Recovery of Child Support from Abroad

The Fund serves as the central, transmitting, and receiving authority in procedures for the international recovery of child support, in cases where either the maintenance debtor or the maintenance creditor resides in another country.

International recovery of child support helps maintenance creditors collect child support either from abroad or in foreign countries. This applies when the maintenance creditor resides in an EU Member State or a signatory to the Convention on the Recovery of Maintenance Abroad, and the maintenance debtor resides, owns property, or earns income in another EU Member State or Convention signatory.

Each EU Member State or Convention signatory appoints a central, transmitting, and receiving authority to which maintenance creditors can submit their claims for support recovery. Through mutual cooperation and information exchange between central authorities of EU Member States or Convention signatories, the procedure for enforcing child support in the country where the debtor resides or earns income is ensured.

If you wish to file a request for child support recovery from abroad, please first send the court decision specifying the child support obligation and indicate the country where the debtor is located via email (jpsklad@jps-rs.si) or by regular mail. Based on this, we will send you a list of the required documentation for submitting the claim.

Core Legal Instruments and Documents Governing the Recovery of Maintenance from Abroad

Council Regulation (EC) No 4/2009, dated 18 December 2008, on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions, and cooperation in matters relating to maintenance obligations (Official Journal No. 7, dated 10.1.2009, p. 1).

Detailed information about child support claims in EU Member States is available on the e-Justice Portal.

Under the "Taking legal action" tab on the e-Justice Portal, you can find forms related to child support cases.

Instructions for completing Annexes I to IX are also provided.

Annex I or Annex II is filled out by district courts, Annex III and Annex IV are completed by issuers of public documents (e.g., social work centers),

Annex VI, starting from section B onward, is filled out by the applicant (e.g., legal representative, adult children).

Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (Official Journal No. 192, dated 22.7.2011, p. 51) – also known as the Hague Convention.

A list of signatory states of the Hague Convention is available here or on the website www.hcch.net.

Convention on the Recovery Abroad of Maintenance, dated 20 June 1956 (Official Gazette of the SFRY – International Treaties, No. 11/81) – also known as the New York Convention.

A list of signatory states to the New York Convention is available on the United Nations website, accessible here.