Serbia Single Permit: Work and Residence Permit

Serbia's single permit combines temporary residence and work authorisation into one procedure for foreign nationals who qualify under one of six prescribed employment-related grounds.

Most people still search for a "Serbian work permit". Since 1 February 2024 there is, for most working foreigners, no separate work permit to obtain: the right to live in Serbia and the right to work here are granted together, in a single permit for temporary residence and work, applied for electronically and decided within 15 days of a complete application. This guide explains who needs it, which of the six routes fits which situation, what the labour market test is and when it applies, the documents, the fees, the timeline, and what happens when you change employer.

Stojković Attorneys acts for both sides of the application — foreign professionals and the Serbian companies that employ, transfer or engage them. Choose the entry that describes you below and the questions adapt to your situation.

I am an individual → I am an employer →

Serbia Single Permit at a Glance

Question	Answer
What is it?	One permit for temporary residence and work
Since when?	1 February 2024
Who issues it?	The Ministry of the Interior, after the National Employment Service assesses the employment conditions
How is it filed?	Exclusively electronically
Who may file?	The foreign national, the employer on their behalf, or an authorised representative
Legal routes	Six: employment, self-employment, posted worker, intra-company transfer, independent professional, training and professional development
Statutory decision period	15 days from receipt of a complete application
Maximum validity	up to three years, depending on the basis and the evidence
Labour market test	Only for employment in the strict sense — not for all six routes
Government fees	RSD 430 for the application + RSD 22,770 for the approval, subject to statutory exemptions
Result	A biometric residence card

What Is the Single Permit?

Before the reform that took effect on 1 February 2024, a foreign national who wanted to work in Serbia typically went through two procedures: a work permit, issued by the National Employment Service, and a temporary residence permit, issued by the police. The two had different deadlines, different documents and different expiry dates, and the second could not begin until the first was in hand.

The single permit for temporary residence and work replaced that architecture for the six employment-related routes. It is one application, filed through the Portal for Foreigners. Inside that one procedure, the National Employment Service assesses whether the employment conditions are met, and the Ministry of the Interior decides on residence and issues the permit. The applicant deals with one file, one set of documents and one decision.

If you have been told to "get the work permit first and apply for residence afterwards", that advice describes the system that ended in January 2024.

Do You Actually Need a Single Permit?

Not every foreign national who works in Serbia needs a single permit. The single permit covers the six employment-related routes described below. Two other groups work in Serbia without one.

Foreign nationals with work rights through another residence ground

Foreign nationals holding temporary residence on certain grounds other than employment have access to the Serbian labour market without a separate single permit. Under the current rules these grounds are:

• family reunification;
• ownership of real estate;
• humanitarian residence;
• study and international student exchange;
• scientific research;
• the status of a victim, or presumed victim, of human trafficking;
• independent residence;
• work as an accredited foreign journalist;
• volunteering;
• religious service;
• work under international agreements, treaties or projects;
• engagement in audiovisual production;
• other grounds established by an act of the Government.

The residence card records whether its holder has the right to work. If you already hold residence on one of these grounds, the question is usually not how to obtain a single permit but whether your existing status covers the work you intend to do — and whether switching to a single permit would serve you better in the long run.

Short-term activities under statutory exceptions

There are also narrowly defined short-term activities — for example, certain installation, repair or training work connected with the delivery of machinery or equipment under a contract, within the permitted short-stay period — for which a single permit may not be required. These exceptions are specific and their conditions are strict. They should be confirmed for the particular engagement before anyone travels.

Not sure which residence or work route applies? Use the route finder →

The Six Legal Bases for a Single Permit

The single permit is always issued on one of six grounds. The ground decides which documents are needed, whether the labour market test applies and, in some cases, what happens after approval. You do not need to know your ground before you contact us — the intake asks about the facts and a lawyer identifies the ground — but it helps to recognise yourself below.

1. Employment

For a foreign national who enters into an employment contract, or another agreement giving rights arising from work under Serbian labour law, with an employer in Serbia. This is the route most people mean when they say "work permit".

