Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Slovenia, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own, and criminal penalties vary from country to country. If you break local laws in Slovenia, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not in countries where you will be traveling. And certain crimes may result in you being prosecuted both in a foreign country and in the United States. For instance, engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography is illegal in Slovenia and these actions are also prosecutable in the United States. Persons violating Slovenian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Slovenia are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Slovenia, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the Embassy to your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the Embassy.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Traveler’s checks are not universally accepted in Slovenia. ATMs are prevalent in all major cities and are increasingly common in rural areas and credit cards are widely accepted.

Slovenia’s authorities enforce strict regulations concerning the importation, exportation, and use of firearms. You should contact the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Washington, D.C. or the Consulate General in Cleveland if you are planning to transport a firearm into or out of Slovenia. 

WOMEN TRAVELERS: If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips on the Women Travelers page on travel.state.gov.

LGBT RIGHTS: There are no known safety and security issues of concern for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Slovenia. The LGBT community is protected by anti-discrimination laws, and there are no legal or governmental impediments to the organization of LGBT events. For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Slovenia you may review the State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For further information on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our Information for LGBT Travelers page.

ACCESSIBILITY: While in Slovenia, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. The Slovenian Government has implemented laws and programs to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to buildings, information, and communications. In practice, however, modification of public and private structures to improve access is proceeding at a slow pace, and many buildings are not easily accessible. Most tourist destinations around Slovenia are accessible by those with disabilities.