BCC/CCP police control

In this part of the CEFTA Trade Web Portal you will find the procedures that apply to foreigners entering the economy in each CEFTA Economy. Border control procedures are divided into two parts: visa requirements and working permits. This trade portal only includes border procedures for citizens from CEFTA Economies. These include: 1.Border crossing procedures for citizens from other CEFTA Economies; 2.Visa regulations and fees for citizens from other CEFTA Economies; 3.Working permits for citizens from other CEFTA Economies; 4.Documents for obtaining working permits in the respective CEFTA Economy. If you would like to know more about border crossing procedures, please refer to the respective links under the section for border control for each Economy.



Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
North Macedonia
Moldova
Montenegro
Serbia
Kosovo*


Laws and regulations

The Law on Employment of Foreign Citizens regulates the employment of foreign citizens in the Republic of Serbia.

Working permits issuance

Foreigners may be employed if they have approval for permanent or temporary residency in the Republic of Serbia and if they obtain a working permit. Work permits for foreigners are issued by the National Employment Service.

A foreigner with permanent residency in the Republic of Serbia is to submit an application for issuing working permit to the relevant branch of the National Employment Service, according to the place of permanent residency, and the working permit is issued with the validity period corresponding to that of the permanent residency approval.

Applications for issuing working permits to foreigners with temporary residency in the Republic of Serbia, with an explanation letter providing reasons for the need to employ a foreigner, are to be submitted by an employer. Such applications are submitted to the relevant branch of the National Employment Service, according to the place of the employer’s registered head office. Working permit is issued with the validity period corresponding to that of the temporary residency approval.

The head of the National Employment Service branch decides on issuing a working permit within 30 days from the day the application was submitted. The applicant may lodge an appeal against such decision to the Minister in charge of employment (Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs) within 15 days from the day the decision was delivered, and the Minister is to decide on such an appeal within 30 days from the day the appeal was received.

The National Employment Service branch may refuse to issue a working permit to a foreigner if their records show that there are unemployed citizens of the Republic of Serbia meeting the requirements for performing tasks stated in the application for issuing working permit to a foreigner.

An employer may conclude with a foreigner a contract on performing temporary and occasional tasks, provided such tasks last no longer than 120 working days in a calendar year.

The National Employment Service keeps records of working permits issued to foreigners. In addition, relevant National Employment Service branch keeps records of foreigners that were issued working permits, according to the unique number determined by the Ministry of Interior.

Foreigners may be employed if they have approval for permanent or temporary residency in the Republic of Serbia and if they obtain a working permit. Such working permits for foreigners are issued by the National Employment Service.
 
A foreigner with permanent residency in the Republic of Serbia is to submit an application for issuing working permit to the relevant branch of the National Employment Service, according to the place of permanent residency, and the working permit is issued with the validity period corresponding to that of the permanent residency approval.
 
Applications for issuing working permits to foreigners with temporary residency in the Republic of Serbia, with an explanation letter providing reasons for the need to employ a foreigner, are to be submitted by an employer. Such applications are submitted to the relevant branch of the National Employment Service, according to the place of the employer’s registered head office. Working permit is issued with the validity period corresponding to that of the temporary residency approval.
 
The head of the National Employment Service branch decides on issuing a working permit within 30 days from the day the application was submitted. The applicant may lodge an appeal against such decision to the Director General of the National Employment Service within 15 days from the day the decision was delivered, and the Director General is to decide on such an appeal within 30 days from the day the appeal was received.
The National Employment Service branch may refuse to issue a working permit to a foreigner if their records show that there are unemployed citizens of the Republic of Serbia meeting the requirements for performing tasks stated in the application for issuing working permit to a foreigner.
A foreigner with temporary or permanent residency approval may be employed without a working permit if such employment involves performing expert tasks required under the contract on professional and technical cooperation, long-term production cooperation, technology transfer and foreign investments.  An employer may conclude with a foreigner a contract on performing temporary and occasional tasks, provided such tasks last no longer than 120 working days in a calendar year.
The National Employment Service keeps records of working permits issued to foreigners. In addition, relevant National Employment Service branch keeps records of foreigners that were issued working permits, according to the unique number determined by the Ministry of Interior.

Contact

National Employment Service:

Website: www.nsz.gov.rs 

Headquarters 

Svetozara Markovića 37, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia

Tel: +381 34 50 5500 

Kralja Milutina 8, 11000 Beograd, Serbia

Tel: +381 11 292 9800, Fax: +381 11 2929 980