A Guide to the Rules of Employment, Movement and Stay of Foreigners in Serbia
Newsletter 93
We offer you a brief guide to the basic rules, addressing the perplexities of employment, movement and stay of foreigners in our country.
A foreigner is any person who does not have the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia. Serbian laws provide for special rules for the movement, stay and employment of foreign nationals in Serbia.
1. Movement and Stay of Foreigners in Serbia
The primary obligation of a foreigner and a person providing accommodation services to the foreigner is to register the foreigner’s residence with the relevant police authority within 24 hours from the date of entry into Serbia (residence registration or “white card”).
With regard to the stay in Serbia, the Law on Foreigners (LOF) recognizes the following types of stay:
1) the stay of up to 90 days
2) temporary residence and
3) permanent residence.
In principle, foreigners may stay in Serbia up to 90 days without a visa, but there are exceptions where it is not possible to enter Serbia without first obtaining a visa. This general rule on the length of stay does not apply in cases where the grounds for the stay necessarily entail the possession of a temporary residence permit (e.g. work engagement).
Temporary residence is granted to foreigners whose intention is to stay in Serbia longer than 90 days for the purpose of:
