Temporary and Permanent Residence of Foreigners in Serbia
Ovaj tekst je dostupan i na srpskom jeziku.
Under the Law on Foreigners (in Serbian), a foreigner is any person who does not hold Serbian citizenship. A person who holds both Serbian and a foreign citizenship is treated in Serbia as a Serbian citizen and does not need a residence permit.
A foreigner may stay in Serbia on a short-term basis (visa-free or with a visa for up to 90 days), with a long-stay visa, on temporary residence or on permanent residence. Those who also want to work usually obtain a single residence and work permit, governed by the Law on Foreigners and the Law on the Employment of Foreigners (in Serbian). The last major amendments to both laws have applied since February 2024; there have been no further amendments as of October 2026.
Below we explain how to enter Serbia, how to get the white card, which grounds exist for temporary residence and which documents are needed, when permanent residence can be obtained, how much the fees are and what to do if an application is rejected. The single permit procedure is described in detail in our guide work permit for foreigners in Serbia.
Contents:
Visa for Serbia
Whether a foreigner needs a visa depends on their nationality. The current list of countries is published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A visa is obtained before entry, at the Serbian embassy or consulate in the country where the applicant lawfully resides, and is issued as a sticker or in electronic form.
| Visa | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| A - airport transit | Passing through the international transit area of an airport without entering Serbia; only for nationals of countries designated by the Government | Valid up to 6 months |
| C - short stay | Tourism, business meetings, visits and all other purposes except those for which a D visa or temporary residence is issued; does not give the right to employment, except for short business activities expressly allowed by law | Stay up to 90 days in 180 days; single, double or multiple entry; validity up to 5 years |
| D - long stay | For a foreigner who needs a visa and intends to apply in Serbia for temporary residence or a single permit | Stay of 90 to 180 days, multiple entry |
The ground for a D visa must be the same as the ground for the temporary residence or single permit applied for later. As a rule, a C visa cannot be the basis for a temporary residence application, except on humanitarian grounds, due to force majeure or in the interest of the Republic of Serbia.
Visa-free entry
- a foreigner who does not need a visa may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted from the first entry; the days of entry and exit count as days of stay,
- an international agreement may provide otherwise - for example, Russian citizens with ordinary passports may stay visa-free for up to 30 days,
- under the Government decision on visa-free entry, holders of a valid Schengen, UK, EU member state or US visa, and foreigners with residence in those countries, may enter without a Serbian visa and stay up to 90 days within six months, but not beyond the validity of that visa or residence,
- citizens of India and Nepal, for example, need a visa unless they meet the conditions in the previous point - always check the current regime on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website before travelling.
White card - registration of stay step by step
"White card" (beli karton) is the common name for the confirmation of the registration of a foreigner's place of stay. The place of stay is the address where a foreigner stays longer than 24 hours. Registration is mandatory for every foreigner, including those who do not need a visa, and the white card is later required for a temporary residence application.
- Who registers: the hotel, hostel or other paid accommodation provider; the person the foreigner is visiting (the owner or tenant of the apartment), who may authorise another person or the foreigner to register; and if neither applies (for example, the foreigner lives in an apartment they bought) - the foreigner personally.
- Deadline: 24 hours from providing accommodation, the arrival of the visitor, or entry into Serbia or a change of address.
- Where: at the police department or station for the place of accommodation, or online where technically available and the applicant has electronic identification. Accommodation providers today usually register guests electronically.
- What to submit: the foreigner's passport (details or copy) and the accommodation address; in practice the police also ask for proof of the right to the apartment (a title deed extract or a lease agreement).
- Confirmation: a confirmation of registration - the white card - is issued and should be kept.
- Change of address: every change of the place of stay requires a new registration; a foreigner on temporary residence must report a change of residential address within three days, and a foreigner with permanent residence a change of domicile within eight days.
