The practice of heraldry has grown in interest and importance in today's Eastern European countries, with organizations similar to this one springing up in many countries. They are in various stages of development. Some examples are below:

1. Akademie heraldických nauk České republiky / Heraldry Academy of the Czech Republic 
2. Česká genealogická a heraldická společnost v Praze / Czech Genealogy and Heraldry Association of Prague 
3. Heraldická společnost v Praze / Association for Heraldry in Prague 
4. Magyar Heraldikai és Genealógiai Társaság / Hungarian Heraldry and Genealogy 
5. Македонско Хералдичко Здружение / Macedonian Heraldry Society 
6. Moravské genealogické a heraldické společnosti / Moravian Genealogical and Heraldic Society 
7. Orzel Bialy-Godlo Polski / Polish Heraldry 
8. Родословље и Хералдика / Genealogy and Heraldry, Serbia 
9. Slovenskej genealogicko-heraldickej spoločnosti / Slovak Genealogy-Heraldry Society 
10.   / Ukrainian Heraldry 
     

This is a difficult question to answer as it requires a good deal of research in the area of genealogy and heraldry. In many countries, you can bear arms that you have created or had someone create for you. However, protocol dictates that it is improper to bear someone else's arms. In Scotland, not only is bearing someone else's arms dishonorable, it is illegal.

Some countries have adopted codification and regulation of arms, such as the College of Arms of England, the Court of the Lord Lyon of Scotland, the Canadian Heraldic Authority, Cronistas Reyes de Armas de España, Heraldische Gemeinschaft Westfalen, the Russian College of Heraldry to name a few. There are more regulatory organizations in other countries, and therefore, if you are interested in arms while resident in that country, you should check with their authority or registrar first.

In countries that do not have a codified system, research must be done on the shared family name to determine if you are related to that family line. It would be honorable to make a formal request to bear the family arms to the family should you discover that you are related to them. It is the courteous thing to do. If the family refuses to permit you to bear their arms, there is nothing stopping you from having a personal coat of arms created and assuming them. Organizations such as the Slovenian Genealogy Society or "Slovensko rodoslovje" can offer resources to help you research your surname.

Q3. What's the difference between a crest and a coat of arms?

A. The crest refers to those elements which adorn the top of the helm or helmet which is positioned on the top of the arms or shield. The coat of arms or armorial bearings refers to the entire achievement comprised of the shield, helm, crest, mantling, supporters and motto if available. For more details on the elements of an armorial bearing, go to what is heraldry? in this website.

Q4. Can I register my coat of arms in Slovenia?

A. Unfortunately, there is no registrar or authority in Slovenia that has been conveyed the responsibility of registering arms. It is hoped that the government of Slovenia will someday acknowledge this particular responsibility and convey the authority to register arms to some organization.

Given this situation, some authorities will happily register personal arms in their registries, even though the applicant does not reside in that country. One such authority is the Heraldry Bureau of South Africa. For a fee, they will register personal arms. This provides at least some degree of protection of arms by having it registered in an official body, even though it is not in Slovenia. The Societas Heraldica Slovenica (SHS) is able to include personal, institutional and ecclesiastical arms of Slovenians in the roll of arms on the SHS website in a digital form. Although this isn't a registrar of arms, it may be the first step to recognize Slovenian coats of arms.

Q5. Do I have to have a coat of arms to join the SHS?

A. The short answer is "no". The Society is open to anyone having a genuine interest in heraldry, and the history of heraldry. The Society is open to all Slovenians, whether resident in Slovenia, or who reside in other countries.