SLOVENIA decided to remove the Czech Republic, Croatia, and France from the green list, i.e., the list of epidemiologically safe counties.

It means that these countries are on the yellow list as of yesterday. On the other hand, Belgium and the Netherlands are on the green list as of yesterday.

There are no considerable restrictions for the Slovenia residents that arrive from these countries, but citizens of these countries who enter and stay in Slovenia will be made more difficult. On the other hand, the Slovenians who come from the countries on the red list will be ordered to quarantine.

All people only transiting through Slovenia who exit within 12 hours of entry can cross the border without restrictions.

Slovenia has a system with three colors - green, red, and yellow. The epidemiologically safe countries are on the green list, the countries where the epidemiological situation has worsened is on the red list, and other countries are on the yellow list. 

The Croatian Tourism Association commented on the system and said that tourists from the EU still enter and leave Croatia without any problems.

Arriving in Slovenia from the countries included on the green list

Persons with permanent or temporary residence in a country included in the green list traveling from these countries may enter Slovenia without restrictions or quarantine.

Entry into Slovenia from the countries included in the yellow list

Rules for EU member states or Schengen Area states on the yellow list 

Slovenian citizens and foreigners with a permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia who are traveling from the EU Member States or Schengen Area may enter Slovenia without quarantine if they provide proof of ownership of real estate or a vessel where they have been staying or an original receipt for accommodation in these countries or an official crew list in case of chartering a vessel. If a person cannot provide such proof, they will be treated as though they are traveling from a country with a high risk of infection with COVID-19 (from the red list) and will be ordered to quarantine.

The exception for Slovenian citizens and foreigners with permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia does not apply if they are traveling from countries with a worsening epidemiological situation (countries on the red list).

What does it mean for the Croatian residents and other residents of the countries that Slovenia put on the yellow list?

Daily migration workers and residents in transit through Slovenia or who transit goods through Slovenia, as well as diplomatic passports holders, don't have to do the coronavirus test. Transit through Slovenia can last up to 12 hours, and only necessary stops are allowed.

Who has to get tested for COVID-19?

For other exceptions, an entry to Slovenia without a two-week quarantine is possible, but they have to provide the result of a test proving that they are negative for COVID-19, which must not be older than 36 hours. It applies to weekly commuting cross-border workers, persons engaged in trade, persons with a medical appointment, persons who cross the border for reasons of education and training, persons who cross the border to attend a funeral, persons maintaining contact with immediate family members, persons with urgent unavoidable personal errands, persons who lease land and persons with a confirmed booking for an overnight stay in Slovenia (if the booking was made when the person's country was on the list of epidemiologically safe countries (green list)

The rules for the countries from the yellow list who aren't EU member states nor members of Schengen Area

If the country from the yellow list isn't an EU member state or a member of the Schengen Area, Slovenian citizens and foreigners with a permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia also have to quarantine except the people falling under exceptions referred to in point 10. 

Other countries, i.e., foreigner, upon entry to Slovenia, will be ordered to quarantine, except the people falling under one of 16 exceptions referred to in point 10. 

Exceptions are weekly commuting cross-border workers, persons engaged in trade, persons with a medical appointment, persons who cross the border for reasons of education and training, persons who cross the border to attend a funeral, persons maintaining contact with immediate family members, persons with urgent unavoidable personal errands, persons who lease land and persons with a confirmed booking for an overnight stay in Slovenia (if the booking was made when the person's country was on the list of epidemiologically safe countries (green list). They have to provide the result of a test proving that they are negative for COVID-19, which must not be older than 36 hours.

Exceptions are those with a booked overnight stay in Slovenia

The quarantine will not be imposed on persons who are traveling from countries that were on the list of safe countries (green list) at the time when accommodation was booked in Slovenia, even though the country was later removed from the list of safe countries ( green list). They must provide the result of a test proving that they are negative for COVID-19, which must not be older than 36 hours and was performed in an EU Member State or a Schengen Area country.

Arriving in Slovenia from a country on the red list 

The red list includes the countries with a worsening epidemiological situation. 

A 14-day quarantine will be imposed on persons entering Slovenia who have permanent or temporary residence in a red-list country and on all other persons, irrespective of their nationality or country of residence, who are arriving in Slovenia from one of these countries, except for persons falling under one of the six exceptions specified in Article 10 (points 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) of the Ordinance.

Exceptions apply to:

- persons posted to carry out tasks in the international transport or returning from such tasks who prove this at the time of crossing the border by means of a special certificate

- persons carrying out the transport of goods into Slovenia or from Slovenia to another country and the transport of goods in transit who exit Slovenia within 12 hours of entry 

- persons engaged in trade or activities who upon crossing the border provide proof of conducting trade or activities in Slovenia or abroad (a certificate of registration for the commencement of the provision of services and an A1 certificate in accordance with the act governing the cross-border provision of services) and exit Slovenia within 24 hours of entry or submit a test result proving that they are not infected with the novel SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus. If such person is employed by a foreign company providing a service in Slovenia and resides in Slovenia, they must also submit their address of residence in Slovenia and a test result proving that they are not infected with the novel. SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus 

- persons transiting Slovenia while traveling to another country within 12 hours of entry 

- persons with diplomatic passports

- persons who provide services for which they have been issued a certificate by the competent ministry and regarding whom the imposition of quarantine could result in major social or economic damage due to the non-provision of these services. 

Persons exempt under points 2 and 7 must at the time of crossing the border also provide the result of a test performed in an EU Member State or a Schengen Area country, proving that they are negative for COVID-19, which must not be older than 36 hours.

Persons ordered to quarantine may only enter Slovenia at certain border crossings or control points

Persons that are ordered to quarantine upon entry to Slovenia can only enter at certain crossings. Regarding Croatia, those are border crossings Gruskovje, Obrezje, Metlika, and Jelsane. Regarding Hungary, the control point is Pince. The border crossing point for international air traffic is the Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport in Ljubljana.

Counties on the green list

The countries whose residents with permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia (green list) are permitted to enter without quarantine are Hungary, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Norway, Slovakia, Italy, Denmark, Ireland, Malta, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Counties on the red list

Exceptions do not apply for those arriving from or have a permanent or temporary residence in any of the countries from the red list, with a few exceptions.

The countries on the red list are the following: Qatar, Bahrain, Chile, Peru, Armenia, Djibouti, Brazil, Panama, Belarus, Andorra, Singapur, Sweden, Maldives, Sao Tomé and Príncipe, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Moldova, Russia, the USA, Gibraltar, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Gabon, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Republic of South Africa, Iran, the UK, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Portugal, Albania.

If a country is not on the list of safe countries (green list) or the list of countries with a worsening epidemiological situation (red list), it means that it is on the yellow list.