Failure to register a foreigner is fined: a natural person RSD 5,000 to 150,000, a legal entity RSD 50,000 to 2,000,000, a sole proprietor RSD 10,000 to 500,000, and the foreigner RSD 5,000 to 150,000 if they were required to register personally.
Temporary residence and the single permit
Temporary residence is granted to a foreigner who intends to stay in Serbia longer than 90 days in a 180-day period, or longer than the period of their D visa. The foreigner must stay in accordance with the ground on which residence was granted. Temporary residence is granted for up to three years and may be renewed for the same period as long as the ground exists. The passport must be valid at least three months longer than the period of residence requested, so a shorter passport validity also shortens the residence granted.
The Law on Foreigners provides the following grounds:
- with a single residence and work permit: employment (including self-employment and special cases of employment, such as posting and intra-company transfer) and professional specialisation, training and internship,
- with a temporary residence permit: schooling or learning Serbian, university studies, international student or pupil exchange, scientific research, family reunification, religious service, medical treatment or care, ownership of real estate, humanitarian stay, status of a (presumed) victim of human trafficking and other justified reasons under a law or an international agreement.
The Government may regulate residence for special categories by a separate act - for example foreign investors, talents, foreigners involved in innovation, foreigners of Serbian origin, digital nomads and highly qualified foreigners.
| Ground | Permit | Key evidence | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Single permit | Draft employment contract or other contract for work; labour market test | With that employer |
| Self-employment | Single permit | Registration with the Business Registers Agency (foreigner as sole or controlling member); qualifications | In own company |
| Family reunification | Temporary residence | Marriage or birth certificate; proof of the family member's residence | Without a single permit |
| Owning an apartment or house | Temporary residence | Proof of ownership (title deed extract) | Without a single permit |
| University studies | Temporary residence | Certificate of enrolment at an accredited higher education institution | Up to 20 hours a week during teaching |
| Medical treatment or care | Temporary residence | Confirmation from a health or social care institution | No |
General conditions and documents
A temporary residence application, regardless of the ground, must include:
- a valid passport (or identity card, for nationals who may enter Serbia with it), valid at least three months longer than the residence requested,
- proof of sufficient means of subsistence,
- registration of stay (white card) or residential address,
- proof of health insurance,
- evidence of the ground for residence (see the table and sections below),
- proof of payment of the fee.
Proof of means and of insurance is not required from a close family member of a Serbian citizen or from a foreigner who is being employed, nor from members of their close family. Foreign documents are usually submitted with an apostille or legalisation and a translation by a Serbian court interpreter.
Filing: a temporary residence application is filed in person with the competent police department or online, including from abroad. A single permit application is filed online only, through the Portal for Foreigners. The photograph is taken when giving biometric data, which requires personal attendance, as does collecting the permit.
Deadlines: a decision on a temporary residence application is made within 30 days, and on a complete single permit application within 15 days. A foreigner who files on time may remain in Serbia until the procedure is completed, including any appeal. A renewal application is filed no earlier than three months and no later than the expiry of the current permit.
Employment - single permit
The single permit is one biometric document covering both residence and work. The application is filed by the foreigner, by the employer on the foreigner's behalf or by a person they authorise. For a foreigner who needs a visa, the application is filed after entry, while the D visa for employment is valid; for a foreigner who does not need a visa - during lawful stay or from abroad.
The basis is an employment contract or another contract under which the foreigner exercises rights based on work without an employment relationship under the Serbian Labour Law (for example a contract for temporary and occasional work). A service contract is a basis only as a special case, where the foreigner provides services as a self-employed person registered abroad.
Together with the application, the employer starts the labour market test, which is part of the same online application. Within four days the National Employment Service checks whether its register contains persons who meet the requirements of the position - both Serbian citizens and foreigners who already have the right to work. The employer must not have made employees redundant in those positions in the previous 90 days. The Government may exempt certain shortage occupations from the test, and the test is not carried out for special cases of employment (posted workers, intra-company transfer and others).
