Commercial real estate in Slovenia. Legislative framework for business

How to open a business in Slovenia

Slovenia, like other countries Eastern Europe, attracts investors from Russia who want to open their business in the European Union. Such countries are a good “springboard” for entrepreneurs, since obtaining Slovenian citizenship facilitates further advancement into the Western market.

There are other advantages of choosing Slovenia as a location to start your business. This country has a fairly high standard of living, which in some respects exceeds the well-being of residents of Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

According to Slovenian legislation, its residents can have dual citizenship. The country has a convenient geographical location: it borders Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia.

The economy of Slovenia is at a fairly high level. The manufacturing industry, mechanical engineering and tourism deserve special attention. The advantages also include the relatively low level of bureaucracy in the country and a fairly simple registration procedure own company, flexibility of legislation.

Of course, when opening a business in Slovenia, you need to remember about possible pitfalls. For example, real estate prices in this country are quite high (compared to the Czech Republic or Slovakia), as are tax fees when moving.

In order to open a company in Slovenia, you first need to choose the organizational and legal form of the future company that suits you.

The most common form in Slovenia, as in many other countries, is closed company with limited liability (Druzba z ormejeno odgovornostjo, abbreviated d.o.o.). It is established by one individual or legal entity.

The minimum authorized capital of the company is 8,000 euros (which is slightly more than the average among Eastern European countries). 30% of this amount must be paid at the time of registration, and the rest can be contributed by property or other assets of the company.

Maximum quantity The company's shareholders, which can be residents and non-residents of Slovenia, are 50 people.

A private limited liability company can only issue registered shares and does not have the right to list them on the stock exchange. The company can be managed by one or more directors (but provided that at least one of them is a resident of the country).

Founders public limited company(Delniska druzba, abbreviated d.d.) may be at least five individuals or legal entities. Minimum size authorized capital of such an enterprise is about 17,000 euros.

As in the case of a closed company, 30% of the amount of the authorized capital must be in the account of the company at the time of its registration, and the rest can be contributed in the form of property or other assets.

The maximum number of shareholders of the company, which can be residents and non-residents of Slovenia, is not limited. Such a company is managed by a Board of Directors. Moreover, at least one of its participants must be a resident of the country.

An open joint stock company can issue registered shares and bearer shares, which it has the right to list on the stock exchange.

Unlimited liability company(Druzba z neomejeno odgovornostjo, abbreviated as d.n.o.) must have at least two founders (individuals or legal entities) who are general partners and manage the company. All partners have unlimited liability for the debts and obligations of the partnership.

Limited Liability Partnership(Komanditna delniska druzba, abbreviated k.d.d.) is also established by two individuals or legal entities. Unlike an unlimited liability company, in this case only the general partners (at least one) are fully liable for the debts and obligations of the partnership. The other partners are limited in liability to the extent of their share.

There are no requirements for authorized capital for these two organizational and legal forms.

Foreign enterprises can open their own in Slovenia branch, but only on condition that at the time of registration their company has had the appropriate legal status in its country for at least two recent years. The branch acts on behalf of the parent company, using its address and legal name. Branches are not independent legal entities and have a number of restrictions compared to other forms of registration. To obtain branch status, all documents of a foreign company must be translated into Slovenian language and notarized.

Slovenia strives to create attractive working conditions for foreign investors. This is facilitated by the country’s legislation, which, according to the government, is aimed at simplifying the bureaucratic mechanisms associated with creating and running businesses by foreigners. All areas of the country's economy are open to foreign investment. However, some areas of activity have certain restrictions.

Thus, foreign investors do not have the right to own more than 49% of shares in auditing companies in Slovenia, more than 33% of shares in television and radio broadcasting companies, as well as in Slovenian publishing houses, more than 20% of shares in investment fund management companies, more than 10% of shares in management companies fund companies that are involved in privatization projects. Insurance companies where foreigners own most shares do not have the right to provide reinsurance services in Slovenia.

All Slovenian companies pay tax at a flat rate of 25%. Tax on dividends and lottery income is levied at a rate of 15%. There is no tax on interest and royalties in Slovenia. Russia is one of the countries with which Slovenia has signed double taxation agreements.

