Work Permits & The Unified Permit In Serbia

THE SYSTEM CHANGED IN 2024

If you read about getting a Serbian visa first, then queueing at the National Employment Service for a separate work permit — that’s the old system. Amendments to the Law on Foreigners and the Law on Employment of Foreigners (adopted 2023, in force from 1 February 2024) replaced it with a unified permit (jedinstvena dozvola): one procedure, one biometric card, covering both temporary residence and the right to work.

Since the 2025 administrative updates, applications are submitted online only, through the official Foreigners Portal — there is no separate paper “work permit” product for the standard employment path anymore.

This page describes the system as of mid-2026. Immigration rules keep evolving — always confirm the current procedure on the official portal or with a lawyer before relying on any summary, ours included.

WHO NEEDS A UNIFIED PERMIT?

Broadly, any foreigner who will work in Serbia — as an employee of a Serbian company, on secondment, or in self-employment — needs work authorisation, which for the main path now means the unified permit. Exceptions exist (diplomats, certain international-organisation staff, short business visits that don’t constitute local work, and other cases listed in law).

Special situations:

  • Remote workers with no Serbian employer or clients — your issue is primarily residence, not a local work permit; see Serbia for digital nomads.
  • Freelancers registering a Serbian business — the unified permit interacts with entrepreneur registration; see Freelancing & taxes and Starting a business.
  • Permanent residents and some protected categories have their own work-rights basis and don’t go through the standard employment procedure.

HOW THE PROCEDURE WORKS

The typical employment case looks like this:

  1. Job offer / employment contract with a Serbian employer.
  2. Labour market test (NES): for standard employment, the employer requests a labour market check from the National Employment Service shortly before applying (currently up to ~60 days before), showing the role can go to a foreign hire. Some categories are exempt — the portal flow reflects this.
  3. Online application on the Foreigners Portal — filed by the employer or the foreigner depending on the case, with passport, contract, qualifications, insurance and accommodation evidence uploaded digitally.
  4. Biometrics appointment at the competent police administration (MUP) for the card.
  5. Decision and card issuance. The unified permit card is your proof of both residence and work rights.

You can enter visa-free (if your nationality allows) and go through this process from within Serbia, or you may need a type D entry visa first — see visa types. Register your address on arrival regardless: white card registration.

VALIDITY AND RENEWAL

Unified permits are issued for the duration justified by your employment, commonly cited as up to three years under the current law, and are renewable. Renewal is also done through the portal — start well before expiry.

Time on temporary residence counts toward permanent residence eligibility (the 2023 amendments shortened the standard qualifying period — commonly cited as three years of continuous residence; confirm your case). See the permanent residence guide.

CHANGING JOBS

The unified permit is tied to the basis it was granted on. Changing employer or moving from employment to self-employment generally requires updating or re-applying rather than silently continuing — check the current rules on the portal before switching.

DOCUMENTS EMPLOYERS AND APPLICANTS TYPICALLY NEED

Exact lists live on the portal and vary by case, but expect:

  • Valid passport
  • Employment contract or binding offer
  • Qualifications (diplomas), sometimes with certified translations
  • Proof of accommodation in Serbia
  • Health insurance evidence
  • Employer documents (registration, tax status) for the labour test
  • Fee payments as instructed in the online flow

PRACTICAL TIPS

  1. Let the employer’s lawyer or HR drive the standard employment case — established employers know the portal flow.
  2. Don’t book biometrics travel tight — appointment availability varies by MUP office.
  3. Keep digital and paper copies of every upload and receipt.
  4. If a blog (including old versions of this one) mentions the National Employment Service issuing standalone work permits at a walk-in office, it predates 2024 — use the portal.