Foreigners with permanent residence, and foreigners with temporary residence on the grounds of family reunification, ownership of real estate, studies and some other grounds, work without a single permit - no labour market test is carried out for them. The full procedure, documents and rules on changing employer are described in our guide work permit for foreigners in Serbia.
Self-employment and your own company
Registering a company with the Business Registers Agency does not by itself give a right of residence. A foreigner who wants to work in their own company applies for a single permit on the ground of self-employment, which exists when the foreigner is the sole or controlling member of the company, or a sole proprietor. A director or minority member who is employed in the company obtains a single permit on the ground of employment, not self-employment.
The National Employment Service assesses the foreigner's qualifications for the activity and the hiring plan. In addition to the passport and residential address, evidence of registration and qualifications is attached to the online application. A foreigner who obtains the permit must start the activity within 90 days. An owner, founder, representative or member of a company who is not employed in it may, without a single permit, stay and perform tasks for the company for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.
Family reunification
Temporary residence on the ground of family reunification may be granted to a close family member of:
- a Serbian citizen,
- a foreigner with temporary residence, a single permit or permanent residence,
- a foreigner granted asylum.
Close family means spouses and unmarried partners, their children (born in or out of wedlock, adopted or stepchildren) under 18 who are not married, and the parents of minor children. Exceptionally, other relatives who depend on the sponsor and have no family care in their country of origin may be included, as well as an adult child who cannot support themselves due to their health.
In addition to the general conditions, evidence of the family relationship is submitted - a marriage or birth certificate, and for an unmarried partnership evidence of living together - together with proof of the family member's status in Serbia. A family member of a Serbian citizen does not submit proof of means and insurance. Residence is granted at most until the expiry of the residence of the family member being joined. After four years of continuous residence on this ground, independent residence may be requested. For a child born in Serbia whose parents are both foreigners, the application must be filed within three months of birth.
Owning an apartment or house
Temporary residence on this ground may be granted to a foreigner who owns an apartment or residential building in which they live. Business premises, a garage or land are not a ground. In addition to the general conditions, proof of ownership is submitted - usually a title deed extract - so it is important that the ownership is registered in the cadastre (in Serbian). A foreigner with residence on this ground may work without a single permit. The conditions for buying are explained in our guide buying property in Serbia as a foreigner.
Students and other special categories
- students - temporary residence on the ground of studies; during the teaching period they may work at most 20 hours a week or 80 hours a month; time spent studying counts only by half towards permanent residence,
- posted workers and intra-company transfers - a single permit for special cases of employment, without a labour market test,
- short business stays - business meetings, lectures, trade fairs and installation of equipment for up to 90 days in 180 days, without a single permit,
- investors, digital nomads and highly qualified foreigners - under a separate Government act, once adopted.
Permanent residence
When can a foreigner obtain permanent residence?
Under the amendments applicable since 2024, permanent residence is granted to a foreigner who has stayed in Serbia continuously for three years on the basis of temporary residence or a single permit (previously the general period was five years). The stay is considered continuous with absences of up to six months at a time or ten months in total during that period. Time spent serving a prison sentence does not count.
- a foreigner in Serbia only for studies or schooling cannot apply; if they later changed the ground, half of the time spent studying is counted,
- at the time of filing, the foreigner must have valid temporary residence, and a timely application allows lawful stay until the procedure is completed.
Without the three-year period, permanent residence is granted to a minor one of whose parents is a Serbian citizen or a foreigner with permanent residence, to a foreigner originating from Serbia or of Serbian origin, and to another foreigner where it is in the interest of the Republic of Serbia. Marriage to a Serbian citizen is not in itself a special ground - the spouse obtains permanent residence after three years of residence on the ground of family reunification.
What does the procedure look like?
The application must include a valid passport, proof of means of subsistence, proof of health insurance, evidence of the ground and proof of payment of the fee. It is filed in person with the competent police department or online, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs decides within 60 days. The foreigner is issued an identity card for foreigners, which they collect in person. A foreigner with permanent residence has the same rights and obligations as citizens, except for rights from which they are excluded by the Constitution and law, and works without a single permit.
