Work Permits and Visas in Serbia: A Comprehensive Guide for 2026

Introduction

Serbia work permits and visas require the right visa type, employment basis, and supporting documents before a foreign national can legally work in the country. Foreign employees typically need a long-stay Visa D for work, a temporary residence permit, and a work permit processed through the National Employment Service.

The process can slow down quickly when the worker’s role, nationality, assignment type, or stay duration does not match the application route. Employers may also need to show why the role cannot be filled locally, prepare an employment contract, register the worker for social security deductions, and cover permit fees.

For companies hiring from Serbia or relocating employees there, the main challenge is keeping visa, residence, and work permit steps aligned from the start.

This guide covers Serbia work visa types, who need a work permit, permit categories, required documents, application steps, processing timelines, costs, employer conditions, and common questions for foreign employees.

What are the types of work permits and visas in Serbia?

Foreign nationals who plan to work in Serbia may need a visa, a residence and work permit, or a temporary residence permit that includes the right to work, depending on their nationality, purpose of stay, and expected duration of employment.

Serbia recognizes two main visa types for foreign nationals: the short-stay Visa C and the long-stay Visa D.

For work purposes, the main categories to understand are Visa D based on employment, the single temporary residence and work permit, and temporary residence permits that include the right to work.

Visa C

Visa C is Serbia’s short-stay visa. It allows a foreign national to enter, transit through, or stay in Serbia for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. It may be issued for one, two, or multiple entries.

Visa C is generally used for short-term travel, such as tourism, business travel, transit, conferences, workshops, or other short visits. It is not the main visa category for long-term employment in Serbia.

Visa D based on employment

Visa D is Serbia’s long-stay visa. It allows a foreign national to enter and stay in Serbia for more than 90 days and up to 180 days.

For work purposes, Serbia uses Visa D based on employment. This visa allows a foreign national to stay and work in Serbia during the validity of the visa, up to a maximum of 180 days.

Visa D based on employment may apply to several employment-related grounds, including employment under a labor-law contract, self-employment, referred or assigned work, intra-company movement, independent professional work, training and development, volunteering, accredited foreign journalism, state-authority projects, and audiovisual work.

Single temporary residence and work permit

The single temporary residence and work permit is Serbia’s combined residence and work authorization for many foreign nationals who plan to live and work in the country.

A foreign national who receives this single permit has the right to stay and work in Serbia during the permit’s validity period. Depending on the approved basis of stay, a single permit may be issued for up to three years.

The single permit may be issued for employment-related grounds such as employment under an employment contract or other labor-law contract, self-employment, a referred person, movement within the company, independent professional work, and training and development.

Temporary residence permit with the right to work

In some cases, a foreign national may receive a temporary residence permit that includes the right to work in Serbia without being issued a separate single temporary residence and work permit.

Whether a temporary residence permit includes work rights depends on the approved basis of residence. The temporary residence permit card records whether the foreign national has the right to work in Serbia.

Serbia splits foreign hires across four separate permit tracks, personal, simple, special cases, and self-employment, and figuring out which one applies to a specific candidate before an offer goes out can hold up a hire that should be moving fast.

Skuad's global immigration support helps with the work authorization process, including:

• Supports work permit and visa applications for foreign employees you want to sponsor
• Helps coordinate documentation with local immigration authorities as part of the relocation process
• Assists with residence or work permit conversions as required by local immigration law
• Helps track permit and visa deadlines across the full sponsorship and relocation lifecycle
• Helps keep permits current as renewal requirements and regulations change

With this support in place, your team can focus on getting the right person into the role instead of figuring out which permit track applies.

What are the requirements for Serbia’s work visa and permits?

When applying for a Serbia work visa or permit, it is important to know which documents apply to the relevant visa or permit category. Required documents may vary depending on the applicant’s nationality, visa type, purpose of stay, and employment basis.

Applicants applying for a Serbian visa generally need to present the following documents:

• A completed visa application form
• A valid international passport issued within the previous 10 years, valid for at least 90 days after the intended date of departure from Serbia, with at least two consecutive blank pages
• A 3.5cm x 4.5cm passport photograph
• Proof of visa fee payment
• Proof of the purpose and reasons for staying in Serbia
• An invitation letter, where required
• Return travel ticket or proof of travel arrangements, where required
• Health insurance, where required
• Proof of sufficient funds for the duration of the stay, where required

For a Visa D based on employment, applicants may also need to submit employment-related documents, depending on the specific employment basis. These may include:

• Employment contract or another labor-law contract signed by the employer and the foreign national
• Registration certificate of the Serbian employer, legal entity, business association, sports association, or entrepreneur, where applicable
• Business and technical cooperation contract, where applicable
• Documents proving assignment, intra-company movement, self-employment, independent professional work, training, volunteering, or another approved employment-related basis, where applicable

Foreign nationals who plan to stay and work in Serbia beyond the validity of a Visa D may need to apply for a single temporary residence and work permit.

