International convention and customs procedures of Slovenia

International Conventions

Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Party to the Kyoto Protocol
Party to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Party to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
Party to the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
Party to the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls For Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies
Party to the International Coffee Agreement

International Economic Cooperation

Slovenia is a member of the EU since 1st May, 2004 and as such is a member of the EU Customs Union.

Non Tariff Barriers

In accordance with its European Union membership, Slovenia applies the European Union trade policy, such as antidumping and anti-subsidy measures. The EU import regime is also applied to Slovenia.

While the EU has a rather liberal foreign trade policy, some products need import licenses. Restrictions especially apply to farm products, following the implementation of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy): the application of compensations on the import and export of farm products, aimed at favouring the development of agriculture within the EU, which implies a certain number of control and regulation systems for goods entering EU territory. To check if a product is subject to import restrictions, consult the TARIC database.

When being introduced into Slovenia, some products must be "CE" marked in respect to European directives adopted on the basis of the New Approach and the Global Approach.

Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports

Slovenia is a member of the EU and fully accepts its foreign trade policy. Operations carried out within the EEA are free of duty. The Common Customs Tariff of the European Union applies to goods originating outside Europe. Generally the duty is relatively low, especially for industrial products (4.2% on average). Tariffs for EU origin products can be found on the TARIC Consultation Website.

Customs Classification

When the country of origin of the goods exported to Slovenia is not part of the European Union, customs duties are calculated Ad valorem on the CIF value of the goods, in accordance with the Common Customs Tariff (CCT).

In order to access exhaustive regulations and customs tariff rates regarding their products, exporters shall refer to the TARIC code and its database, which includes all applicable customs duties and all customs trade policy measures for all the goods. To note: several EU member states maintain their own list of goods subject to import licensing.

Import Procedures

Since its accession to the EU on 1st May 2004, Slovenia has adopted the EU Common External Tariff. Consequently, trade with Slovenia is free of customs duties when the country of origin of the goods is one of the other EU Member States.

Nevertheless, when introducing goods into Slovenia, exporters must fill in written customs declarations on a SAD (Single Administrative Document) or an Intrastat declaration. In order to import agricultural or food products, it is mandatory to pay import levies, except when a product is exempt from customs duties.

As part of the "SAFE" standards set forth by the World Customs Organisation (WCO), the European Union has set up a new system of import controls, the "Import Control System" (ICS), which aims to secure the flow of goods at the time of their entry into the customs territory of the EU. This control system, part of the Community Programme eCustoms, has been in effect since 1st January 2011. Since then, operators are required to pass an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) to the customs of the country of entry, prior to the introduction of goods into the customs territory of the European Union.

For more information, please visit the Slovenian Customs website.

Importing Samples

For samples an import document is not necessary in case the sample is of minimum value, not appropriate for sale or intended for trade show - they have to be classified as such and their volume should be appropriate. They can be released for circulation afterwards but only after the full duly import procedure.