Alcohol regulations in Slovenia

Licences needed

Excise warehouse authorization (Dovoljenje za trošarinsko skladišče / poslovanje s trošarinskimi izdelki) and establishment registration in the Business Register (AJPES) plus Food Business Operator registration with UVHVVR.

Authority

Finančna uprava Republike Slovenije (FURS) and UVHVVR

Documents

Application via eDavki portal; technical production facility blueprints and equipment specifications; proof of legal premises tenure; business plan and volume estimates; financial guarantee/security instrument for excise liability; internal accounting and inventory control procedure manuals; extract from the business register.

Fees

No administrative tax fee under standard digital applications via eDavki; financial guarantee / security deposit amount is calculated based on expected excise duty liabilities.

Time to obtain

Typically 30 to 60 days from submitting a complete application

Who can import

Any registered commercial legal entity or sole proprietor registered in Slovenia or the EU possessing a valid Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number and registered for VAT/customs.

Licences or registrations

EORI number for customs clearance; Registered Consignee (registrirani prejemnik) or Excise Warehousekeeper status with FURS if importing or receiving goods under excise duty suspension via EMCS.

Authority

Finančna uprava Republike Slovenije (FURS)

Documents

Customs import declaration (SAD / electronic customs declaration via SIAES/SICIS); commercial invoice; transport documents (CMR/bill of lading); EAD (electronic administrative document) if moving under excise duty suspension; certificates of analysis and origin if required.

Fees

Customs processing fees vary per broker; EORI issuance is free.

Time to obtain

EORI issuance typically takes 1 to 3 business days; customs release upon arrival takes a few hours to 2 days.

Required

no

Process

Slovenia follows EU law; there is no prior national brand or label registration, formula approval, or pre-market clearance for spirits. The Food Business Operator (producer or EU importer) bears sole legal responsibility for full compliance with Regulation (EU) 2019/787 and Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 before placing the product on the market.

Authority

Uprava RS za varno hrano, veterinarstvo in varstvo rastlin (UVHVVR)

Documents and samples

None required prior to marketing; technical dossiers and specification sheets must be kept on file for routine market surveillance inspections.

Fees

None

Renewal

None

Time to obtain

Not applicable (immediate market access once compliant)

Imports from outside the EU require standard EU customs clearance with an EORI number. If goods enter under duty suspension, they must move under the Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS) into a FURS-approved excise warehouse or to a registered consignee. Slovenia does NOT use excise tax stamps (strip stamps) on alcoholic beverages (stamps are used only on tobacco). Commercial shipments require standard commercial invoices, packing lists, transport documents, and certificates of origin/analysis when required by trade agreements.

0% for major categories of distilled spirits (whisky, gin, vodka, rum, grape brandy) under the EU Common Customs Tariff (GATT/WTO zero-for-zero spirits agreement); certain specialty liqueurs and compound preparations with added sugars or flavourings may incur specific duties under HS heading 2208.

Excise duty on ethyl alcohol is €1,412.40 per hectolitre of 100% vol pure alcohol (€14.124 per litre of pure alcohol), amended by government decree effective 1 June 2025. Standard Value Added Tax (DDV) of 22% applies to all spirits and alcoholic beverages.

Sold through private retailers (supermarkets, grocery stores, specialized wine/spirits shops) and licensed catering/hospitality establishments (bars, restaurants, clubs); there is no state retail monopoly. Under the Restriction on the Use of Alcohol Act (ZOPA), retail store sale of alcohol is strictly prohibited between 21:00 and 07:00. In catering and hospitality venues, the sale and serving of spirits is prohibited from daily opening until 10:00 AM.

allowed; e-commerce retailers and couriers must ensure the recipient is at least 18 years old upon ordering and delivery (mandatory ID check upon delivery). Online sales and deliveries are bound by general ZOPA restrictions, prohibiting alcohol delivery between 21:00 and 07:00.

Labels must be in Slovenian (multilingual labels permitted) and comply with Regulation (EU) 2019/787 and EU Regulation 1169/2011: sales denomination/legal category, nominal volume, actual alcoholic strength by volume (% vol), lot number, name/business name and address of the producer or EU importer, and allergen indications (e.g. sulfites). Fiscal excise stamps are not required on alcohol. Health warning labels are mandatory on advertising material ('Minister za zdravje opozarja...'), but are not currently mandated on spirit bottles themselves under national law.

Advertising of distilled spirits and any alcoholic beverages containing more than 15% ABV is completely prohibited across all media (TV, radio, press, outdoor billboards, cinemas, online/social media) under the Act Regulating the Sanitary Suitability of Food (ZZUZIS) and ZOPA. Sponsorship of sporting, cultural, or youth-oriented events by spirit brands is prohibited. Beverages with 15% ABV or less (beer, wine) are permitted restricted marketing only during late-night hours (banned between 07:00 and 21:30 on broadcast media) and must carry the statutory health warning: 'Minister za zdravje opozarja: Uživanje alkohola lahko škoduje zdravju!'.

Directly governed by Regulation (EU) 2019/787: Whisky/Whiskey (minimum 40% ABV); Rum (minimum 37.5% ABV); Vodka (minimum 37.5% ABV); Gin (minimum 37.5% ABV); London Gin (minimum 37.5% ABV); Brandy/Weinbrand (minimum 36% ABV); Fruit spirits (minimum 37.5% ABV); Ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin (minimum 96.0% ABV).

No dry municipalities or geographic dry zones. Alcohol sale and consumption is legally prohibited inside schools, kindergartens, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, sports venues during youth/school sports events, and at workplaces during working hours.

• Slovenian government adopted the Decree on determining the excise duty rate on alcohol and alcoholic beverages (Uradni list RS št. 35/2025), increasing the excise rate on ethyl alcohol by 7% from €1,320.00 to €1,412.40 per hectolitre of pure alcohol effective 1 June 2025.
• Full implementation of updated EU EMCS Phase 4.1 electronic procedures for cross-border duty-paid and duty-suspended excise movements via FURS.
• Transition of official gazette publication (ZoUL) to an exclusive digital system within the Legal Information System of the Republic of Slovenia (PISRS) as of March 2026.

Slovenia features an open retail market with zero customs duty on primary spirits categories and no burdensome pre-market label approvals or excise tax stamp regimes. However, exporters must navigate a complete ban on advertising spirits exceeding 15% ABV and factor in higher excise rates enacted in mid-2025.

• Finančna uprava Republike Slovenije (FURS)
• Ministrstvo za zdravje
• Uprava RS za varno hrano, veterinarstvo in varstvo rastlin (UVHVVR)
• Tržni inšpektorat Republike Slovenije (TIRS)

1. PISRS - Zakon o omejevanju porabe alkohola (ZOPA)
2. PISRS - Uredba o določitvi zneska trošarine za alkohol in alkoholne pijače (Uradni list RS, št. 35/25)
3. PISRS - Zakon o trošarinah (ZTro-1)
4. Finančna uprava Republike Slovenije (FURS) - Trošarine
5. EUCAM - Alcohol Marketing Regulations in Slovenia