A Serbian legal residence permit allows foreign nationals to live in Serbia, use healthcare and educational services, and work in the country. The permit is usually valid for 1 year.
Acquiring legal residence in Serbia is the first step towards citizenship of the country. A foreigner can become a citizen of Serbia after legally residing there for 8 years in total. Serbia welcomes immigrants whatever countries they come from. Besides, acquiring legal residence in Serbia is very easy. For example, you can buy a piece of real property at any price to qualify for a residence permit. Serbia hopes to join the European Union one day. According to the current plan, it is supposed to become a member of the Union in 2025.
Boravak: what kind of document is it and what advantages does it bring?
The Serbian residence permit is called “Privremeni boravak” in the Serbian language. A boravak is a holographic sticker in the holder’s passport. It carries personal information of the holder: a photograph, place of issuance, validity term, and an individual number.
The holder of a boravak gains access to the following privileges:
- Legal residence in Serbia for one year with an opportunity to extend the residence permit of the legal grounds for that are preserved;
- An opportunity to apply for a permanent residence permit and then a passport of Serbia after several years;
- Access to free health care on an equal footing with local people;
- An opportunity to change your tax residence and start paying taxes in Serbia (the rates are low in the country: for instance, the personal income tax rate is 10%);
- Easy access to Schengen visas as well as visas to Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein;
- An opportunity to open a bank account and apply for loans in Serbia and other European countries;
- An opportunity to acquire a European driving license and put European number plates on your car.
Legal grounds for applying for a residence permit in Serbia
The procedure of acquiring legal residence in Serbia is governed by the Foreigners Act. The Act has been amended several times. In 2023, some changes were introduced to the document that accelerated the process of acquiring a residence permit in Serbia. Depending on their country of origin, foreigners can stay in Serbia for 30 or for 90 days without visas. If you plan to spend a longer period in the country, you can use one of the grounds listed below to apply for a boravak.
Business
A foreigner who opens a company in Serbia or buys an existing one qualifies for a residence permit. Another essential condition that the foreigner needs to fulfill is employing at least 4 Serbians. As the company keeps going, its owner has to pay the taxes and make social security contributions.
The procedure of registering a sole proprietorship is very simple in Serbia:
- Open a bank account.
- Register with the Business Registration Agency (Agencija za Priivredne Registre).
- Acquire a TIN (PIB in Serbian) within 5 days.
- Notify the government agencies (revenue service, social security agency, and pension fund) of opening a sole proprietorship.
There are no restrictions on the place of company registration nor its types of business activities (provided that they are legal).
Employment
Foreigners who are officially employed by a local firm on a permanent basis also qualify for residence permits in Serbia. To get a job, a foreigner has to apply for permission to the national Labor Agency in Serbia (usually the employer takes care of that). The boravak is going to be valid for as long as the job contract is valid. If the job contract is extended, the residence permit is extended too.
Attending a school
Attending a school or university in Serbia will also make you qualified for a residence permit. We would like to put a special emphasis on the following opportunity: enrolling in a Serbian language class will make you eligible for a residence permit. This is one of the simplest ways of acquiring legal residence in Serbia. Attend a few classes a week and you are a legal resident!
If a foreign child enters a Serbian school, he or she will qualify for a residence permit. Moreover, his/ her parents will also qualify for residence permits because young children need to be looked after. Schools are good in Serbia: children start learning English in kindergartens. This is another interesting opportunity to consider.
Attending a university
Foreign students who enter Serbian universities qualify for residence permits. The first permit is going to be valid for 1 year but it can be extended again and again as long as the student keeps attending classes. You can go through the full educational cycle in Serbia (bachelor, master, doctor).
Participants of international student exchange programs also qualify for residence permits. Such programs usually presuppose that the student is going to have residential accommodations in Serbia and medical insurance.
Internship
A residence permit can be granted to a foreigner who arrives in Serbia in order to practice some professional skills or for an analogous purpose. In addition to standard application documents, an intern has to supply a letter from the organization that is granting the internship opportunities to him/ her.
Scientific research
Foreign scientists and scholars wishing to conduct research in Serbia are eligible to apply for residence permits. The applicant has to submit a letter from the organization that has invited him/ her to do research in Serbia. If the research program continues for more than 12 months, the residence permit can be extended.
Family reunification
Relatives of a Serbian citizen, legal resident, or a refugee in Serbia can qualify for residence permits too. The relatives include spouses, partners, underage unmarried children, and adopted children of up to 18 years of age. In some cases, other relatives can qualify for residence permits in Serbia if they are in need of care on the part of the Serbian resident. Birth and marriage certificates naturally have to be supplied when applying for residence permits.
Real estate
Purchase of real property will also make you qualified for a residence permit in Serbia. However, you cannot buy an apartment, for example, and rent it out: you have to live there. Please rest assured that a local police officer will make a visit to you to ascertain that you do live in the apartment or house that you have purchased in Serbia. Renting residential accommodations in the country will not make you eligible for a residence permit.
Other legal grounds
There are other legal grounds for obtaining a residence permit in Serbia and some of them may look rather exotic. For instance, you can become a legal resident in the country if you engage in religious activities or if you volunteer. Serbia offers multiple ways to legal residence and you should apply for a professional consultation if you are planning to relocate to this beautiful and friendly country.
