Slovenia Sponsored by JAPTI - Public Agency of Republic of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investment
Why Us
The Slovenian Government is keen to attract new inward investment and has introduced a number of measures to assist investors. Companies making foreign direct investments and meeting certain criteria may be eligible for financial assistance in the form of grants details of which you can find more here.
Foreign investors are able to invest freely in most types of business undertakings. Repatriation of profit and capital is unlimited provided taxes due to the Slovenian Tax Administration have been paid. Withholding tax on dividends transferred is 25%, 0% when transferred to the EU Member States.
Foreign investors pick up Slovenia for a great variety of reasons. The most important are high business ethics and commitment to quality work, good ties with markets in Western and Southeastern Europe, a central position in Europe and excellent infrastructure, and last but not least quality of life.
More about Slovenia's qualities:
• Quality workforce
Well-educated, flexible staff with language and IT skills and innovative spirit.
• Quality link to regional markets
Excellent geostrategical position of Slovenia makes it a natural hub for companies that serve markets of EU and South-Eastern Europe where Slovenia has a traditionally good business contacts and reputation.
Excellent geostrategical position of Slovenia makes it a natural hub for companies that serve markets of EU and South-Eastern Europe where Slovenia has a traditionally good business contacts and reputation. 
• Quality infrastructure
Excellent transport connections and high ICT penetration.
• Quality of life
A quality business environment and a quality lifestyle add to individual companies results.
The legislation in line with EU standards, simple setting up a business, low taxes, the unrestricted transfer of profit and capital repatriation, the Government's pro-investment stance etc. have created a pro-business climate.
Clusters of related industries and ready-made network of suppliers available in Slovenia are behind many investment choices.
The first strategic partnerships among domestic and foreign companies can be traced back to the 1970s (Bayer, Semperit, Naue). The first substantial FDI inflows at the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s were linked to the decision of foreign partners to invest in the equity of their Slovenian partners working under a foreign licence or on the basis of a contract (Renault, Bosch, Siemens, Henkel, ÖMV).
In addition, there were the sales of troubled local companies owned by the Development Fund: e.g. Količevo karton, which was first sold to the Saffa Group and later to Mayer Melnhof; Papirnica Vevče, sold to Brigl&Bergmeister. Those acquisitions were an overture to mass privatisation. The first entries in the area of financial services (Bank Austria, Creditanstalt) also date back to that period.
The largest recent FDI inflows are the post-privatisation takeovers (Goodyear) or classic takeovers (Lek-Novartis, Simobil-Mobilkom, SKB-Societe Generale, NLB-KBC etc).
FDI stock in Slovenia, in EUR million, 2000 - 2006
Source: Bank of Slovenia
Major foreign investors in Slovenia
• Manufacturing: Bosch, Brigl and Bergmeister, BHS, Danfoss, EGO,GKN, Goodyear, Gruppo Bonazzi, Hella, Henkel, Johnson Controls, Lafarge Perlmooser, Meyr Melnhof, Novartis - Sandoz, Pfleiderer, Renault, Safilo Group, Securidev, Siemens, Styria, Sun Roller, Titus International, Vogt Electronic …
• Financial services: Bank Austria CA, Hypo-Alpe-Adria-Bank, KBC, Reiffeisen Bank, SanPaolo IMI, Societe Generale …
• Retail: E.Leclerc, MOL, ÖMV, Rutar, Spar ...
• Other services: AC Nielsen, Debitel, Deloitte, DHL, Ernst&Young, Gfk, KPMG, IBM, ISS Servisystem, Microsoft, Mobilkom, Oracle, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Sodexho Alliance, S&T ...
Foreign direct investment by investing countries, 2006
Source: Bank of Slovenia