Sysoeva Lilia
- portal of business plans and manuals

Young businessmen with creative thinking are ready to expand the location of commercial activities, moving assets, production, and sales of services beyond borders Russian Federation. Today, the states of the Balkan Peninsula are reliable countries. Without any problems, it is proposed to open a business in Slovenia. To enter the country it is necessary.

Citizens from other countries who arrive in Slovenia to organize a commercial business at the first stage are allowed to open:

• LLC (limited liability company).
• Subsidiaries.
• Representative offices (dealer centers, branches).
  Over time, with successful activity, the go-ahead is given to organize enterprises of other forms.

Limited Liability Company

The procedure for registering a company in Slovenia, such as an LLC, is allowed if there are 15 founders who do not have a criminal record.

The process begins upon presentation of the tax number to the registration authority. That is, you need to visit the fiscal service and present there necessary documents. The presence of all founders is required.

The registration authority begins reviewing the submitted documents in the presence of all the founders and the management corps of the Slovenian organization being created. Options for a foreigner to form an enterprise are allowed, when he is the founder and director in one person. Before the event starts individual opens an account in a Slovenian financial institution into which 7,500 euros are deposited statutory funds. Subsequently, the money is allowed to be spent on fiscal payments and salaries of full-time employees. You can purchase equipment, spend money on upgrading your computer base, and improving the work of office staff.

Subsidiary

It is required to provide the tax number of the parent organization and the head of the new commercial structure. Mandatory document to be presented is a certificate of no criminal record in the country. Registration of a subsidiary in Slovenia requires the personal presence of the head of the parent organization and the future chief manager of the subsidiary. 7,500 euros of authorized capital are placed in an account opened in a bank in the country.

Representation

Registering a branch is easy. The procedure is unified to the point of impossibility, which facilitates the influx of foreign investment into the country. A simple algorithm of actions is proposed. Mandatory requirements - provide:

1. Tax number.
2. Certificate of good conduct on the territory of the Balkan state.
   It is not necessary to open a bank account in a state financial institution for authorized capital, since this was done a priori by the parent organization.

Credits and advances

The state of Slovenia, in which business immigration to its territory is welcomed, does a lot to financially support established organizations at the first stage of economic and industrial development. The country's government special program helps develop business in Slovenia.

After a year of working as a small foreign companies The government is helping to develop business in Slovenia, paying a lot of attention to the issue. A loan is issued to intensify and expand commercial activities.

Lending is carried out by banking structures on generally accepted grounds.

You can get a loan by first submitting a business plan and fulfilling the necessary bank requirements.

A legal entity that has formed a company in the country can count on a bank loan after 12 months of operation of the organization. There are also deviations from the rule.

From the European Commission and government development promising business in Slovenia receives financial support. The European Commission and the country's government issue loans without charging interest, as well as non-repayable loans.
Russian businessman, who founded a small business in the country, in this assistance cluster is legally equal to the national leader commercial organization. Firms founded by foreigners receive specific minimum investments in the form of assistance.

An Internet marketer from Rostov-on-Don, a year ago she moved with her family to Slovenia, opening a business there..

I am a manager by training - while on maternity leave I was looking for a part-time job and started doing copywriting. So she gradually grew up to Internet marketing and own business. We lived in Rostov-on-Don, and my clients were from Moscow, the Czech Republic, and the USA. The idea to move has been brewing for a long time, dissatisfaction with local realities has been accumulating, and besides, children greatly change the perception of the surrounding reality - you begin to care more about safety, the quality of medicine, and try to plan something.

I began to look for opportunities - we had been looking at the Czech Republic for a long time, but it was already 2013, it was clear that business emigration there had become much more complicated. We applied for a student visa, but the presence of two children and higher education gave the Czech authorities reason to doubt our intentions - we were refused. The document said that we were already qualified enough to continue studying (in general, we planned to enroll in another specialty as a bachelor’s degree, but first complete language courses in order to study for free - free in the Czech Republic higher education for foreigners).

