

Increasingly, foreigners are buying real estate. A small population of working expats has organizations to welcome newcomers.

The language is a difficult one for most foreigners. However, the population is well educated, with literacy rate of 99.6%, and most speak a second language. According to the 1991 census; 37% speak English, and probably more speak it now. Slovenia publishes 15 books per 10,000 inhabitants per year as opposed to the European average of 10 per 10,000. Foreign films are shown in their original language.

Getting Along
Knowing Italian or German can be an asset here. As Steve Fallon points out in Lonely Planet, Slovenia, the Slovenian language, more than any other single factor, kept the culture alive during centuries of domination by other countries. Any attempt to speak it is greatly appreciated.

Lunch, the main meal of the day, is served at about 3.00 PM. This is a wine producing country, so Slovenians often drink wine with lunch, even at a business lunch. They often prefer to entertain friends as well as business associates in restaurants. If you are fortunate enough to be invited someone's home, a bottle of wine and/or flowers would be an appropriate gift for the hostess; you could also bring sweets for the children. Be sure to phone afterward with your thanks.

Make business appointments about a week ahead of time. If inviting someone to a celebration such as a birthday party, get the invitation out a month in advance. It's best to be on time for appointments of all types, never early, although being up to 15 minutes late is acceptable in many situations. (This advice was supplied by Tugomer Kladnik in Slovenia).

"A Chardonnay Lifestyle on a Beer Budget"
Living costs are well above third-world levels, though generally less than in Western Europe. "It's a chardonnay lifestyle on a beer budget," writer Carolyn Vicars wrote in Ljubljana Life, a magazine available in airports and hotels. Network member Diane Taylor, an American who lives nearby in Italy, estimates that $2,000 per month would be required to live really well in the city. She notes that housing is very scarce.

Residency Requirements
Tourists may visit for 90 days without a special visa. Students, people with job assignments and people wanting to start businesses must declare their intention and obtain the proper visa. Temporary residency permits are granted for up to one year.

To retire in Slovenia with permanent residency, you must have proof of health insurance, statements indicating sufficient steady income and a permanent address, which can be a rental but cannot be a hotel.

For more information on Slovenia, along with articles and a report on real estate by Diane Taylor, see Network for Living Abroad Newsletter, November-December 2000. To order, see Back Issues.

Lonely Planet, Slovenia by Steve Fallon, 1998, 344 pages, $15.95.