Employment of nationals of BiH

The agreement applies to workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina who are about to arrive to Slovenia to work.

Nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina may be employed in Slovenia if:

• you are registered with the competent public employment services in Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARZ-BiH) as unemployed and you are over 18 years of age,
• there are no suitable domestic candidates on the labour market in Slovenia for the vacancy offered,
• the employer meets the legal conditions for employing a foreign national.
   

The agreement does not apply to you:

• if you are a worker with legal residency status in Slovenia;
• for seasonal employment,
• if you are an agent or sole trader in your own company,
• if you are an employee or a volunteer for the purpose of training and upskilling in the field of medicine,
• if you have a valid permanent residence permit or a residence permit based on family reunification or under the law on international protection,
• if you have a recognised researcher status,
• if you have completed higher education in Slovenia and fulfil the conditions for obtaining a personal work permit,
• if you are in Slovenia for highly qualified employment – you are applying for a Blue Card.
   

1. If you do not fall under the exceptions listed above, you can apply for a job in Slovenia as an unemployed person registered with the employment service in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There, job vacancies will be advertised for Slovenian employers who intend to recruit workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and for which the Slovenian employment service does not have suitable candidates in its register.

2. If you meet the requirements listed in a job advertisement on the basis of your experience, education and the employer's interest, you will be included in the list of proposed candidates. Depending on the employer's preference, you will either be invited for an interview or selected solely on the basis of your CV. It is therefore important that you do your best when writing it.

You can also search for an employer yourself. 

View advertised job vacancies ...

3. If the employer selects you on the basis of a job interview, you will be able to sign the employment contract immediately, otherwise the employer will send it to the employment service of Bosnia and Herzegovina for you to sign it.

4. The validity of the employment contract should be at least one year.

5. The agency for labour and employment of Bosnia and Herzegovina will send the signed contract, including the necessary documentation to the employer and the Slovenian Employment Service. The employer submits an application for a permit to the Employment Service using the form TUJ-BIH-1, Appendix 2.
 

The permit is issued with a validity of three years. During the first year of employment you must be employed by the employer who obtained the work permit for you, or by their legal successor. During the remaining period of validity you can work for other employers, as you have free access to the Slovenian labour market.

After three years you will be able to renew your permit for a further period of three years under the conditions set out in the Agreement.

The employer receives the permit as well as the migrant workers upon their arrival to Slovenia.

If you lose your job after the first year through no fault of your own, you have the right to register with the Employment Service of Slovenia and claim unemployment benefits and other rights you are entitled to under Slovenian law. 

More about unemployment benefit ...  
 

Once you have obtained a work permit, you can obtain a single residence and work permit from the diplomatic and consular representation in your home country. This can also be arranged with your authorisation by your employer.

Please attach a photocopy of your work permit, which is considered as the consent of the Employment Service of Slovenia for the purposes of this procedure. Your employer must register you for compulsory social insurance schemes within 15 days of the receipt of your single residence and work permit, or your work permit will be cancelled by the Slovenian Employment Service. 

More about single permit ... 
 

As a migrant worker, you can apply for an extension of your permit before the expiry of your permit under the Agreement.

Apply for a renewal of your permit at the Employment Service of Slovenia using the form TUJ-BiH-2. Attach the employment contract you signed with your employer and the work permit fee payment receipt.

The permit can be renewed for a further period of three years if you meet one of the following conditions: 

• you have an employment contract for at least one more year and have been granted the right to family reunification under the law in the country of employment; 
   
• you have been employed for at least one year before the permit expires and have an employment contract for at least one more year; 
   
• you have been in professional employment for at least one year during the period of validity of the permit and have a professional employment contract for at least one more year; 
   
• you have acquired additional skills or professional qualifications during the period of validity of the permit and as a consequence have been in professional employment for at least six months, and have a professional employment contract for at least one more year. 

If you apply for an extension of your permit on the basis of professional employment, the Employment Service of Slovenia must obtain the written consent of the competent institution of the country of origin (ARZ-BIH) prior to the renewal. 
 

If you do not manage or want to renew your work permit when it expires, you must return to Bosnia and Herzegovina and report your return to the employment service in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

You can return to Slovenia after a break in your legal residence of at least six months.