Employment in this strict sense is the only route that requires the labour market test (see below), initiated by the employer. The route-specific evidence includes the draft employment contract or other qualifying work agreement; an extract from the employer's rulebook on the organisation and systematisation of jobs — or, where the employer has fewer than ten employees, a statement by the employer describing the position; and the diploma, certificate or other public document showing the qualification the position requires. Whether the employer has made anyone redundant from the same or a comparable position is checked by the employment authority itself.

2. Self-Employment

For a foreign national who will work in Serbia through their own registered business activity. The applicant must show qualifications appropriate to the activity, and the employment authority assesses the statutory conditions for self-employment. A foreign national granted a single permit for self-employment must begin the activity within 90 days of the permit being issued.

Company incorporation and immigration status are separate legal matters. Registering a company does not by itself grant residence; the company is the vehicle, and the single permit on the self-employment ground is the status. If the company does not yet exist, it is best set up with the residence application in view — see company formation in Serbia.

3. Posted Worker

For an employee of a foreign employer who is sent to Serbia temporarily to carry out work under a business or technical cooperation arrangement between the foreign employer and a Serbian business. The evidence includes the cooperation agreement between the two companies, the posting act, proof of the worker's employment or engagement with the foreign employer, and a statement that the worker will return to the foreign employer after the posting (unless the posting act already says so).

Posting under this route is not the same as the statutory short-term exceptions described above; a posting that falls outside those exceptions needs a single permit.

4. Intra-Company Transfer

For a manager, specialist or trainee transferred within a corporate group from a foreign company to its Serbian branch, representative office or subsidiary. The evidence includes the transfer act, proof of the person's role with the foreign company, a return statement where the transfer act does not include one, and evidence of the relationship between the Serbian and the foreign entities. Whether the person is a manager, a specialist or a trainee matters, because the conditions differ between the three.

5. Independent Professional

For a self-employed professional registered abroad who performs services in Serbia under a direct contract with a Serbian employer or end-user. The evidence includes the foreign registration as an independent professional, the services agreement stating the duration of the work, the professional qualification and at least three years of relevant professional experience.

This route is often confused with remote work. A freelancer whose clients are abroad and who simply lives in Serbia is in a different position — see remote work and digital nomads.

6. Training and Professional Development

For paid training, internship, professional practice, traineeship, work practice or professional development in Serbia. The evidence includes the agreement or other act governing the training — stating where it takes place and for how long — and the diploma, certificate or other evidence of the person's qualifications.

Visa D and the Single Permit

Whether you need a long-stay Visa D for employment before the single permit depends on your passport's visa regime — not on whether you happened to enter Serbia without a visa last time.

• Where a visa is required, a Visa D issued for employment itself permits residence and work during its validity, for up to 180 days. A person who intends to stay longer then applies for the single permit on the same employment basis.
• Nationals who are exempt from the visa requirement may, depending on their circumstances, proceed directly to the single permit.
• The purpose stated on a Visa D carries forward: the residence application generally has to correspond to the ground on which the visa was issued.

We check the visa position for each applicant individually rather than applying a nationality list mechanically. See Visa D for Serbia for the full picture.

The Labour Market Test (PPZ)

For employment in the strict sense, the employer must first show that the position cannot be filled from the domestic labour market under the statutory test — the provera tržišta rada. The employer initiates it, electronically. The request may be filed together with the single permit application, or beforehand — no earlier than 60 days before and no later than the date of the single permit application.

Three points are commonly misunderstood:

• The test does not apply to all six routes. Self-employment, posted workers, intra-company transfers, independent professionals and training follow their own conditions.
• The test is not simply "no Serbian candidate exists". It looks at the position, its requirements and the employer's recent conduct — including redundancies from the same or a comparable position.
• The test is filed electronically; the old practice of lodging it in person no longer describes the procedure.

