Slovenia (SI)
Slovenia is a small, prosperous Central European republic nestled at the crossroads of the Alps, the Mediterranean, and the Pannonian Plain — the first former Yugoslav country to join both the EU (2004) and the Eurozone (2007).
Retirement & Pension in Slovenia
State pension, contribution refunds, private pension vehicles, and international agreements.
Slovenia's pension system is administered by ZPIZ (Zavod za pokojninsko in invalidsko zavarovanje Slovenije — Pension and Disability Insurance Institute). The system has three pillars: (1) Mandatory state pension (pokojninska zavarovanje — first pillar): financed by employee and employer contributions; (2) Voluntary supplementary occupational pension (prostovoljno poklicno pokojninsko zavarovanje — second pillar): employer-sponsored collective pension plans; (3) Personal voluntary pension savings (pokojninski načrt — third pillar): individual tax-advantaged private pension schemes. Slovenia's pension system faces demographic challenges with an ageing population, driving pension reforms that have raised the retirement age and tightened conditions. Understanding your accumulated Slovenian pension rights is particularly important for expats who may work in Slovenia for only part of their career.
State Pension
The Slovenian state pension (pokojnina) is a defined benefit scheme based on the number of qualifying years (pokojninska doba) and the earnings on which contributions were paid. The pension calculation: pension = (qualifying years / 40) × pension base. The pension base is calculated from the best 24 years (or fewer years for younger workers) of indexed earnings. Contributions paid: employee 15.50% + employer 8.85% = 24.35% of gross salary into ZPIZ. Self-employed pay the full 24.35% based on their contribution base.
65 years for both men and women (from 2023 onwards). Early retirement possible at 60 (with at least 40 years of qualifying service — pokojninska doba). Deferred retirement (after 65) results in a pension bonus. Some categories (arduous occupations, mothers with multiple children) have lower ages.
Minimum 15 years of qualifying insurance period (pokojninska doba) to be entitled to any Slovenian pension. For a full pension calculation, 40 years of qualifying period is considered complete. Periods between 15 and 40 years are proportionally calculated.
Log in to the ZPIZ portal (zpiz.si) with your SI-PASS digital certificate to view your accumulated insurance periods (zavarovalna doba), the contribution base history, and a projected pension estimate. The portal shows your contributions year by year. Contact ZPIZ for a formal pension statement (potrdilo o pokojninski dobi) — useful when changing countries.
EU citizens who worked in Slovenia and then retire in another EU country are entitled to their Slovenian pension paid directly to their bank account in any EU country. ZPIZ coordinates with pension institutions in other EU member states under Regulation 883/2004 — all EU insurance periods are considered together but each country pays a proportional pension for its own contribution period. For non-EU countries with bilateral agreements: Slovenian pension is payable to qualifying recipients abroad. Countries without agreements: you can still receive the Slovenian pension from age 65 — apply via ZPIZ.
Pension Contribution Refund on Leaving Slovenia
Non-EU citizens whose home country has no bilateral social security agreement with Slovenia, who have contributed to ZPIZ for less than 15 years (the minimum for pension entitlement), and who have permanently left Slovenia with no intention to return.
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens — cannot claim a refund; their Slovenian insurance periods remain preserved under EU coordination rules and contribute to their EU pension entitlement. Persons with 15+ years of qualifying periods — entitled to a proportional Slovenian pension at retirement age, not a refund.
24 months after the last contribution to ZPIZ before a refund can be claimed.
The employee contribution portion of pension insurance only (15.50% of gross salary). The employer portion (8.85%) is not refundable. Note: this means only about 64% of the total pension contribution is potentially refundable — the employer's larger-than-average share is not returned.
Apply to ZPIZ (zpiz.si) in writing with: EMŠO, proof of termination of employment in Slovenia, evidence of non-Slovenian residence, bank account details, and passport. ZPIZ processes the application and pays the refund within several months.
