To work in Serbia, you must have an appropriate D visa issued on the basis of employment or a temporary residence and work permit. In some cases, a temporary residence permit also grants the right to work.

It is also important to note that there are certain jobs that you can perform without a work permit for a shorter period of time, up to 90 days (more information about this at the end of this text).

Which rule applies to you depends on the job you want to do, the purpose of your stay in Serbia, the length of your stay, and also depends on which country issued the passport with which you enter the territory of the Republic of Serbia.

Work visa – Employment-based Visa D – who needs it and what it allows

A work visa is required for foreigners who are in a visa regime or who need a D visa to apply for a residence permit and come to work in Serbia.

A D visa on the basis of employment can also be obtained by foreigners coming from a country with which the Republic of Serbia does not have a visa regime, if their work engagement in the Republic of Serbia lasts less than 180 days.

To be sure whether you need a work visa lasting a maximum of 180 days or whether you can directly apply for a temporary residence permit based on employment lasting a maximum of 36 months, visit My Entry, Visas and Residence Guide .

A work visa is actually a D visa issued for the purpose of employment. This visa allows you to stay and work in Serbia for a maximum period of 180 days. If you want to stay longer and continue with the same employment, you need to apply for a single temporary residence and work permit.

The more specific employment reasons for which a D visa can be obtained are:

• Employment based on an Employment Contract or other contract that exercises rights in accordance with the Labor Law (employment in the narrow sense),
• Self-employment (entry in the registration decision),
• Referred person (business-technical cooperation agreement),
• Movement within the company,
• Independent professional,
• Training and development (professional practice, specialization, training, internship, work experience, professional training/development),
• Volunteering,
• Accredited foreign journalist,
• Project implementation in cooperation with state authorities of the Republic of Serbia,
• Realization of an audiovisual work (engagement of a member of the author’s and acting team who produces an audiovisual work on the territory of the Republic of Serbia).

Foreigners from certain countries do not need a D visa to enter, reside and work in Serbia, but can submit an application for temporary residence based on employment electronically (whether they are already in Serbia or not).

Temporary residence and work permit, Single permit

Employment is the purpose of stay on the basis of which you can obtain a residence and work permit. There are more immediate reasons for employment that require a work permit, and it will automatically be integrated into a permit called a single temporary residence and work permit.

More detailed employment reasons based on which a single residence and work permit is obtained:

• Employment based on an Employment Contract or other contract that exercises rights in accordance with the Labor Law (employment in the narrow sense),
• Self-employment (entry in the registration decision),
• Referred person (business-technical cooperation agreement),
• Movement within the company,
• Independent professional,
• Training and development (professional practice, specialization, training, internship, work experience, professional training/development).

If you are applying for a temporary residence permit based on employment under an employment contract or other contract that grants rights in accordance with the Labor Law, it is necessary for the employer to initiate a labor market test procedure.

Temporary residence permit

Within the purpose of stay that involves employment, there are some closer reasons for employment when a foreigner has the right to work in accordance with the purpose and reason for employment:

• Volunteering,
• Accredited foreign journalist,
• Implementation of projects in cooperation with state authorities of the Republic of Serbia,
• Hiring a member of the author’s and acting team who produces an audiovisual work on the territory of the Republic of Serbia.

If the reason for your stay is one of the four listed, your temporary residence permit will be a permit with the right to work in accordance with the purpose of the granted stay. Your right to work is integrated into the temporary residence permit, which is issued for a maximum of 36 months.

Submitting a request

You can apply for a D visa and a temporary residence permit based on employment yourself, or your employer can apply for it. You can apply for a D visa electronically on this Portal. You can apply for a temporary residence permit in person or electronically, and you can apply for a single temporary residence and work permit exclusively electronically, on this Portal.

The right to work on other grounds

Recognizing the need for foreign citizens who have been granted temporary residence on other grounds prescribed by the applicable Law on Foreigners and the Law on the Employment of Foreigners to also have the opportunity to work in our country, thereby contributing to the development of the country, it has been made possible for a large number of foreigners to have the legally granted right to work in the Republic of Serbia without issuing a single permit for temporary residence and work. This group of foreigners includes, first of all, foreigners who have been granted temporary residence on the basis of family reunification with a citizen of the Republic of Serbia, foreigners who have been granted temporary residence on the basis of owning real estate, on the basis of studying (within the time period prescribed by the Law on the Employment of Foreigners), foreigners who have been granted temporary residence on the basis of scientific research work, volunteers, foreign journalists, foreign experts engaged in projects in state bodies of the Republic of Serbia, religious officials, foreigners on humanitarian stays, foreigners who are victims of human trafficking and other foreigners in accordance with the provisions of the Law on the Employment of Foreigners, as well as permanently resident foreigners.

Jobs that do not require a work permit if you perform them for a period of up to 90 days, or during a short-term stay in accordance with an international agreement or Government decision

If you do not stay in Serbia for more than 90 days in a 180-day period counting from the date of first entry, then you have the right to work during the specified period without a single permit, provided that:

• you are the owner, founder, representative or member of a legal entity registered in the Republic, and who is not employed by that legal entity;
• you are staying to establish business contacts or attend meetings and, without generating income in the Republic of Serbia, you are carrying out other business activities related to the preparation of a foreign employer to establish a presence and start work in Serbia;
• you are a lecturer or researcher who participates in organized professional meetings or research projects or you carry out work aimed at presenting or implementing various scientific and technical achievements. On this basis, the right to work is also exercised by your supporting staff;
• you carry out temporary educational, sports, artistic, cultural and other similar activities or you are in the Republic of Serbia attending a scientific, artistic, cultural or sports event organized by authorized organizations, state bodies or bodies of an autonomous province and local self-government units, as well as accompanying organizational and technical staff;
• you are an instructed person (you are coming as part of a business cooperation between two business entities) who performs work based on a contract for the purchase of goods, the purchase or lease of machinery or equipment, their delivery, installation, assembly, repair, or training for working on such machinery or equipment;
• You are staying in the Republic of Serbia, independently or for the needs of a foreign employer, to perform work related to furnishing and displaying equipment and exhibits at trade and other fairs and exhibitions.

Note: The visa regime of the country you are coming from and the purpose of your stay play a decisive role in determining whether you need a visa to stay in Serbia for up to 90 days. Visit My Guide to Entry, Visas and Stay and find out which visa you need. You can also get information on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs .