Work permit in Serbia for Ukrainians: How to obtain it in 2025

Ukrainian citizens who wish to work in Serbia must obtain a work permit. The National Employment Service of Serbia (NES) is responsible for issuing work permits, and it is mandatory for all foreign workers, except for certain categories who acquire the right to work through a temporary residence permit.

Important! Foreign nationals can only work in Serbia after obtaining a work permit.

Who must apply for a work permit?

✔ Employer – if the foreign national is employed under a contract in a Serbian company.

✔ Foreign nationals – if they are self-employed or plan to work as an entrepreneur.

An employee (if hired) cannot apply for a work permit themselves – this is the employer’s responsibility.

Types of work permits in Serbia for Ukrainian citizens

Serbia offers two main types of work permits:

• Personal Work Permit
• Standard Work Permit (work visa)

A foreign national can hold only one work permit at a time.

1. Personal Work Permit (Lična radna dozvola)

Issued to foreigners who:

• Have permanent residence in Serbia.
• Have refugee status.
• Are family members of Serbian citizens.

This permit grants unrestricted work rights – the holder can work as an employee or run a business without being tied to a specific employer.

2. Standard work permit (Radna dozvola)

Issued for employment in a specific company.

This type of permit is divided into three categories:

✔ Employment Permit – for foreign nationals with a signed employment contract with a Serbian employer.

✔ Work Permit for Special Cases – for seconded employees, trainees, and independent professionals.

✔ Self-Employment Permit – for foreign nationals who want to work as entrepreneurs or freelancers.

How to obtain a work permit? Step-by-step guide for Ukrainian citizen

1. Obtain a temporary residence permit

Before applying for a work permit, the foreign national must obtain a temporary residence permit in Serbia.

✔ The application is submitted via the eVisa Serbia portal or in person at the police station.

✔ Processing time – up to 30 days.

✔ A work permit cannot be issued without a temporary residence permit.

2. Submit the work permit application

For Employees

✔ The employer applies for the work permit through the National Employment Service (NES).

✔ In some cases, NES conducts a labor market test (to determine whether Serbian citizens are available for the position).

For Self-Employed Individuals

✔ The foreign national applies for the permit themselves after obtaining a temporary residence permit.

✔ No labor market test is required.

3. Required documents for a work permit

📌 For Employees (submitted by the employer):

• Employment contract between the employer and the employee.
• Copy of the employee’s passport.
• Temporary residence permit.
• Employer’s company documents.
• Labor market test certificate from NES (if required).

📌 For Self-Employed Individuals:

• Proof of business registration in Serbia.
• Proof of financial means.
• Temporary residence permit.
• Valid passport.

Processing time – 2-4 weeks.

"Single permit" – combined residence and work permit

This is an option where the temporary residence permit and work permit are issued together.

Who can apply for a "Single Permit"?

Employees (hired under an employment contract in a Serbian company).

How to apply?

The employer applies online via the eVisa Portal: https://evisa.welcometoserbia.gov.rs/ 

Processing time – up to 30 days.

Cost – approximately €125 (14,690 RSD).

Work permit renewal

If a foreign national continues to work in Serbia, they must renew their work permit.

✔ The renewal application must be submitted at least 30 days before the current permit expires.

✔ The required documents remain the same as for the initial application.

✔ The application can be submitted through NES or via the eVisa Portal.

Processing time – up to 30 days.

Serbian labor law regulates the rights and obligations of employees and employers. The main aspects of the Serbian labor law include the following points:

1. Employment contract: The employment relationship between employees and employers is regulated by a written employment contract, which must specify the working conditions, salary, working hours, vacation and other rights and obligations of the parties.
2. Salary: The current minimum wage in Serbia is 618.69 EUR/Month.
3. Working hours: The total working time in Serbia should not exceed 40 hours per week. It can be divided into five days a week, with appropriate breaks for rest and meals.
4. Vacation: Vacations are provided in Serbia and depend on the length of service and legislation. Generally, employees are entitled to a paid annual vacation of 20 to 30 days, depending on their length of service and the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.
5. Protection of employees' rights: The Serbian labor law contains provisions that guarantee the protection of employees' rights, including the right to safe and healthy working conditions, prohibition of discrimination, the right to strike, and others.

The company registration process takes place in the Commercial Register. The amount of costs for company registration will depend on the type of legal entity being registered:

• RSD 5,900 (EUR 50.26) for a limited liability company
• 1,500 dinars (12.78 euros) for an entrepreneur
• 5,900 dinars (50.26 euros) for a branch of a foreign company

There are also other costs that must be covered before submitting an application - the notarization of the company's deed of incorporation, which amounts to 30 to 50 euros. In case the shareholder of the future Serbian company is a foreign company, it is necessary to have the extract from the trade register of the foreign company translated by a certified translator in Serbia, which costs from 50 to 100 euros.

—

Steps before registering a company in Serbia

Choosing the legal form of incorporation

According to the Law on Business Associations of the Republic of Serbia, there are several types of organization of legal entities (legal forms of business associations). These include:

• Entrepreneur
• Limited liability company
• Partnership company
• Limited partnership
• Joint stock company

Additional organizational and legal forms are as follows:

• Branch of a domestic legal entity
• Branch of a foreign legal entity
• Representative office of a foreign legal entity

The most popular legal forms of companies are limited liability company (LLC), entrepreneur and branch of a foreign legal entity in Serbia.

