Rights and Obligations of Foreign Citizens

Law on foreign citizents

Entry and stay of Foreign Citizens

A foreign citizen may enter or stay in the Republic of Serbia, under conditions of this Law, with valid travel document in which visa or approval of stay were put, unless otherwise determined by the Law or International Agreement.

Visa expiration date extension

In exceptional cases, if the conditions from Article 20, paragraph 2 of the Law on Foreign Citizens (if required by humanitarian, professional or personal reasons) are fulfilled, visa expiration date may be extended upon foreign citizen's request.
Request for visa expiration date extension is to be submitted to an authority of the Ministry of the Interior, competent for foreign citizens' matters, according to place of temporary residence of foreign citizen.
Visa expiration date is to be extended for the period of up to 90 days.
Visa expiration date is being extended in the way that visa sticker for short stay (C type of visa) is being placed on the first available page of a travel document.

Duration and extension of temporary stay

Temporary stay can be authorized in duration of up to one year and can be extended for the same period, unless otherwise determined by this Law or international agreement.
Authorization of temporary stay is being entered into travel document of foreign citizen. Validity duration of travel document must be at least six months longer than duration period of authorization.

Temporary stay extension
To a foreign citizen, close family member of the citizen of the Republic of Serbia, temporary stay can be extended for the period of up to three years or until fulfillment of conditions for issuance of authorization for permanent stay.
To a foreign citizen, close family member of the citizen of the Republic of Serbia, temporary stay can be extended even in the case when that citizen died, as well as in the case of termination of marriage with citizen of the Republic of Serbia that lasted at least three years in the Republic of Serbia.

Terms for issuance of authorization for temporary stay

For submitting of request for approval of temporary stay it is necessary to enclose the following:

Temporary stay can be authorized to a foreign citizen if he/she, along with request, encloses proof:

1. that he/she has enough means to support himself/herself;
2. that he/she has health insurance;
3. of justification of the request*** for temporary stay in accordance with purpose of temporary stay that can be authorized to a foreign citizen which intents to stay in the Republic of Serbia longer that 90 days.

***Depending upon basis for marriage, as proof of request justification, it is required to enclose the following documentation:
3.1. Foundation of company, branch or bank, i.e. for persons registered into the Ruling on Registration of company, branch or bank

3.2. Foundation i.e. ownership of independent business (commercial, handcraft, catering industry etc.) or agency

3.3. Consignation, Agreement on Business Cooperation, Agreement on Business-Technical Cooperation and Transfer of Technologies

3.4. Setting up of the employment

3.5. For citizens of former SFRY Republics that set up employment as domestic citizens

3.6. Carrying out of temporary and occasional jobs (up to 90 days)

3.7. Foreign athletes

3.8. Marriage with citizen of the Republic of Serbia

3.9. Common-law marriage with citizen of the Republic of Serbia

3.10. Kinship with the citizen of the Republic of Serbia

3.11. Private visit

3.12. Family member of foreign citizen staying temporary


3.13. Accredited journalists

3.14. Engagement at NGOs

3.15. Foreign priests

3.16. Education-studying-language studying

3.17. Training and practice

3.18. Highly professional specialization

3.19. Employment of Lector and Professor at University

3.20. Work at foreign Diplomatic Missions and Consular Posts and private visit to Diplomatic Missions and Consular Posts personnel

3.21. Medical Treatment

3.22. Officers of international institutions (World Bank, IMF...) and consultant companies engaged on realization in cooperation with other state bodies

3.23. Property of residential or business structure
Permanent stay

Request for permanent stay is to be submitted at writing-office of the Police Directorate for the City of Belgrade in Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 107.

Permanent stay may be authorized to a foreign citizen:

1. that continuously stayed at the Republic of Serbia for longer than five years based on temporary stay authorization, up until the date of request submitting ;

-to a foreign citizen to whom was authorized temporary stay at the Republic of Serbia for the purpose of job, employment, education and studying; half of the time spent in Serbia is counted as time required for authorization of permanent stay.
-Stay with repeated absence from the Republic of Serbia up to ten months or with single absence up to six months within period of five years is considered continuous stay.

2. that has been at least three years in marriage with a citizen of the Republic of Serbia, or with foreign citizen that has permanent stay:

-Marital community of living in the territory of the Republic of Serbia is herein considered to be marriage.

3. to a juvenile staying temporary in the Republic of Serbia, if one parent is citizen of the Republic of Serbia or foreign citizen that has authorized permanent stay, with consent of other parent;

to a juvenile staying temporary in the Republic of Serbia, if one parent is citizen of the Republic of Serbia or foreign citizen that has authorized permanent stay, with consent of other parent;

4. that originates from the Republic of Serbia.