Since I really wanted to move and was in a suitcase mood, I remembered Slovenia, which I knew a lot about from friends’ stories. We didn't see it as an interesting option. They began to study, realized that it was a beautiful, safe country, and decided to move there. We found an intermediary company that helped with opening a business. In November 2014, four of us moved.

My company specializes in internet marketing, at the moment Some of my clients are in Russia, plus I am an expert at one of the Moscow agencies, I also work here with local companies - for example, I advise compatriots who moved here and opened a business. The market is still new to me, and I do not risk offering complex services. Recently I started collaborating with a Slovenian company.

To open a business, you need to obtain confirmation in Russia tax residence, in Slovenia, obtain a tax number and deposit 7,500 euros in the authorized capital.

A year in Ljubljana

One of the confirmations that we were not mistaken with the country was this incident: when we came here for the first time in the spring of 2014, we got into a conversation with my grandmother on the market square in Ljubljana. She, by the way, spoke excellent English, and besides, she was very happy to communicate with people from Russia - she remembered the Russian language. At that moment we remembered scary stories our friends living in Prague about how negatively they are treated older generation and how much Crimea influenced the Czechs’ perception of Russians.

We realized that in Slovenia there will be no negative attitude. During the year that we lived here, we saw only friendliness. In a clinic or hospital, older doctors are happy to read poetry in Russian when they hear that we are from Russia - the Russian language was taught here during Yugoslav times.

In general, there are no problems with the language: on the one hand, those who do not know English quickly learn Slovenian, on the other hand, in ordinary everyday life You can easily get by in English – rent an apartment, buy a car, or go to the store. Although, when renting an apartment, you still need to speak at least a little Slovenian and make a list of questions to ask the landlord. In general, in terms of integration, I would say that everything is happening organically for us.

We have two children: our daughter goes to a regular school, our son goes to a special school (he has autism). One of the main reasons for the move for us was the condition of our son. In Russia, at some point, we could no longer go out for a walk, because we were constantly faced with aggression, inappropriate behavior of adults and children (we had to go out only closer to night, so that there would be no one on the playgrounds). That is, the story with Natalia Vodianova’s sister is very familiar to me. But here such children are treated absolutely normally, here in general children can do anything, no one will shush a child who walks in a restaurant and gets tangled up in the waiter’s legs. Especially for a special child. Obviously, it’s easier for my son here. Plus, there is much more help from the state: there are special centers where children can work with dogs, for example.

We have bad story interaction with Russian medicine. For example, a 7-year-old child was diagnosed only here - for 5.5 years we visited a bunch of doctors, no one could say what was wrong with him. Here, after the first appointment with a neurologist, a diagnosis was made, which was later confirmed twice.

As for Slovenian education, its assessment greatly depends on who you talk to. Someone who is very strict with their children during the first months expresses the opinion that the child is deteriorating, “how bad everything is here,” and how they urgently need to hire a tutor. But if you are fed up with this drill and inadequate teachers, you are happy, because your child goes to school with joy, quickly makes friends and does not complain about the teacher.

Rent two-room apartment 20 minutes from the center of Ljubljana will cost 450 euros, utility bills in the summer - about 100 euros, in the winter 200-250 euros - depending on how to heat. Within 400 euros you can find a one-room apartment, for 200-300 euros - a room, for 600 euros - a three-room apartment.

Business

A residence permit is issued on a specific basis: employment, family reunification or education. A residence permit is first given for a year, then it can be extended for another year, and then for 2 (to obtain citizenship, you need to live in the country for 10 years. Persons who have received higher education in Slovenia can apply for citizenship after 7 years).

There are certain requirements for extending a residence permit, but they are not very strict now - the main thing is that the company works, and it doesn’t matter whether it works in plus or minus. In any case, we pay ourselves a salary. You must pay at least 540 euros, living wage is 270 euros. Someone is paying big salary so that there is enough for all family members, and someone pays the “minimum wage”, and relatives are provided for through a deposit account - you can show money in another way. It turns out that the net expenses are 400 euros for all payments - tax, social, medical, plus an accountant (60-70 euros).

