Immigration lawyer in Serbia: residence, work and appeals

Temporary residence: choosing the right ground

Temporary residence is granted on a specific legal ground. The Law on Foreigners lists, among others, employment, studies, family reunification, ownership of real estate in Serbia, medical treatment, scientific research and other justified reasons. The Government may also set special categories, such as investors, talents and digital nomads.

The ground you choose decides which documents you need, how long the permit lasts and how easily it can be renewed. A director who will work in his own company, a remote worker paid from abroad and a property owner are three very different cases, even when they live in the same flat in Belgrade.

The authority decides on a request for temporary residence within 30 days.

• Employment or self-employment, usually through the single permit
• Family reunification with a spouse or parent living in Serbia
• Ownership of real estate in Serbia
• Studies, training and research
• Other justified reasons, assessed case by case

The single permit for residence and work

The single permit combines temporary residence and the right to work in one decision. It is issued for employment, self-employment and special cases of employment, by the police administration of the Ministry of Interior. It can be issued for up to three years and renewed for the same period.

On a complete application, the authority decides within 15 days. The word complete matters: most delays come from missing or badly prepared documents, such as an employment contract that does not match the job, or foreign documents without an apostille and certified translation.

Renewal: the date you must not miss

A request to extend temporary residence or the single permit can be filed no earlier than three months before the current permit expires, and no later than the day it expires. A late request is accepted only in narrow cases, such as humanitarian reasons or force majeure, and only if less than three months have passed since expiry.

Put the expiry date in your calendar the day you receive the permit, and start collecting documents three months before it.

If your application is rejected

A decision rejecting temporary residence or the single permit can be appealed within 15 days of receiving it. The appeal is filed through the authority that issued the decision and is decided by the Ministry of Interior. An appeal against a rejected temporary residence suspends the decision while it is pending. After the second-instance decision, an administrative dispute before the Administrative Court is possible.

Fifteen days is short. Send us the decision as soon as you receive it: we check whether the refusal can be challenged, or whether a new application on a better ground is the faster route.

Permanent residence

A foreigner who has lived in Serbia continuously for three years on approved temporary residence, including the single permit, can apply for permanent residence. Absences of up to ten months in total, or a single absence of up to six months, do not break continuity. Time spent in Serbia as a student counts only by half.

Some applicants do not need the three years, for example foreigners of Serbian origin and minor children of a Serbian citizen or of a foreigner with permanent residence.

How we handle it

1. AssessmentWe review your situation and choose the legal ground with the best chance and the least risk at renewal.
2. DocumentsWe tell you which foreign documents need an apostille or legalisation and a certified translation, and check them before filing.
3. ApplicationWe file the application and follow it until the decision is issued.
4. Appeal if neededIf the application is rejected, we prepare the appeal within the 15-day deadline.
5. Renewal and permanent residenceWe remind you of the renewal window and, after three years, prepare the application for permanent residence.

What to send us

• Valid passport
• Proof of the legal ground: employment contract, company documents, marriage or birth certificate, title deed
• Proof of accommodation in Serbia
• Proof of means of support
• Health insurance
• Foreign documents with apostille or legalisation and certified translation

Frequently asked questions