Online temporary residence system on the Welcome to Serbia website

With the amendments to the Law on Foreigners as of February 1, 2024, the eGovernment portal has gained a significant role in the system of permits for the stay and work of foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Serbia.

The key novelty lies in the mandatory e-application for temporary stay, which is made available to foreign nationals through the Welcome to Serbia internet portal.

If your reason for staying in the country is employment with a domestic company, an application for the issuance of a single permit is submitted for uninterrupted work at the chosen workplace, which decisively determines both the residence and work permit for the foreigner.

In this case, the application for the issuance of a single permit can be submitted by the company on behalf of the foreign national it intends to employ, and the amended legal rules also allow for the submission of a group application.

This way, a company wishing to employ multiple foreign nationals in the same position has the option to submit one application covering a larger number of workers, along with the submission of proper documentation.

The employer can delegate these authorizations, as well as the authorization for the submission of the now always mandatory employment need report, to a lawyer or other authorized individual for working with foreigners.

In the new electronic immigration system in Serbia, all amendments to the submitted application are carried out electronically, and the Ministry of the Interior decides within the legal deadline of 15 days from the date of submission of a proper application.

In contrast to the previous legal solution, which allowed for different interpretations and created uncertainties in this regard, the Law now unequivocally stipulates that a certified translation of the foreigner’s diploma is a necessary condition for a complete and proper application.

These are just some of the numerous changes, both in legal regulations and in the practices of the police and the National Employment Agency, in the procedures for resolving the stay of foreigners in the Republic of Serbia.