Slovenia is a realistic move from Kazakhstan if you match a residence route to your situation early. The short version: a one-bedroom rents for about €700 a month in the bigger cities, typical net salaries run around €1,500, personal taxes sit at 16-50%, and permanent residence usually takes about 5 years of legal stay. Here is how the move actually works for Kazakhstani citizens.
Getting in: your route options
As Kazakhstani citizens you need a visa even for short visits, so plan the paperwork early. For an actual move you need a residence permit tied to a reason; the visit visa and the residence process are separate tracks.
- Remote work: Slovenia runs the Digital Nomad Visa, income bar around €3,200/mo, 12 months, not renewable (6-month cooldown). New since November 2025; income bar is about twice the national average net salary.
- Work: a job offer plus a work permit; for higher-paid qualified roles ask employers about the EU Blue Card, which speeds up residence across most of the bloc.
- Study: university admission converts into a student permit, usually with part-time work rights and a post-graduation job-seeker option.
- Family and ancestry: joining an EU spouse or partner, or claiming citizenship by descent if you have an EU-citizen parent or grandparent.
What life in Slovenia costs
Budget roughly €700 for a one-bed plus about €870 for essentials and transport, per person. English friendliness scores 68/100 here.
Healthcare here rates 74/100 in this model and everyday safety 85/100, while public transport comes in at 65/100.
Administration is middling by EU standards at 58/100, which usually means a few slow appointments rather than a saga.
The rental market has real competition (58/100) but is manageable with planning.
The local language (SL) is one of the harder ones to pick up, rated 35/100, which is worth knowing if residence later requires a language test.
Coming from Kazakhstan, one thing worth knowing early: Slovenia has a moderate Russian and Ukrainian speaking community, mostly concentrated in the capital.
What you would pay in tax
If you keep earning from abroad and register as self-employed, Slovenia charges normirani s.p.: an 80% lump-sum cost allowance (very low effective rates, ceilings tightened in 2025), plus minimum ~€500/mo.
The normirani regime remains attractive but the ceilings now bite earlier: check yours.
Slovenia is among the more welcoming countries in the bloc for remote workers and freelancers, rated 72/100. The full picture, including the company route and the special regimes, is on the taxes in Slovenia page, and the take-home index ranks all 27 countries on what actually reaches your account.
The long game
Permanent residence in Slovenia takes about 5 years of legal residence, and citizenship about 10 years from arrival, subject to language and integration requirements. If an EU passport is part of your plan, weigh this timeline against neighbouring countries before you commit.