Frequently asked questions

If you intend to stay in the territory of the Republic of Serbia for more than 90 days from the date of entry, or longer than the period stipulated by the bilateral agreement between the Republic of Serbia and your country, or beyond the period for which a long-stay visa has been issued, you should submit a request for temporary residence approval. More information about whether you need a visa to enter the Republic of Serbia can be found on the Entry & Stay Regulation link.

To submit the request electronically, it is necessary to first have a registered user account on the Portal - welcometoserbia.gov.rs. After a successful account registration, you need to select the appropriate service on the Portal and initiate the process of submitting a request for temporary residence approval by filling out the online request form.

Depending on the chosen basis or the specific reason for submitting the request, it is automatically determined whether the request is for temporary residence approval or approval for a permit for temporary residence and work (unified permit).

The unified permit can be issued if a foreigner submits a request for temporary residence approval exclusively electronically based on employment for the following reasons:

• Employment based on an employment contract or another contract that establishes rights in accordance with the Labor Law in Republic of Serbia;
• Posted worker;
• Movement within the same company;
• Independent professional;
• Training and professional/career traning;
• Self-employment.

Issuing a permit for temporary residence and work (unified permit) enables a foreigner employed in the Republic of Serbia to simultaneously obtain a permit for temporary residence and work in a unified/single administrative procedure.

If you need a visa to enter the Republic of Serbia and plan to stay longer than the period specified in your visa (Type D), it is necessary to submit a request for temporary residence during the validity of the visa, based on the same grounds for which the visa was issued.

Additionally, if your arrival in the Republic of Serbia is based on employment, a previously issued Type D visa for employment simultaneously serves as permission for entry, residence, and work for a period of up to a maximum of 180 days in the Republic of Serbia.

Foreign nationals who have submitted a request for asylum or have been granted asylum or temporary protection in the Republic of Serbia are exempt from submitting a request for temporary residence approval. Additionally, individuals who, according to international law, enjoy privileges and immunities in a domain where these privileges and immunities are excluded (diplomats, consular staff, and persons associated with this category of individuals) are exempt.

Citizens of the Republic of Serbia who have dual citizenship are also exempt.

A foreigner to whom temporary residence is granted based on one of the legally prescribed grounds is obliged to stay in the Republic of Serbia in accordance with the basis for which the residence is approved. If circumstances under which the foreigner was granted temporary residence change subsequently, the foreigner is obligated to inform the competent authority that approved their temporary residence about the changes.

If the foreigner has exercised the right to temporary residence and work (a permit for temporary residence and work - unified permit) in accordance with the law, through the prescribed procedure, via this Portal, the foreigner or the employer can submit a request for a change of employer, the basis of employment, or employment with two or more employers.

Temporary residence, or temporary residence and work, can be approved for a duration of up to three years and can be extended for the same period, depending on the basis for residence and the existence of reasons for which temporary residence is granted.

The validity period of the travel document or national identity card (for foreigners who can enter the Republic of Serbia with an ID card) must be at least three months longer than the approved period of temporary residence.

The permit for temporary residence, or the permit for temporary residence and work (unified permit), is issued in the form of a biometric document, presented in the shape of ID card.

In addition to the national travel document or the foreigner's national identity card, the permit for temporary residence, or the unified permit, serves as one of the documents by which the foreigner proves their identity and status in the Republic of Serbia. Possession of one of these two documents grants the foreigner the ability to use an electronic signature when exercising their rights and obligations, similar to what is available to domestic citizens.

A foreigner who possesses a travel document from a country with which the Republic of Serbia has a visa-free regime, and for whom a long-stay visa (Type D visa) is not required to submit a request for temporary residence approval, can electronically submit the request from abroad. Additionally, a foreigner who possesses an ID card from a country with which, in accordance with the regulations of the Republic of Serbia, they can enter Serbia, may also submit a request for temporary residence approval or temporary residence and work from abroad.

A foreigner with a travel document from a country under a visa regime with the Republic of Serbia, provided that they entered the Republic of Serbia with a long-stay visa (Type D visa), can electronically submit a request for temporary residence approval, or temporary residence and work, during the validity of the long-stay visa.

If you possess citizenship from a country with which the Republic of Serbia has a visa regime, and your previously approved temporary residence has expired before your return to the Republic of Serbia, it is necessary to obtain a new long-stay visa, Type D, with which you will enter the Republic of Serbia. After entering the Republic of Serbia with a Type D visa (long-stay visa), you can then submit a request for the approval of temporary residence or temporary residence and work.

The submission of a request for the approval of temporary residence or temporary residence and work, as well as the notification from the competent authority about the resolution of the request, is not a basis or guarantee that the foreigner will be granted entry into the Republic of Serbia.

A person with multiple citizenships is considered a citizen of the country that issued the travel document with which they entered the Republic of Serbia or with which they submitted a request for approval of temporary residence, or temporary residence and work, from abroad.

For children, minors, and individuals lacking legal and procedural capacity, the request for approval/extension of temporary residence can be submitted by the legal or authorized representatives of the child/minor (parents, adoptive parents, guardians, foster parents, and other individuals authorized to represent based on the law). It should be noted that for these individuals, it is not possible to submit the request electronically through the Portal.

A foreigner who possesses a travel document from a country with which the Republic of Serbia has a visa-free regime can electronically submit a request for approval, extension of temporary residence, or a request for approval of temporary residence and work during their lawful stay, either from abroad or from within the Republic of Serbia. Similarly, a foreigner who possesses an ID card from a country with which, in accordance with the regulations of the Republic of Serbia, they can enter Serbia, can submit a request for approval, extension, or approval of temporary residence and work from abroad.

A foreigner with a travel document from a country under a visa regime with the Republic of Serbia can electronically submit a request for approval, extension, or approval of temporary residence and work from within the Republic of Serbia during the validity of the previously issued long-stay visa (Type D visa) with which they entered Serbia.

A foreigner who has an approved temporary residence can electronically submit a request for the extension of temporary residence or temporary residence and work in the Republic of Serbia no earlier than 90 days and no later than the expiration of the previously approved temporary residence or temporary residence and work.