Get fast and convenient legal assistance online! Pay for services and get answers to all your questions - all in just a few clicks!

Choosing a company name

The business name must contain the name of the company, its legal form and the place of registration of the company's registered office. In addition, the business name must contain other elements in accordance with the Law.

When choosing a business name for your company, it is important to follow the recommendations, all legal regulations and restrictions. Before submitting the application for registration, it is recommended to check whether the company name is available and, if so, to reserve it in advance.

—

How to choose a company's activity code?

All legal entities and business partnerships are required to select an activity code (the company's predominant activity). These are the types of activities that the company will primarily engage in to generate profit. In addition to the main activity, there are additional activities that a company can engage in. If an additional activity becomes dominant, it must be changed to the main activity. For limited liability companies, this means a change in the articles of association.

—

Legal address of a company in Serbia

Registration of a legal address in Serbia is mandatory. This includes  

• The address of the company's registered office
• Email address
• Postal address
• Virtual location address
• The company address can be anywhere in Serbia, but you can also register a virtual address. 

—

Preparation of the Memorandum of Association (MoA)

The establishment of a limited liability company (the most common form of legal entity) in Serbia begins with the issuance of a memorandum of association. The memorandum of association is a general legal act of the company issued by one or more founders of the company. The memorandum of association must be notarized.

The memorandum of association must contain the following information:

• Data on the company's members/shareholders
• Name of the company
• Address of the company in Serbia
• Selected activity code
• Total amount of the authorized capital
• Time of payment of the share in cash or issuance of a non-cash share
• Individual share of each member
• Powers of persons representing the company (directors)

—

What documents are required to register a company in Serbia?

The most important documentation required to set up a company in Serbia:

• Unified registration application for establishment of a limited liability company and entry into the taxpayer register, signed by an authorized representative
• Proof of identity of the company's shareholders - a photocopy of the passport for a foreign citizen; if the founder is a legal entity, he/she submits an extract from the Register in which the foreign company is registered
• Articles of incorporation with certified signatures of all founders or participants
• Proof of paid LLC registration fee and proof of paid registration and issuance fees
• An application for the establishment of a company may be submitted by the founder, authorized person or trustee.

—

Qualified electronic signature

A digital signature (qualified electronic signature) is required to sign, submit and certify documents electronically. An electronic certificate is also used to submit the company's annual financial and tax reports.

To obtain a digital signature, you must apply for its issuance to the relevant institution in Serbia (there are 5 of them that issue this type of certificate). After submitting the application, an electronic certificate is usually created within 15 business days. The certificate is issued in the name of the company's director, and only the director can personally pick it up at the relevant office.

—

Submitting documents to the BRA

As we have already mentioned, the signatures of the founder(s) must be notarized before you officially establish a company in Serbia. After that, you can apply for registration with the BRA. You can do this directly at the BRA office in Belgrade, at BRA structural units or by mail. 

When the BRA accepts your application, you will receive a company number (CN), a tax identification number (TIN) and a health insurance number issued by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

—

Steps after company incorporation in Serbia

After the company is established, the following must be done:

Opening a bank account

In order to open a bank account, basic documentation is usually required:

• Application for opening a bank account
• Questionnaire with certified signatures of persons authorized to represent the company (CS form, notarized)
• Decision on company registration (from the Serbian Commercial Register)
• Card with signature samples of authorized persons
• Identity card of the director
• Additional bank documentation such as account opening agreement in each currency, requirements for internet banking

Reporting to the tax administration after company registration

After you have completed the initial steps, you need to file a tax return within the statutory deadline to become a new taxpayer. The tax return is submitted to the Tax Administration and is a declaration of income.

The statutory deadline for filing a tax return is 15 days from the date of incorporation or from the date of issuance of the Decision on Registration with the ARA.

—

Serbia visa for business travel

The Serbia Business Visa gives you permission to enter Serbia and stay here for a maximum of 90 days within a six-month period as authorized. It allows its holder to engage in business activities, such as attending meetings or conferences, conducting or attending trainings, conducting internal audits, installing equipment, or providing other temporary services to a client or local branch.

Such cases will also be covered under the business visa category:

• Business meetings/Gatherings/Negotiations/Training
• Conference/Congress/Exhibition
• Scientific and research activities
• Journalists
• Official delegation

—

Required documents for obtaining a Business Visa of Serbia

• Application form filled in in English or Serbian, signed and dated by the applicant (signed by both parents in case of minor children under 18 years of age)
• Passport. Valid for at least three months after the date of your transit through Serbia. We would like to add that the passport must be issued within the last 10 years and must have at least two free "visa pages".
• 2 Photos
• Residence permit/Visa (if your country of residence and citizenship are different)
• Travel itinerary and valid hotel/accommodation reservation with full address (name, street, city, postal code, contact information, booking link).
• Letter from a local employer (confirmation of employment)
• Proof of financial resources - personal bank statements for at least the last 6 months prior to application, personal property, assets, etc.
• Foreign health insurance with a minimum coverage of EUR 30,000 

 —

Business visa for Serbia: the term of obtaining

The average time for issuing a business visa for Serbia is 3-10 calendar days. It depends on your country of application.

—

Where to apply for a business visa

A visa is issued before arrival in Serbia. The visa application is submitted to the diplomatic and consular mission of the Republic of Serbia abroad.