Can I get a Serbian residence permit by owning an apartment or house?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Yes. Serbia's Law on Foreigners lets the police grant temporary residence to a foreigner who owns a residential building or apartment in Serbia and lives in it, if the general conditions are met: valid passport, means of support, registered address, health insurance and the fee. Permits last up to three years; the government portal says holders may work.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Is property a basis?	Yes: ownership of real estate is one of the bases for temporary residence	Zakon o strancima, art. 40(1)(10)
What property counts	Residential buildings and apartments in Serbia that a foreigner may own and in which the foreigner lives	Zakon o strancima, art. 54(2)
What you prove	Ownership of the property, plus the general conditions	Zakon o strancima, art. 54(1)
General conditions	Valid passport; means of support; registered address; health insurance; proof of the basis; paid fee	Zakon o strancima, art. 43(1)
Passport validity	At least three months longer than the residence period requested	Zakon o strancima, art. 43(2)
Type of card	Temporary residence permit (not a single permit)	Zakon o strancima, art. 40(2)
How long	Up to three years, extendable for the same period	Zakon o strancima, art. 44(1)
Work	The portal’s guidance says owners on this basis may work without a single permit	Welcome to Serbia, Residence and work permit
Fee (portal FAQ)	430 RSD submission plus 23,450 RSD for a temporary residence permit	Welcome to Serbia, Help, question 12

What the law requires

Article 54 of the Law on Foreigners says temporary residence on the basis of property ownership can be granted to a foreigner who meets the general conditions of article 43 and submits proof of ownership. It defines the property narrowly: residential buildings and apartments in Serbia that a foreigner may own and in which the foreigner lives. Article 54 names no minimum price or size. The detailed conditions for temporary residence are set by the interior minister (art. 43(3)).

Owning the property doesn’t remove the general conditions. The law still requires proof of means of support and health insurance for this basis; the article 43a exemption covers only close family of Serbian citizens and people coming to work.

Living and working on this permit

The law requires you to live in Serbia in line with the basis on which residence was granted (art. 40(3)), and an extension can be refused if you did not use the previous residence for that basis (art. 45(1)(5a)). The Welcome to Serbia portal’s guidance lists people with temporary residence based on owning real estate among those who have the right to work in Serbia without a single permit.

Renewal: apply no earlier than three months before expiry and no later than the expiry date (art. 41(6)).
Decision deadline: 30 days from the application (art. 42(1)).

Sources

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

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