What do I need to get a temporary residence permit in Serbia?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Serbia's Law on Foreigners requires a valid passport, proof of means of support, a registered address in Serbia, proof of health insurance, evidence for your basis of stay (such as work, study, family or property) and the paid fee. The passport must be valid three months beyond the permit. Temporary residence lasts up to three years.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
When you need it	To stay longer than 90 days in any 180-day period, longer than an international agreement allows, or longer than your long-stay visa D	Zakon o strancima, art. 40(1); portal FAQ, question 1
Bases	Employment; schooling or learning Serbian; university study; international exchange; specialisation, training and practice; scientific research; family reunification; religious service; medical treatment or care; ownership of real estate; humanitarian stay; (presumed) victims of human trafficking; other justified reasons under a law or treaty	Zakon o strancima, art. 40(1)
What you submit	Valid passport (or national ID card if you may enter Serbia with it); proof of means of support for the planned stay; registration of stay or residential address in Serbia; proof of health insurance for the planned stay; evidence supporting your basis, plus other documents the authority asks for; proof of the paid fee	Zakon o strancima, art. 43(1)
Who skips means and insurance	Close family of a Serbian citizen; a foreigner taking up employment and that foreigner’s close family	Zakon o strancima, art. 43a
Passport validity	At least three months longer than the residence period you ask for	Zakon o strancima, art. 43(2)
How long it lasts	Up to three years, extendable for the same period, depending on the reason for the stay	Zakon o strancima, art. 44(1)
Where to apply	In person or electronically, to the police unit for foreigners	Zakon o strancima, art. 41(1)

Which permit you get

The law issues two kinds of card. Employment and specialisation, training and practice lead to a single permit, a combined residence and work permit. Every other basis leads to a temporary residence permit (Zakon o strancima, art. 40(2)). The portal’s guidance says you choose the basis and the more specific reason in one universal application form, and that choice decides which permit is issued.

Documents the law requires

Article 43 lists the general conditions for every basis: a valid passport, proof of means of support, a registered address, health insurance, evidence for your basis (for university study, proof of enrolment at an accredited institution, art. 48; for property owners, proof of ownership, art. 54), and the paid administrative fee. Article 43a removes the means-of-support and health-insurance proofs for close family of Serbian citizens and for people coming to work and their close family. The detailed conditions are set by the interior minister (art. 43(3)).

How the application works

You can apply online on the Welcome to Serbia portal or in person, except that the portal’s guidance says applications for minors are made only in person, by their legal representatives. If the conditions are met, you go to the police unit for foreigners in person so they can take your biometric data; at that point you receive a certificate that the permit process has started (Zakon o strancima, art. 101b(1) and (4)). The permit is a biometric card.

The law also says you must live in Serbia in line with the basis on which your residence was granted (art. 40(3)). The portal’s guidance says that if that basis ends while your permit is valid, you should contact the police unit for foreigners.

Grounds for refusal

The law requires a refusal if, among other reasons, your passport is valid for too short a time, a general condition is missing, you are under an entry ban or removal measure, there is a justified suspicion you won’t use the residence for its stated purpose, or your documents are forged or obtained illegally (Zakon o strancima, art. 45(1)).

Fees: the portal’s FAQ lists a 430 RSD submission fee plus 23,450 RSD for a temporary residence permit (see the processing time and fee page).
Renewal: you apply no earlier than three months before expiry and no later than the expiry date (art. 41(6)).

Sources

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.