How does permanent residence end?
A foreigner loses permanent residence if they:
- pose a genuine and serious threat to public order or security (for example, a final prison sentence of more than one year),
- have been subject to a protective measure of removal or a security measure of expulsion,
- gave false information about their identity or concealed important circumstances in an earlier procedure,
- moved out of Serbia or stayed abroad continuously for more than one year,
- renounced permanent residence.
A foreigner who lost permanent residence because of an absence of more than one year may apply again after another three years of continuous temporary residence.
Overview of deadlines
| Action | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Registration of stay (white card) | 24 hours from arrival, accommodation or change of address |
| Reporting a change of residential address (temporary residence) | 3 days |
| Reporting a change of domicile (permanent residence) | 8 days |
| Renewal of temporary residence or single permit | No earlier than 3 months, no later than expiry |
| Decision on a single permit | 15 days from a complete application |
| Decision on temporary residence | 30 days |
| Decision on permanent residence | 60 days |
| Appeal against refusal or termination of residence | 15 days from receipt of the decision |
| Appeal against refusal of a visa or entry | 8 days from receipt of the decision |
| Leaving Serbia after termination of residence | Set by the decision, at most 30 days |
| Residence application for a child born in Serbia | 3 months from birth |
| Starting the activity after a self-employment permit | 90 days |
Fees
Under the tariff of the Law on Republic Administrative Fees (in Serbian; adjusted amounts applicable in October 2026):
| Fee | Amount (RSD) |
|---|---|
| Temporary residence | 23,450 |
| Single permit | 22,770 |
| Issuing the temporary residence or single permit card | 2,190 |
| Permanent residence | 17,100 |
| Identity card for foreigners | 6,220 |
| Appeal against refusal of a single permit | 10,950 |
A foreigner granted temporary residence on the ground of family reunification with a Serbian citizen pays a temporary residence fee reduced by 50%, and Serbian Government scholarship holders and guests of state bodies within scientific and cultural cooperation do not pay the temporary residence fee. Online payment may involve a bank commission. The amounts are adjusted once a year.
Refusal, termination of residence and appeal
A temporary residence application is refused in particular if:
- the passport is not valid at least three months longer than the residence requested, or one of the general conditions is not met,
- the foreigner is subject to a removal or expulsion measure or an entry ban,
- security reasons require it,
- there is reasonable suspicion that the residence will not be used for the intended purpose, or the previous residence was not used in accordance with its ground,
- forged or unlawfully obtained evidence was submitted.
An appeal against a decision refusing temporary residence or a single permit, or terminating residence, may be lodged within 15 days of receipt, in writing, in Serbian and with a fee, through the authority that issued the decision; it is decided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. An appeal against a refusal of permanent residence is decided by the Government. As a rule, an appeal suspends enforcement of the decision, and an administrative dispute may be initiated against the second-instance decision.
Temporary residence ends on expiry, at the foreigner's request, on acquiring citizenship or when permanent residence is granted. If a ground for refusal is subsequently established - for example, that after a divorce, termination of employment or deregistration of the company the foreigner no longer uses the residence in accordance with its ground - the competent authority issues a decision terminating the residence and may set a deadline of up to 30 days to leave Serbia and an entry ban. When the ground changes, a new application should be filed in time; an employed foreigner whose contract has ended has 30 days to conclude a new contract.
Penalties for unlawful stay and work
- unlawful stay (after the 90 days, the visa or the permit have expired, without another legal ground) and stay contrary to the ground on which residence was granted - RSD 50,000 to 150,000, with a possible removal measure; the foreigner is returned to their country of origin and may be banned from entry,
- a foreigner who does not leave Serbia within the deadline for voluntary return - RSD 50,000 to 150,000,
- working without a permit - the foreigner RSD 15,000 to 150,000; an employer that is a legal entity RSD 800,000 to 2,000,000, a sole proprietor RSD 50,000 to 500,000, the responsible person RSD 20,000 to 150,000, with a possible ban on business activity of six months to one year,
- failure to apply for temporary residence or a single permit and failure to report a change of address - RSD 20,000 to 150,000,
- failure to register the place of stay - the fines listed in the white card section.