Required documents for permanent stay:
1) Based on family joining:

1. Filled form of the request
2. Proof of paid fees:




• Fee in the amount of 200,00 din.
• Purpose of payment: submission fee
• Drawing account 840-742221843-57,
• Model number and reference number (depending upon regional police directorate where the request is being submitted)
• Recipient: Republic Administrative Fee


• Fee in the amount of 8.000,00 din.
• Purpose of payment: authorization for permanent stay
• Drawing account 840-742221843-57,
• Model number and reference number (depending upon regional police directorate where the request is being submitted)
• Recipient: Republic Administrative Fee


3. Photocopy of passport (pages with authorized temporary stays)
4. Two photographs, format 4x3 cm
5. Medical certificate (issued on the form of Serbian Medical Society),
- Objective of certificate issuance: for the purpose of obtaining permanent stay (not older than 6 months)
6. Certificate or other documents on education

a) Photocopy of original document b) Original translation by authorized sworn-in court interpreter

7. Birth Certificate

a) Photocopy of original document b) Original translation by authorized sworn-in court interpreter

8. Proof of means for supporting:




• Certificate of Applicant's employment with data regarding salary,
• Photocopy of record book and
• forms M1 and M4 (Business Register Agency +VAT)


9. Proof of ownership, lease or other basis of dwelling
10. Proof of kinship with citizen of the Republic of Serbia or permanently staying foreign citizen

2) Based on marriage with citizen of the Republic of Serbia or foreign citizen that has permanent stay:

1. Filled form of the request
2. Proof of paid fees:




• Fee in the amount of 200,00 din.
• Purpose of payment: submission fee
• Drawing account 840-742221843-57,
• Model number and reference number (depending upon regional police directorate where the request is being submitted)
• Recipient: Republic Administrative Fee


• Fee in the amount of 8.000,00 din.
• Purpose of payment: authorization for permanent stay
• Drawing account 840-742221843-57,
• Model number and reference number (depending upon regional police directorate where the request is being submitted)
• Recipient: Republic Administrative Fee


3. Photocopy of passport (only page with photograph)
4. Two photographs, format 4x3 cm
5. Medical certificate (issued on the form of Serbian Medical Society),
-- Objective of certificate issuance: for the purpose of obtaining permanent stay (not older than 6 months)
6. Certificate or other documents on education

a) Photocopy of original document b) Original translation by authorized sworn-in court interpreter

7. Birth Certificate

a) Photocopy of original document b) Original translation by authorized sworn-in court interpreter

8. Marriage Certificate
(on the form of the competent authority of the Republic of Serbia, not older than 6 months)
9. Photocopy of judgment of divorce of previous marriage (of both spouses)
10. Photocopy of Birth Certificates for children
11. Proof of means of support:
- Certificate on employment of applicant and of spouse with salary data - Photocopy of record book - Forms M1 and M4 or pension certificate
12. Citizenship of the spouse (not older than six months).
13. Proof of ownership, lease or other basis of dwelling

3) Based on employment

1. Filled form of the request
2. Proof of paid fees:


• Fee in the amount of 200,00 din.
• Purpose of payment: submission fee
• Drawing account 840-742221843-57,
• Model number and reference number (depending upon regional police directorate where the request is being submitted)
• Recipient: Republic Administrative Fee


• Fee in the amount of 8.000,00 din.
• Purpose of payment: authorization for permanent stay
• Drawing account 840-742221843-57,
• Model number and reference number (depending upon regional police directorate where the request is being submitted)
• Recipient: Republic Administrative Fee


3. Photocopy of passport (pages with authorized temporary stays)
4. Two photographs, format 4x3 cm
5. Medical certificate (issued on the form of Serbian Medical Society),
- Objective of certificate issuance: for the purpose of obtaining permanent stay (not older than 6 months)
6. Certificate or other documents on education

a) Photocopy of original document b) Original translation by authorized sworn-in court interpreter

7. Birth Certificate

a) Photocopy of original document b) Original translation by authorized sworn-in court interpreter

8. Proof of means for supporting:


• Certificate of Applicant's employment with data regarding salary,
• Photocopy of record book and
• forms M1 and M4 (Business Register Agency +VAT)
9. Proof of ownership, lease or other basis of dwelling
10. Proof of kinship with citizen of the Republic of Serbia or permanently staying foreign citizen

Identity cards for foreign citizens

Validity of ID cards for foreign citizens

ID card for foreign citizen to who is authorized permanent stay, is being issued with five years validity.
Replacement of ID card for foreign citizens
ID card for foreign citizen shall be replaced if it is damaged, worn out, if the photograph is no longer matching with the appearance of foreign citizen or when it cannot serve to its purpose for other reasons.
Foreign citizen is obliged to, within eight days as of the date of enactment of Paragraph 1 of this Article, submit to a competent authority request for ID card replacement.
Disappearance or loss of identity document
Foreign citizen is obliged to notify without delay competent authority or closest diplomatic mission and consular post of the Republic of Serbia, on disappearance or loss of identity document issued by the authority in the Republic of Serbia.
Competent authorities are obliged to issue a certificate to a foreign citizen on disappearance or loss of the identity document.
Loss or disappearance of identity document is to be published in the "Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia"; expenses are to be borne by the foreign citizen.
Proceedings for submission of the request for issuance of new document:
In case of disappearance or loss of ID card for foreign citizen or emergency travel document issued by the authority in the Republic of Serbia, foreign citizen is obliged to:

1. Urgently report disappearance or loss of ID card for foreign citizen or emergency travel document, issued by the authority in the Republic of Serbia, to a competent authority or diplomatic mission and consular post,
2. Pay into the drawing account of public enterprise "Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia" the amount in the name of costs for announcing the document to be invalid, upon reporting of identity document's loss,
3. To present the evidence of payment of means to competent authority of internal affairs that enacts the Ruling by which the identity document is announced invalid.
- Officer of internal affairs authority delivers one copy of the Ruling client, while he forwards one by official channels to enterprise "Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia" for the purpose of announcement of invalidity.Besides the Ruling, pay-in slip copy is to be delivered, as evidence of carried out payment of prescribed fee.
4. Foreign citizen may submit request for issuance of new identity document immediately upon delivery of Ruling.