Required Documents

Every application consists of a common core and the evidence for the selected ground. The common documents and data are:

• a valid passport or other permitted travel document, valid at least three months beyond the period requested;
• evidence supporting the selected legal basis;
• your address in Serbia, or evidence of the intended address where you apply from abroad;
• a colour photograph, 35 × 45 mm;
• an authorisation or power of attorney where the employer or a representative files for you, in accordance with the applicable administrative-procedure rules;
• a Serbian translation by an authorised court interpreter of every document not issued by a Serbian authority or not drawn up in Serbian.

The route-specific evidence is set out under each of the six bases above. Documents issued abroad — diplomas, foreign company documents, foreign registrations — usually also need an apostille or legalisation, and it is those documents that most often set the timetable.

The Application Process, Step by Step

1. Establish whether a single permit is needed. The visa regime, the intended activity and any existing residence status decide this.
2. Identify the legal basis. One of the six routes — which in turn decides the documents and whether the labour market test applies.
3. Prepare the documents. The common core plus the route-specific evidence, with translations and apostilles where needed.
4. Labour market test, where applicable. For employment in the strict sense, the employer initiates it electronically.
5. File electronically. Through the Portal for Foreigners, by the foreign national, the employer or an authorised person. An employer filing on its own account needs the appropriate eGovernment account and role. The application may be filed from abroad where the legal conditions allow.
6. Assessment. The National Employment Service assesses the employment conditions; the Ministry of the Interior decides on the permit within 15 days of a complete application.
7. Biometrics and the card. After approval, instructions arrive in the applicant's electronic mailbox, the applicant attends in person for biometrics, and the permit is issued as a biometric card.

Check my single permit route →

How Long Does a Single Permit Take?

The statutory period for deciding a complete application is 15 days. That is the authority's deadline, not a promise of the end-to-end timeline. The overall time also depends on how long the documents take to assemble and legalise, whether a Visa D is needed first, whether the authority asks for supplementation, and when biometrics can be scheduled. A realistic plan is built backwards from the start date, and the foreign documents are usually the part to begin first.

Duration and Renewal

A single permit may be granted for up to three years, depending on the legal basis and the supporting circumstances — typically tied to the length of the employment or engagement.

A renewal may be filed no earlier than three months before the permit expires and no later than its expiry date. Filing in time allows the foreign national to remain in Serbia while the procedure is completed. A permit that has been allowed to lapse cannot be renewed — the applicant starts again.

Government Fees

The current government fees are RSD 430 for the application and RSD 22,770 for the approval of the single permit, subject to any statutory exemptions (which apply to certain nationalities). Translation, apostille and legal fees are separate. Our own fees depend on the route and the number of applicants, and we quote them once we have seen the facts.

Changing Employer or Work Basis

A single permit does not tie you to one employer for its whole life, and a change does not mean starting from zero. During the permit's validity, the foreign national or the employer may electronically request the employment authority's consent for:

• a change of employer;
• a change of the work basis;
• work for two or more employers.

The employment authority decides on a complete request within 10 days. The work under the new arrangement should not begin before consent is given — which is why a planned move is best raised with us as soon as the new offer is in writing.

Need to change employer? Request an assessment →

For Employers

An employer can file the single permit application on the employee's behalf, and for employment in the strict sense it is the employer who initiates the labour market test. To file through the portal on its own account, the company needs an eGovernment account with the Working with Foreign Citizens role, which also supports group applications for several workers.

Hiring one foreign employee is a single permit matter. Hiring or relocating several, transferring staff within a group, or managing renewals and changes across a workforce is a project — and it is better run as one. See employer immigration in Serbia, or use the employer entry of the form below.

Start the employer assessment →

Families of Single Permit Holders

Family members do not share the principal applicant's single permit. They apply for temporary residence on the family reunification ground, on their own applications, supported by proof of the relationship and of the principal applicant's status. Temporary residence through family reunification carries access to the labour market, so a spouse can work without a single permit of their own. It is usual to prepare the family applications together with the principal one.

