Change of Basis (Promenu osnova rada): Instructions for a Work-Based Residence Permit in Serbia

What is 'Change of Basis' and Who Needs It?

The 'Promenu osnova rada' or 'Change of Basis' procedure is an official process for foreigners who already have a residence permit in Serbia based on employment (work-based residence permit) and want to additionally register and link a sole proprietorship (SP) to their residence permit.

This guide is necessary to legally work in your own company (sole proprietorship), avoiding consequences and fines. It allows you to keep your current residence permit until its renewal by changing or supplementing the basis for your stay and work.

It is important to understand the key points related to this procedure:

• This guide is exclusively for holders of a work-based residence permit who wish to link a sole proprietorship to it.
• If you have a residence permit in the form of a sticker in your passport ('nalepnica'), you will need to apply for a separate work permit ('radna dozvola').
• If your residence permit was initially obtained based on a sole proprietorship, you do not need this procedure.
• You can apply for a change of basis online.
• You can even link a 'frozen' (temporarily inactive) sole proprietorship to your ID card.

List of Required Documents

To successfully apply for a change of basis, you will need to prepare a standardized set of documents. The absence of any of them can lead to a delay or rejection of your application.

The main list of documents is as follows:

• Application for 'saglasnost' (consent). It can be filled out by hand or on a computer, indicating your first and last name exactly as in your foreign passport.
• Receipt for payment of the fee. The amount is approximately 420 Serbian dinars.
• Copy of all pages of your foreign passport.
• Certified translation of your education document into Serbian.
• Copy of the lease or purchase agreement for the business premises.
• A scan or 'read-out' of your residence permit ID card.
• Copy of the decision on your business registration from the Business Registers Agency (APR).

Translation of Education Documents: Important Nuances

One of the most important documents on the list is the translation of your education document. There are many nuances here, and knowing them will save you time and money.

The main requirement is that the translation must be done by a certified court translator ('sudski prevodilac'). A scan or a high-quality photo of the document is sufficient for the translation.

The process of working with a translator is usually simple: you contact them, send a photo of the document, and pick up the finished translation the next day. The service costs approximately 1000-1200 dinars.

Submitting Documents to the National Employment Service (NSZ)

The prepared set of documents must be submitted to the National Employment Service (NSZ). It is important to remember that submission is done at the location of your company's legal address. If you live in Novi Sad but your sole proprietorship is registered in Belgrade, you must submit the documents to the Belgrade branch of the NSZ.

Before submitting, make sure your residence permit ID card indicates that you have the right to work. If you do not have this right, the change of basis procedure is not possible, and you will first need to change the type of your residence permit.

You can submit the documents in two ways: in person or by sending scans of all documents and the fee payment receipt to the email address of the corresponding branch.

As a rule, the branches are open from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 14:30, and the queues for submission are minimal.

Fee Payment and Step-by-Step Algorithm

The fee must be paid in advance, before submitting the documents. The payment details can be found on the application form itself. Payment can be made at any bank, post office, or exchange office ('menjačnica'), as well as through the online banking of your business account.

When filling out the payment order, in the 'poziv na broj' (reference number) field, you need to enter the code of the municipality (opština) where your company's legal address is registered. It is recommended to save a photo or copy of the payment receipt in case it gets lost.

The algorithm of actions after collecting the documents and paying the fee is as follows:

1. Submit the complete package of documents in person to the specified office at your NSZ branch or send all scans to the official email.
2. If you submit in person, you will be given a paper with your case number, confirming receipt of the documents. If you submit online, you will receive a confirmation email.
3. Wait for the decision. The official processing time is about a month. The decision will be sent by mail to the postal box at the legal address specified in the application.

What to Do After Submission and Potential Problems

After submitting the documents, the waiting period begins. If you do not receive any response within 45 days, you should visit the NSZ branch in person to inquire about the status of your case, bringing the paper with your application number.

Sometimes the postman may not find you at the address and will leave a notice. In this case, you will need to pick up the final decision from the NSZ branch in about 15 days.

If errors or inaccuracies are found in the submitted documents, the NSZ will send an official letter to your legal address describing the problem. You will be given one week to make corrections. If you manage to make the corrections on time, you will not have to pay additional fees. Otherwise, the entire submission procedure will have to be started over.