Given that the refund is only of the employee portion and pension contributions generate proportional future pension rights, carefully compare the financial value of a refund vs. preserving the entitlement for future pension. For most nationalities with bilateral agreements or EU status, preserving the entitlement is more valuable long-term.
International Totalization Agreements
Slovenia applies EU Regulation 883/2004 for pension aggregation with all EU/EEA member states — insurance periods from any EU country are totalled to meet minimum qualifying periods and then each country pays a proportional pension for its own period. Bilateral agreements with non-EU countries (including USA, Canada, Australia) allow similar aggregation. Contact ZPIZ for the current list. Without an agreement, contributions in Slovenia and a non-EU country are tracked separately — you receive pensions from each independently but qualifying periods cannot be combined.
Private Pension Vehicles
Supplementary Pension Insurance (Employer)
Prostovoljno dodatno pokojninsko zavarovanje (PDPZ)Employed persons whose employer offers a collective pension plan. Common in larger Slovenian companies and public sector.
Employee contributions are tax-deductible up to 5.844% of gross salary (or up to €2,903/year in 2026, whichever is lower). Employer contributions up to the same limit are tax-deductible for the employer and not taxed as income for the employee.
Both employee and employer contributions within the limit are tax-deductible. The pension fund returns are taxed at a reduced rate at payout.
Employee: up to 5.844% of gross salary or €2,903/year (whichever is lower) for full tax deductibility.
If you leave Slovenia, your accumulated rights in a qualifying PDPZ scheme are transferable. Within the EU, pension rights portability is protected. Contact the specific pension fund for transfer options.
This is the main supplementary pension vehicle in Slovenia. Highly recommended if your employer offers it — the combined employee+employer contribution creates significant long-term savings with tax advantages.
Individual Voluntary Pension Savings (Pokojninski načrt)
Pokojninski načrt posameznikaAny Slovenian resident who wants additional tax-advantaged retirement savings — particularly self-employed (s.p.) who have no employer pension, and employees who want to save beyond their employer plan.
No direct state subsidy (unlike some EU countries). Tax deductibility is the primary benefit.
Contributions to a qualifying pension savings plan (pokojninski načrt) are deductible from personal income tax (dohodnina) up to the same limit as PDPZ: 5.844% of gross income or €2,903/year. Payout at retirement is taxed at reduced rates.
€2,903/year for full tax deductibility (2026)
Generally portable — funds can be transferred to another qualifying pension plan. Withdrawal before retirement age (typically 55 minimum for tax-advantaged plans) triggers tax on accumulated amount plus penalty.
Recommended for all self-employed and for employees who want additional savings beyond the mandatory ZPIZ contributions. Top providers: Triglav, Generali, KD Skladi, and Vzajemni pokojninski sklad. Compare investment options and fees carefully.
Early Retirement Options
Early retirement in Slovenia: minimum age 60 with minimum 40 qualifying years (pokojninska doba). Retirees taking early retirement at 60 receive a penalty-reduced pension in most cases. From age 65, full pension without penalty. Deferred retirement (past 65) earns a bonus of 0.3% per month delayed, up to a maximum. Part-time retirement (delna upokojitev): possible from age 60 — work part-time and receive partial pension. Maximum pension earned is capped.
Pension Gap Warning
Expats who arrive in Slovenia mid-career will typically have fewer qualifying years than a full-career Slovenian resident. With 40 qualifying years required for a full pension and a typical career of 35–40 years total, an expat arriving at age 30 and working until 65 in Slovenia could achieve 35 qualifying years — approximately 87.5% of a full pension. Arriving later or leaving earlier significantly reduces the proportional pension. Combined with the relatively modest pension base (the Slovenian average pension is approximately €700–800/month), the pension gap for expats can be substantial. Supplementary PDPZ/pokojninski načrt contributions and private savings are critical to bridge this gap. ZPIZ's online calculator can project your expected Slovenian pension — review it and plan accordingly.
Useful Links
Retirement & Pension
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