Universal postal service

The Republic of Slovenia deems it is in the public interest to ensure that all postal service users receive permanent, regular, and uninterrupted provision of the universal service across its whole territory and under equal conditions, which may only be interrupted because of force majeure or when the conditions are dangerous for the delivery person.

The range of universal services includes:

• reception, routing, transportation, and delivery of postal letter mail with weight of up to 2 kg,
• reception, routing, transportation, and delivery of parcels with weight of up to 10 kg,
• provision of delivering registered and insured mail and
• delivery of letter mail for the blind and partially sighted.

The universal service ensures all users can send and receive mail to and from the home or premises of every natural or legal person, at least five workdays per week, at least once per day.

The Agency monitors the quality and the method of the provision of the universal service and has the authority to adopt measures should the universal service not be provided appropriately. Every change in the price or general terms and conditions must be approved by the Agency.

Universal service providers

The Agency appoints a universal service provider. The Agency may appoint a provider for each postal service that forms the universal service, or one for several services together. It may also appoint a provider for an individual part of Slovenia or for the whole country.

The Agency issues a decision to the universal service provider based on its analysis of the conditions or a public tender. Until 2023 the universal service provider for all services from the range of universal postal service for the domestic and cross-border postal traffic and for the whole territory of the Republic of Slovenia is Pošta Slovenije, d.o.o., based on a decision the Agency issued after an analysis of the conditions.

General terms and conditions for providing the universal service

Before the general terms and conditions are implemented, the universal service provider must obtain an approval from the Agency and publish them on its website and at its premises.

Exceptions in universal service provision

In the General act on the exceptions in the provision of universal postal service the Agency defines exceptions, with consideration of the circumstances and geographical conditions behind them.

Considering the provisions of the general act, the exceptions in the provision of the universal service may be permanent or temporary, namely due to:

• difficult access, or
• care for the health and safety of the delivery person.

Every user of postal services who does not have delivery at their home has the right in accordance with Article 39 of the Postal Services Act to submit an appeal regarding the delivery to a stand-alone mailbox or the premises of a contact point. They also have the right to appeal in the event of significantly altered circumstances (improved infrastructure, removed obstacles, permitted access over private property, ensured safety for the delivery person and other comparable circumstances), if the universal service provider does not begin delivering to the natural or legal entity’s house or premises, even after they were informed of these significantly altered circumstances.