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Hiring a foreign employee in Serbia: the single permit for employers

An employer in Serbia hires a foreign national with the single permit, one permit for temporary residence and work. The employer can file the application online, and the law sets 15 days for the decision of the MUP, the Ministry of the Interior, on a complete application. The state fees are 24,960 RSD per person, and the permit is valid for up to 3 years.

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Key facts

TopicRuleLegal basis or source
The permitOne permit for the temporary residence and the work of a foreign nationalLaw on Foreigners (ZOS), Art. 3 item 13a and Art. 46a. Law on Employment of Foreigners (ZZS), Art. 2 item 13.
In forceSince 2024-02-01Amending laws in Sl. glasnik RS 62/2023: ZOS Art. 54, ZZS Art. 21
Assessment by the NSZ (National Employment Service) and security assessmentWithin 10 daysZOS Art. 46g(3). ZZS Art. 10(6).
MUP decisionWithin 15 days of a complete application by law. In practice often several months.ZOS Art. 46g(1)
ValidityUp to 3 years, renewable for the same periodZOS Art. 46e
RenewalApply at the earliest 3 months before and at the latest on the expiry dateZOS Art. 46b(5)
State fees per person22,770 RSD for the permit and 2,190 RSD for the card, 24,960 RSD togetherLaw on Republic Administrative Fees, tariff number 37, item 7a and the card item. Amounts since 2026-07-01.
Appeal against a refusalWithin 15 days. The fee is 10,950 RSD.ZOS Art. 46đ(2) to (5). Law on Republic Administrative Fees, tariff.
Change of employerThe NSZ gives its consent within 10 daysZZS Art. 11(2) and (3)

What is the single permit?

The single permit (jedinstvena dozvola) is one permit for the temporary residence and the work of a foreign national, since 2024-02-01. The Law on Foreigners (Zakon o strancima, ZOS) and the Law on Employment of Foreigners (Zakon o zapošljavanju stranaca, ZZS) set its rules.

The permit is valid for up to 3 years, and it is renewable for the same period. The employment ends when the single permit ends.

Who files the application, and when?

The foreign national files the application, or the employer files it in the name of the foreign national. Each of them can authorise another person to file it. The application goes online, on the single portal welcometoserbia.gov.rs. An employer can file for a group of workers.

The time of the application depends on the visa regime of the country of the worker:

  • A worker who needs a visa for Serbia. The worker first gets a long-stay visa D for employment. The application follows after the entry, while the visa D is valid. A short-stay visa is enough only for a state interest or for force majeure.
  • A worker who needs no visa. The application goes during the lawful stay in Serbia, or from abroad.

Which documents does the application need?

The application carries the documents in electronic form, as originals or as scans. The law names these documents:

  • A passport that is valid at least 3 months beyond the requested period of stay.
  • The proof that the employment law requires. For employment, the NSZ, the National Employment Service, checks a started labour market test and a draft employment contract or another work contract. It also checks that the employer made no redundancy dismissals on these jobs in the 90 days before.
  • The address of residence in Serbia, or the intended address when the application comes from abroad.
  • The proof of payment of the state fees.

What are the steps for the employer?

  1. Check the visa regime of the country of the worker. A worker who needs a visa gets the visa D for employment first.
  2. Start the labour market test with an application for employment need (PPZ). The PPZ is part of the online form of the single permit. Under the Rulebook on the Single Permit (Pravilnik o izdavanju jedinstvene dozvole za privremeni boravak i rad stranca), Art. 5, you can also file it on eUprava, the e-government portal, from 60 days before the single permit application up to the same day. Its ID number then goes into the application.
  3. Wait for the NSZ report on the test. The NSZ reports within 4 days of the start of the test.
  4. Pay the state fees, and file the application with the documents.
  5. Read the notices in the eUprava inbox (eSanduče). When the employer filed the application, the MUP sends its notices to the inbox of the employer.
  6. The worker gives the biometric data at the police and gets a confirmation with the EBS, the registration number of a foreign national.
  7. After the approval, the worker collects the permit in person.
  8. Register the employee for mandatory social insurance with the single application to CROSO, the Central Register of Compulsory Social Insurance, before the first working day.
  9. Keep the proofs of the employment conditions.

How long does the procedure take?

The NSZ and the security authority give their assessments within 10 days. The law gives the MUP 15 days from a complete application (ZOS Art. 46g(1)). In practice, the decision often takes several months. A worker who filed in time may stay in Serbia while the procedure runs (ZOS Art. 46b(6)).

What does the single permit cost?

The state fees on 2026-10-17 are 22,770 RSD for the single permit and 2,190 RSD for the permit card, 24,960 RSD per person together. An appeal against a refusal costs 10,950 RSD. Temporary residence outside the single permit costs 23,450 RSD.

The Law on Republic Administrative Fees (Zakon o republičkim administrativnim taksama) sets these amounts. An adjusted amount applies from the first day of the month after its publication, and the current amounts apply since 2026-07-01.

Can the employee start work before the decision?

No. A worker who filed the first application in time may stay in Serbia while the procedure runs (ZOS Art. 46b(6)). The worker starts work after the MUP approves the permit: the employer can register the worker with CROSO on the confirmation that the permit card is in production, before the worker collects the card. During a renewal filed in time, the worker keeps working.

What changes during the life of the permit?

A change of employer, a second employer or a change of the basis of the permit needs the consent of the NSZ. The NSZ decides within 10 days.

The renewal application goes at the earliest 3 months before the expiry date, and at the latest on that date.

If the MUP refuses the permit, the applicant can appeal within 15 days. The MUP decides on the appeal, and the appeal suspends the refusal.

Can a foreign company transfer its own staff?

Yes. A foreign company with a branch office, a representative office or a subsidiary in Serbia can transfer a manager or a specialist to it. The person must have worked for the company for at least 1 year. The NSZ assessment for this intra-corporate transfer covers up to 3 years, and an extension adds up to 3 years.

Do Expo 2027 staff need a single permit?

No. Staff of official Expo 2027 participants use the free Expo visa. It replaces temporary residence and the single permit (Expo 2027 treaty, Art. 1 and Art. 9). Our page Expo 2027 describes the administration for participants.

How RNDM handles this

Set up in Serbia

We handle the single permit for your foreign employees. We check which procedure applies, collect the documents, start the labour market test and file the application. After the approval, a licensed accounting firm we work with registers the employee with CROSO and adds the employee to the payroll, as part of Accounting and payroll. We track each expiry date and file the renewal in time.

You can add the single permit to any tier, or order it alone. We add the state fees of 24,960 RSD per person.

We handle this: see Work and residence permits Contact usSee the tiers

Sources

The law texts are the consolidated versions on paragraf.rs, with the last gazette number that each text includes. The rulebook was read on 2026-10-21, and all other pages on 2026-10-17.

This guide gives general information as of the date below. Your case may differ, so ask us before you act.
Last reviewed on . RNDM DOO is responsible for this page.

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