Work Permit in Serbia: A Complete Guide to the Radna Dozvola

New Rules from 2024: What is the Single Permit (Jedinstvena Dozvola)?

For foreigners planning to live and work in Serbia for more than three months, obtaining a work permit, or Radna Dozvola, is mandatory. This applies to both salaried employees and founders of their own businesses, whether as a sole proprietor (preduzetnik) or a limited liability company (DOO, similar to an LLC).

As of February 1, 2024, Serbian legislation underwent significant changes aimed at simplifying the process. The concept of a 'single permit' (Jedinstvena dozvola) was introduced—an ID card that serves as both a temporary residence permit and a work permit. This new regulation applies to several categories of foreigners.

Now, if you are applying for a temporary residence permit based on employment or starting a business (sole proprietorship/LLC), you no longer need to apply for a work permit separately. It is issued automatically with the residence permit card, and its validity period starts from the date of application submission. However, it is important to remember: those who submitted their documents before February 1, 2024, must obtain their permit under the old procedure.

Changing Jobs with a Single Permit: What You Need to Know

Having a single permit simplifies many processes, but when changing employers or business activity (e.g., switching from a sole proprietorship to employment in a company), you must take several steps to maintain your legal status.

1. Conducting a "labor market test." The new employer must prove to the National Employment Service (NES) that no qualified Serbian citizens are applying for your position.
2. Notification to the NES. After a successful labor market test, you must submit a notification of the new job to the NES and pay the fee.
3. Notification to social security funds. The employer is required to report your employment to the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIO) and the Health Insurance Fund to ensure your mandatory health insurance is not interrupted.
4. Notification to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP). It is also recommended to personally visit the local Ministry of Internal Affairs office at your registered address and report the change of employment.

Important Nuances of the Work Permit

There are several key features to consider when applying for and using a work permit in Serbia. Firstly, it can be obtained even for a 'frozen' (temporarily inactive) sole proprietorship. This can be useful in the initial stages of legalization.

Secondly, for foreigners without permanent residency or citizenship, the work permit is strictly tied to a specific employer or your own business. When changing jobs, even if it's a transition from your own sole proprietorship to salaried employment, you will need to apply for a new permit.

• For salaried employment: all procedures are handled by the employer.
• When opening a sole proprietorship or LLC: you are personally responsible for obtaining the permit.

It is important to know that you can work as a sole proprietor with a residence permit but without a work permit for no more than 90 days. This period is counted either from the date of entry into Serbia or from the date of the sole proprietorship's registration—whichever comes first. Working without a permit after this period expires will result in a fine ranging from 20,000 to 150,000 dinars.

List of Documents for Obtaining a Radna Dozvola

To obtain a work permit under the old procedure (or in cases not covered by the single permit), you need to prepare a set of documents. Submission is possible both in person and online if you have an electronic signature or ConsentID.

• Application form. A special form for the self-employed (sole proprietors) is used, filled out on a computer or by hand.
• Receipts for fee payments. The total amount is approximately 16,950 dinars.
• Copy of your passport. You need the pages with your photo and the residence permit sticker (boravak).
• Copy of the business registration decision from the Serbian Business Registers Agency (APR).
• Copy of the lease or purchase agreement for the work premises.
• Brief description of activities. A document in Serbian where you describe what you plan to do and how many employees you intend to hire.
• Translation of your education document. This can be a high school diploma, a university degree, or even a course certificate. The field of study is not important. The translation must be done by a certified court interpreter, but an apostille and nostrification are not required. The transcript of grades does not need to be translated.

Application and Issuance Procedure

Work permit documents are submitted to the National Employment Service (NES) office corresponding to your company's legal address, not your place of residence. If your sole proprietorship is registered in Belgrade but you live in Novi Sad, you must submit the documents in Belgrade.

After submission, you will be given a confirmation with a case number. The waiting period is approximately one month. The final document is usually sent by mail to your home address. If there is no response within 45 days, you should visit the NES office in person. If there are errors in your documents, you will be sent a notification and given one week to correct them without having to pay the fees again.

How to Renew a Work Permit

The renewal procedure for a work permit is very similar to the initial application. The renewal application should be submitted no earlier than 30 days before the current permit expires, but no later than its last day of validity. Usually, the permit is issued for the same duration as the temporary residence permit.

When filling out the renewal application, you must provide the number of your current permit, as well as the updated information from your new residence permit card. The start date for the new permit should be the day after the old one expires.

• You do not need to re-submit the translation of your education document.
• You do not need to write a new description of activities.

However, in practice, some offices, such as in Belgrade, may sometimes request the full set of documents as if it were the first application. The fee amount for renewal is the same as for the initial application.