Cloud and DevOps teams ship software across borders, but contracts, tax and payroll stay national. When an infrastructure startup wins its first European client, someone asks the question that engineers do not enjoy: which company signs this?
For non-EU founders, a limited liability company in an EU country answers it. Slovenia offers a well-documented route, known locally as a d.o.o.
Who can set it up
Non-EU citizens without Slovenian residency can found a limited liability company, and so can foreign legal entities. That makes the route suitable for a startup whose team lives elsewhere.
The numbers and paperwork
The minimum share capital is 7,500 euros. It goes into a temporary business account during registration, and the bank issues a confirmation of payment that completes the filing.
Founders typically need:
- passports for all founders and representatives
- a statement allowing the business address to be registered, or a provider’s address
- a Slovenian tax number for all founders and foreign representatives
- a home-country certificate showing no outstanding tax obligations
- a certificate of no criminal record
- a certificate showing no offences related to illegal employment
- for a corporate founder, an excerpt from the commercial register
The steps
- Draft the articles of association based on the company name and activities.
- Open a temporary business account with the chosen bank.
- Deposit the capital and obtain the bank confirmation.
- Submit the application. The court decides on registration.
- Convert the temporary account to a business account.
- Register for VAT and apply for any permits.
Why this suits infrastructure teams
Cloud companies often serve several EU countries from one entity. A Slovenian company has access to the single market and uses the euro. If your servers, customers and team sit in different places, the legal entity is simply the party that signs contracts and pays tax, so the location can follow convenience.
Where founders need support
The hard part is rarely the law. It is the supporting paperwork: certificates from your home country, translations and the tax number. A provider that handles Slovenia d.o.o. registration can prepare documents, arrange the tax number and supply a business address. That removes the delays that stall many first-time filings.
After registration
You will need accounting for VAT and payroll reporting, an address for official letters and, if you hire in the EU, contracts and permits. Line these up before you file, so the company can invoice in its first week.
Quick checklist
- Confirm the founders and their documents.
- Prepare the 7,500 euro capital.
- Decide where the registered address will sit.
- Pick an accountant before registration finishes.
A cloud startup can run anywhere. The company that signs the contract needs a home.