When we moved, my contracts with Russian companies brought me 2000 euros - just the required amount to provide for four people. After the collapse of the ruble, all this turned into 1000 euros. I had to start twisting and turning and find income in euros.

Relocation opportunities

Like most other countries in the world, you can move to Slovenia by enrolling in a local university. However, you need to keep in mind that you will arouse great suspicion from the consulate if you are 40 years old, you already have a family and several educations. It’s much easier for yesterday’s school graduates or first-year students. Education in Slovenia for foreigners is mainly paid - about 2-3 thousand euros per year. There are programs in English, but these are usually master's programs, and bachelor's programs are mainly in Slovenian.

The best advice for those who want to emigrate to Slovenia by attending a local university is to be young, unmarried and uneducated (just kidding). Those who want to study here need to master the language. A friend of mine has just started studying, even though he studied the Slovenian language for 8 months, but it’s difficult for him. It’s ideal when you enter here as a first-year student, having completed 2-3 years of study in your homeland.

Russians in Slovenia

If you ask a Slovenian, of course, he will say that there is a crisis, unemployment, everything is bad and there is no pension in sight, but if you talk to Russian-speaking emigrants who moved recently and absolutely consciously, they will say that there are difficulties here, but much better than in Russia. For example, you can plan here. People who did not dare to plan for six months in our country are now starting to plan for 5-10 years.

Business emigration is the most popular scheme among self-sufficient adults. Someone buys farms, someone wants to produce milk, someone is engaged in tourism, someone opens shops, tango or yoga schools, someone sells Adyghe cheese, i.e. Russians who have moved are engaged in the most different things. This is normal middle class, which simply provides for its needs.

My friends moved with 10,000 euros in their hands - they started subletting housing. First, they rented the cheapest one, renovated it, started renting it out, saved some money, divided it into rooms, and started renting it out. Within a year it paid off.

How to look for work in Slovenia

Until recently, I worked from home. Now I have started cooperation with a Slovenian company and work in the office. It’s extremely difficult to find a job just off the street, especially if you’re a foreigner – I managed to do it through friends.

Of course, they will hire you with a work permit, the question is under what conditions. You need to be prepared for the fact that there will be increased demands on you, that you will do much more for the same salary than your Slovenian colleagues.

Those who want to move through business emigration need to have a safety net - to simply have money for a year in advance in case everything goes badly and there is no income. You need to move wide with open eyes, thoroughly studying the information, talking with those who moved. I came across guys who were told: “Just come, open a company, get a residence permit, you will find a job.” This is not true. You won't find work here. You should not count on a Slovenian company to hire you. To an ordinary person you need to keep in mind that it will work for itself. The Slovenian market is very small: you don’t need to rely solely on it and you don’t need to limit yourself to it (a company registered in the EU can operate anywhere). The most important thing is to know why you are moving, otherwise dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction will definitely arise.

Opening your own business in Slovenia has good prospects, given the country’s slowly but steadily growing GDP and its general economic condition. which can be assessed as high. Slovenia is one of the most developed countries in Eastern Europe, and despite the fact that the market for goods and services there is filled with local entrepreneurs, an immigrant with enough money for business immigration has every chance to grab his place in the sun. Perhaps this is the best way to immigrate to Slovenia, since professional work in this country is quite complex, and only having a sought-after profession or a job can make it easier.

Promising areas of business in Slovenia are mainly small service-oriented firms. It is worth considering that the cost of renting real estate in Slovenia is quite high, especially in tourist areas. But, for example, a small tire shop near a busy highway or a car service has every chance to “shoot” and become good business. Transport services, for example, transportation of various goods, are also in great demand.

There is also room for improvement in the tourism sector. True, renting premises for a hotel or at least a cafe will cost a lot of money, not to mention the purchase of this very real estate. Not every business immigrant has such amounts, but services in the tourism sector are by no means limited to housing and food. For example, a small point for renting bicycles or cameras will require significantly lower costs, and at the same time will allow you to enter tourism business. Perhaps this is one of the best options.