FAQ
How long can a foreigner stay in Serbia without a visa?
A foreigner who does not need a visa may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted from the first entry, unless an international agreement provides otherwise - for example, Russian citizens may stay visa-free for up to 30 days. Holders of a valid Schengen, UK, EU member state or US visa, and foreigners with residence in those countries, may enter without a Serbian visa and stay up to 90 days within six months, but not beyond the validity of that visa or residence.
How do I get a white card in Serbia?
The white card (beli karton) is the confirmation of the registration of a foreigner's place of stay. The registration is filed with the police department for the place of accommodation within 24 hours by the hotel or other accommodation provider, or by the host the foreigner is staying with; a foreigner who does not use such accommodation must register personally within 24 hours of entering Serbia or changing address. Where technically available, registration can also be filed online.
How long does the temporary residence or single permit procedure take?
A decision on a temporary residence application must be made within 30 days of filing, and on a complete single permit application within 15 days. A foreigner who filed on time while staying lawfully in Serbia may remain in Serbia until the procedure is completed - with a single permit application, also work.
Can temporary residence or a single permit be renewed?
Yes, as long as the ground still exists. A renewal application is filed no earlier than three months and no later than the expiry of the current permit. A late application may exceptionally be considered if filed less than three months after expiry, on humanitarian grounds, due to force majeure or in the interest of the Republic of Serbia.
Does the foreigner have to appear in person?
Single permit applications are filed online only, and temporary residence applications either in person or online, including from abroad. Personal attendance is required for giving biometric data and collecting the permit. A permanent residence application is filed in person or online, and the foreigner collects the identity card for foreigners in person.
Do I need a lawyer to obtain residence in Serbia?
No, the law does not require a lawyer - the foreigner, the employer or a person they authorise may file the application. A lawyer can help with choosing the right ground, preparing and translating documents, communicating with the authority and filing an appeal if the application is rejected.
How much are the fees?
Under the Law on Republic Administrative Fees, the fee for temporary residence is RSD 23,450 and for a single permit RSD 22,770, plus RSD 2,190 for issuing the permit card. The fee for permanent residence is RSD 17,100 and for the identity card for foreigners RSD 6,220. A foreigner granted temporary residence on the ground of family reunification with a Serbian citizen pays a temporary residence fee reduced by 50%.
When does temporary residence end?
Temporary residence ends on expiry, at the foreigner's request, on death, when permanent residence is granted or when Serbian citizenship is acquired. If a ground for refusal is subsequently established - for example, that after a divorce, termination of employment or deregistration of the company the foreigner no longer uses the residence in accordance with its ground - the authority issues a decision terminating the residence and may set a deadline of up to 30 days to leave Serbia and an entry ban. That is why, when the ground changes, a new application should be filed in time. An appeal may be lodged within 15 days.
When can a foreigner get permanent residence in Serbia?
As a rule, after three years of continuous stay on the basis of temporary residence or a single permit, with permitted absences of up to six months at a time or up to ten months in total. Without this period, permanent residence is granted to a minor whose parent is a Serbian citizen or a foreigner with permanent residence, to a foreigner originating from Serbia or of Serbian origin, and where it is in the interest of the Republic of Serbia.
Immigration lawyer in Novi Sad
A lawyer is not mandatory, but can help you choose the right ground for residence, prepare and translate documents, keep track of the renewal deadline and file an appeal if the application is rejected. Mistakes in documents are common with family reunification, self-employment and permanent residence, and deadlines are short.
If you are arranging your residence in Serbia, contact our lawyer for the rights of foreigners. Consultations are available in English.