Permanent Residence
Expatriates wishing to reside in Serbia are required to obtain a residence or a business permit. Within 24 hours upon entering the country they are obliged to register with the police station in the territory of residence. In addition, those who are eligible for a residence permit have to submit the application to the police station within 3 days upon their arrival in the country. It normally takes not more than a week to process the application, and the temporary residence permit is issued for a period of up to one year. Upon expiration of the temporary residence permit, it may be extended for another year. The holder of a residence permit is also obliged to notify the local police of any change of address.
As of 31 May 2003, visas are no longer required for: citizens of EU member countries, EU membership candidate countries and other highly developed countries, if staying in Serbia less than 90 days. Therefore, the following do not require visas: Australia, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Iceland, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, USA and Japan.
To be granted temporary residence, it is necessary to submit the following documents:
- Application form,
- Valid passport,
- 2 photographs,
- Registration of the apartment where an expatriate is staying,
- Employment contract,
- Explanatory letter of the need for employment written by the company,
- The decision from the commercial court with information on the company changes,
- Quarterly calculation of VAT.
Foreign persons eligible for a business permit are: company founders, directors of companies with foreign shareholders, directors of (foreign) representative offices, directors of (foreign) banks, (foreign) banks' representative offices, (foreign) insurance companies, and their representative offices. The application and all other necessary documents are to be submitted to the Directorate for Foreigners.
The documentation required for this type of a permit is:
- Application form,
- Valid passport,
- 2 photographs,
- Registration of the apartment where an expatriate is staying,
- The decision from the commercial court with information on the company changes.