Also, at the moment, various technological innovations such as personal electronics - smartphones, laptops and other innovations - are not very widely represented on the Slovenian market. No, of course, all this is there, but there is also space to take your place in this niche. True, there are more and more companies in this area from year to year, so the situation, of course, can change at any time. But now high-tech business in Slovenia is a rather promising area.

However, the market high technology It’s not limited to gadgets alone. There is still no such thing in Slovenia huge amount online stores, like in Russia. In the Russian Federation this niche is overcrowded, the giants network business start-up entrepreneurs are being squeezed out, and it is very difficult to break through to financial well-being. In Slovenia, opening an online store or, for example, an outsourcing IT office has the right to life.

Due to the high Slovenian prices for commercial real estate, both for purchase and for rent, only a business immigrant with a large budget can start a serious business in this country. Most entrepreneurs, alas, do not fall into this category, so the optimal solution would be to focus on small businesses, which, with the right approach, are quite capable of providing an immigrant with a comfortable life. Yes, the money here is different, but there are fewer costs and risks. Small businesses are thriving in Slovenia, and you can become one of the full-fledged Slovenian entrepreneurs. In addition, opening a company in Slovenia is a reason to obtain a residence permit for yourself and your family members.

Slovenia is a country with one of the most advantageous positions in Central Europe, has access to the Adriatic Sea, borders with countries such as Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary. Slovenia is a member of the European Union, the Schengen Agreement, and also a member of NATO. Slovenia is a country with a steadily developing economy and high level security. Slovenia is among the top twenty countries according to Forbes magazine in the category " best country for doing business."

How to start a business in Slovenia?

Slovenian legislation is extremely favorable for starting a business, including for foreign entrepreneurs. Business registration is free and can take place at so-called “Everything in one place” points. Registration of a company takes from two days to a week. Third country citizens, that is, non-European Union citizens, can initially open three types of companies in Slovenia:

• Limited Liability Company (LLC);
• Subsidiary company;
• Branch (representative office).

To open a limited liability company or a subsidiary company, which will also be an LLC, you will need to contribute an authorized capital of 7,500 euros. After registering a business, this amount can be safely spent on the needs of your company, paying wages, taxes, and also investing, for example, in the company’s fixed assets. When opening a branch (representative office in Slovenia), authorized capital is not required.

When opening a company in Slovenia, you must obtain a tax number, a certificate of no criminal record in Slovenia, and if the founder is legal entity, you need to provide an extract from the register of this legal entity.

A developed form of business in Slovenia is individual entrepreneurship– it is very simple to register this type of activity. The downside is that third country nationals can register as individual entrepreneur only after a year of stay in Slovenia.

After registering a business in Slovenia, you will also have the opportunity to obtain a residence permit for the whole family.

Slovenia has developed sectors such as industry, agriculture, tourism. Considering that Slovenia is a country with a favorable climate, Slovenia is also located large number thermal springs, mountains, sea, quite bright prospects open up for doing business and implementing new business ideas.

When opening a company in Slovenia, it is worth considering that some types of activities are regulated, so to carry out activities you will need a license or permit.

Taxation in Slovenia

The taxation system in Slovenia is quite loyal: income tax is 17% (one of the lowest in Europe), income tax taxed at a progressive rate starting from 16%, VAT (value added tax) 22%, VAT on drinks, food, hairdressing services, etc. 9.5%. Minimum wages is 1100 euros, this includes all taxes and deductions, the employee receives a little less than 700 euros.

Double taxation in Slovenia can be avoided, since Slovenia and a number of other European countries have a double taxation agreement. List of these countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Great Britain.

If the company does not make a profit or is unprofitable, there is no need to pay any taxes, with the exception of taxes and payments related to wages.

There are no restrictions on the amount of profit or the availability of profits from the state, which is undoubtedly a plus for start-up companies.

In general, Slovenia is a friendly country with great potential for doing business, loyal legislation, and, most importantly, a similar mentality, which makes the adaptation process quick and painless.

More information about business in Slovenia can be found on the website business-europe.ru.