The Single Permit and Permanent Residence

Time spent in Serbia on a single permit counts toward permanent residence. Under the general route, a foreign national may apply after three years of continuous approved temporary residence or single permit, subject to the statutory rules on absences — currently absences totalling up to ten months in total, or a single absence of up to six months. See permanent residence in Serbia, which includes a calculator for your own dates.

Common Mistakes

Applying under the wrong basis

The ground chosen at the start decides the documents. An employment application for someone who is actually a posted worker, or an independent-professional application for someone who is really a remote employee of a foreign company, produces requests for evidence that cannot be supplied.

Assuming the labour market test applies to everyone — or to no one

It applies to employment in the strict sense. Planning a transfer as if it needed a test wastes weeks; planning an ordinary hire as if it did not produces a refusal.

Treating a company as a residence permit

Owning a Serbian company does not give residence. The self-employment ground does, if its conditions are met.

Starting new work before consent

A change of employer or of the work basis needs the employment authority's consent first.

Letting the permit lapse

The renewal window opens three months before expiry and closes on the expiry date. After that, there is nothing to renew.

Leaving foreign documents to the end

Apostilles, legalisation and sworn translations take longer than the Serbian procedure itself. They should be the first thing ordered, not the last.

How Stojković Attorneys Helps

We establish whether a single permit is the right route at all, identify the legal basis, check the visa position, prepare and review the documents, coordinate the labour market test with the employer, file the application, deal with any request for supplementation, and plan renewals, changes of employer and family applications. For employers we run the whole workforce as one project, and for founders we plan the company and the permit together.

Every enquiry is read by a lawyer. If a single permit is not the right route for you, we will say so and tell you what is.

Start your single permit assessment →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the single permit in Serbia?

The single permit is a combined permit for temporary residence and work for foreign nationals who qualify under one of six employment-related grounds: employment, self-employment, posted worker, intra-company transfer, independent professional, and training and professional development.

Is the single permit the same as a work permit?

It is the current combined residence-and-work authorisation for the six prescribed routes. The old separate work-permit procedure was replaced for these cases from 1 February 2024.

How long does a single permit take?

The statutory decision period is 15 days from receipt of a complete application. The overall timeline also depends on document preparation, any Visa D requirement, requests for supplementation and biometrics.

How long is a single permit valid?

It may be granted for up to three years, depending on the legal basis and the supporting evidence.

Can my employer apply for me?

Yes. The application may be filed electronically by the foreign national, by the employer on their behalf, or by an authorised representative, subject to the portal and account requirements.

Can I apply from outside Serbia?

The rules allow the application to be filed from abroad, but whether a Visa D is needed first depends on your nationality's visa regime and on the route.

Do all applicants need a labour market test?

No. The labour market test applies to employment in the strict sense, not to all six single permit routes.

Can I change employer with a single permit?

Yes, through the electronic consent procedure during the permit's validity. The employment authority decides on a complete request within 10 days.

Do company owners automatically qualify for a single permit?

No. Company registration and immigration status are separate legal questions. A company owner may qualify on the self-employment ground if its conditions are met.

Do all foreigners who work in Serbia need a single permit?

No. Foreign nationals with temporary residence on certain other grounds — such as family reunification, property ownership, study or research — have access to the labour market without a single permit, and some limited short-term activities fall under statutory exceptions.

What are the government fees for a single permit?

Currently RSD 430 for the application and RSD 22,770 for the approval, subject to statutory exemptions for certain nationalities.

When should I renew my single permit?

No earlier than three months before expiry and no later than the expiry date. Filing in time lets you remain in Serbia while the renewal is decided.

Official Sources

• Law on Employment of Foreigners of the Republic of Serbia
• Law on Foreigners of the Republic of Serbia
• Rulebook on Issuing the Single Permit for Temporary Residence and Work of a Foreigner (Official Gazette RS No. 6/2024)
• Welcome to Serbia — Residence and Work Permit: welcometoserbia.gov.rs/dozvola-za-boravak-i-rad