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Employment Permits & Serbian Regulations

OVERVIEW​

If you’re coming to Belgrade to work, you’ll need either a temporary or permanent stay VISA and also a permit to work – unless you have a legislative exception such as work in diplomacy, international organizations, or certain international projects as a volunteer.

All work permits are granted by the  Serbian National Employment Service (offices in Gundulićev Venac 23-25). The procedure is simple – submit the required documentation and answer a few additional questions, if any. Based on the Serbian law for employment of foreign nationals, there are the types of work permits.

PERSONAL WORK PERMIT​

This type of permit can be only processed if you have a permanent stay VISA. It’s granted for limited cases and is not applicable to all foreigners, as it normally falls into special categories such us asylum, refugees, temporary protection, family reunification, etc.

It’s unlikely you will need to request this kind of personal work permit.

WORK PERMIT FOR EMPLOYMENT​

If you have a temporary stay VISA, you can apply for one of these types of work permit:

a) WORK PERMIT FOR EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES: This type of work permit is obtained by your Serbian employer and it should meet certain conditions (your employer could not find Serbian nationals with the same qualifications).

b) WORK PERMIT FOR SPECIAL EMPLOYMENT SITUATIONS: This type of work permit is obtained either by your Serbian employer or by yourself if you fulfill the criteria for independent professional*. This work permit is issued for a maximum of one year.

*An independent professional is a self-employed person or entrepreneur registered abroad, who conducts registered activities in Serbia based on his agreement with Serbian employer or Serbian customer(s).

Documentation required:

  • Identification document from Serbian employer or customer
  • Proof of registration as independent professional at the country of origin
  • Copy of valid passport
  • Temporary stay VISA
  • Agreement with Serbian employer or customer including the period of the contract
  • Diploma, or appropriate education certificate issued by an accredited academic institution and certified translation thereof
  • Certificate or statement on professional experience and certified translation thereof
  • Proof of fee payment (approximately 100 €)

WORK PERMIT FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT​

This work permit is issued to foreigners who want to conduct their business activities in Serbia after registration at the Serbian Business Register Agency. Freelancers would fall into this type of work permit. It has the same validity as the temporary stay VISA (maximum of one year with the possibility of prolongation).

Documentation required:

  • Copy of valid passport
  • Temporary stay VISA
  • Statement on type, duration and volume of the activities to be conducted in Serbia
  • Proof of appropriate qualifications for conducting the activities in question
  • Proof of the right to use business premises in Serbia for conducting the activities in question
  • Proof of possession of the equipment for conducting the activities in question
  • Statement on number and structure of the people that the foreigner plans to engage in Serbia
  • Proof of fee payment (approximately 100 €)

USEFUL INFORMATION​

Residence permits are processed by the Ministry of Interior Affairs, whereas work permits are processed by the National Employment Service.

As mentioned above, you should first have a temporary or permanent stay VISA in order to apply for a work permit.

You can fill out the request for a work permit in the National Employment Service (NES) branch on the territory of the Municipality where you have the temporary or permanent stay VISA.

In general, the procedure for obtaining a work permit should not last more than a month.

Before starting any of these applications, we recommend you always first double check the details and procedure with the relevant authorities.