How to apply for a Serbia work visa or permit?

Applying for a Serbian work visa or permit depends on whether the foreign national needs a Visa D based on employment, a single temporary residence and work permit, or another temporary residence permit that includes the right to work.

Visa applications may be submitted personally through a Serbian embassy or consulate abroad or online through Serbia’s official portal for foreign nationals. Serbia also allows online applications for Visa D, temporary residence permits, and the single permit.

Follow this process to apply for a Serbia work visa or permit:

• Provide all the required documents for the visa or permit application
• Ensure the information is valid and updated
• Fill out the visa application form online or through the relevant Serbian diplomatic-consular mission, where applicable
• Select the correct visa purpose or employment basis
• Pay the visa or permit application fee
• Submit your application and follow any instructions from the competent Serbian authority

For a single temporary residence and work permit, the request may be submitted electronically by the foreign national, the employer on behalf of the foreign national, or another authorized person.

Where labor market testing is required, the employer initiates the process by submitting the Vacancy Registration Form. The National Employment Service then identifies whether there are appropriate candidates in its register who meet the employer’s conditions for the vacancy.

After the labor market testing request is registered, the system generates an ID number. This ID number is entered into the single-permit request. If the foreign national submits the single-permit request, they should obtain the ID number from the employer.

After submitting the visa or permit application, applicants may receive notifications or requests for additional information through the official portal or the email address used for the application.

Processing time

Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that visa procedures usually take 15 days from the date of application. In exceptional cases and for justified reasons, the procedure may take up to 30 days.

For the single temporary residence and work permit, Serbia’s official portal states that a properly completed request is resolved within 15 days from the date of submission.

Conditions for applying

Employers that support or submit a Serbia single-permit application for a foreign employee may need to meet the following conditions:

• Submit or support the required documents for the selected employment basis
• Initiate labor market testing, where required
• Present an employment contract or another contract proving employment in Serbia, where required
• Keep evidence that the hired foreign national has fulfilled the requirements for employment or temporary employment in Serbia

The employer may submit the Vacancy Registration Form through Serbia’s eGovernment portal no more than 60 days before submitting the single-permit request or by the date the single-permit request is submitted.

Foreign nationals who hold a single permit may change employer, work for two or more employers, or change the basis of the single permit only after obtaining approval from Serbia’s National Employment Service.

Skuad’s Employer of Record solution helps companies hire talent in Serbia without setting up a local entity. As the legal employer, Skuad supports compliant employment, payroll, benefits, and onboarding, while your company manages the employees’ day-to-day responsibilities.

Hire in Serbia with Skuad

Hiring and relocating talent in Serbia requires employers to understand the right visa, residence, and work authorization routes before the employee starts work. For companies moving employees across borders, Skuad’s visa and immigration support helps manage global mobility needs, including sponsorship and relocation support for international talent.

For companies that want to employ talent in Serbia without setting up a local entity, Skuad’s Employer of Record solution can help. Skuad acts as the legal employer for supported employees in Serbia and helps manage employment contracts, onboarding, payroll, benefits, and employment compliance.

Book a demo today to learn how Skuad can support your hiring, mobility, and expansion plans in Serbia.

FAQs

1. What are work permits and visas in Serbia?

Serbia work permit and visa are usually handled through a Visa D for employment or a Single Permit combining temporary residence and work authorization. The Single Permit is issued by Serbia’s Ministry of the Interior and can cover employment, self-employment, intra-company movement, training, or referred work.

2. How do employers apply for a Serbia work permit?

Employers can typically apply online through the Welcome to Serbia portal, but they need an eGovernment account and the “Working with Foreign Citizens” role. For local employment, Serbia’s National Employment Service may require a Vacancy Registration Form, known as a PPZ, before or with the Single Permit request.

3. What is the difference between Visa D and a Single Permit in Serbia?

Visa D is a long-stay visa allowing 90 to 180 days in Serbia and, when issued for employment, can allow work during its validity. A Single Permit is a biometric temporary residence and work card, generally issued for up to three years and extendable.

4. How long does it take to get a Serbia work permit?

Serbia’s official Single Permit guidance states that a properly completed request is resolved within 15 days. The timeline can still vary if documents need correction, labor-market testing is incomplete, consular steps are required for Visa D, or biometric card issuance depends on local appointment availability.

5. Can foreign employees start working in Serbia after a Visa D is issued?

Foreign employees can generally start work when their Visa D is issued specifically on employment grounds, because Serbia treats that visa as a residence and work authorization during its validity. If the assignment continues beyond 180 days, the worker usually needs a Single Permit for the same employment basis.

6. Can anyone work in Serbia without a work permit?

Some foreign nationals may have work rights without a separate Single Permit, but the exception depends on status and duration. Serbia recognizes residence categories with work rights, limited short-term work up to 90 days in specific cases, and Open Balkan labor access for eligible Albanian and North Macedonian citizens.