Serbia – Residence Rules for Foreigners in 2023

Serbia is known to welcome foreigners from all over the world. It is small wonder considering foreign citizens enjoy easy access to residence and immigration programs therein.

Before you decide where you plan to go, be it on a temporary or permanent basis, it makes sense to study the current rules of entry in your destination country. Serbia is a highly popular destination, hence learning what rules regulate your stay therein in 2023 is a pressing need.

OFFERS AND SERVICES FROM INTERNATIONAL WEALTH PARTNERS IN SERBIA

1,500,000 EUR

Penthouse for Sale in Belgrade with a Huge Rooftop Terrace (214 Square Meters Area)

12000 EUR

Legal and Tax Residence in Serbia via Company Registration

from 8500 EUR

Open a Company with a Bank Account in Serbia Remotely

from 5500 EUR

Help with Serbian Residence Permits and Serbian Tax Residency By Real Estate Investment

220000 EUR

4-room Duplex Apartment in Belgrade for Sale (89 m2 area)

Things to know about staying in Serbia in 2023

The Serbian government has already canceled PCR test requirements and COVID restrictions for foreigners about to enter Serbia. At the moment, Serbia is open to all comers regardless of where in the world they are from. 

Those interested in obtaining a residence permit in Serbia are welcome to purchase real property of any value in the country, start a business therein, marry a Serbian citizen, or get a job with a company in Serbia. After you have lived 5 years in the state, you are eligible to apply for permanent residence and enjoy visa-free access to multiple EU states.

Neither freelancers nor IT experts working remotely will have any job or income issues in Serbia. A wide selection of vacancies is available to them on local websites and in Telegram. The only thing left to do is decide which one will work best in your case and turn to International Wealth for help so that our experienced consultants could make your dream come true the soonest.

Countries whose citizens may visit Serbia without a visa – residence rules for foreigners

Below, you will find the list of countries whose citizens do not need a special visa to stay in Serbia within a set time period in 2023:

1. EU member states
2. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Switzerland, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Iceland, San Marino, Albania, Vatican, and Norway
3. Asian countries: UAE, Israel, Korea, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Turkey, Macau, and Hong Kong
4. USA, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, and Uruguay
5. Australia and New Zealand
6. Seychelles and Tunisia
7. Post-USSR states: Russia, Republic of Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Moldova.

An average term to stay in Serbia with a foreign passport only makes 30 to 90 days. You can extend it via a visa run, i.e., leaving the country and re-entering it. Alternatively, you are welcome to use the available immigration schemes authorizing their successful applicants for long-term residency in Serbia.

Number of days you can stay in Serbia without a visa in 2023

Depending on the foreigner’s country of origin or residency state, the rules regulating visa- or permit-free stays and terms thereof may vary. Below, you will find the time periods citizens of the EU and certain post-USSR states are allowed to stay in Serbia for:

• EU residents and foreigners with valid Schengen, US, and UK visas are allowed to stay in Serbia for max 90 days
• Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Russia  – your stay in Serbia may not exceed 30 days 
• Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia – citizens of the above states are allowed to stay in Serbia up to 90  days within 6 months with only a foreign passport in their bag. 

How long can you stay in Serbia on a long-term and a short-term visa?

Under the rules of stay currently in force in Serbia, foreign citizens may lawfully stay for 30 days to 1 year in the country, depending on what stay permit they have:

• foreign passport – 30 to 90 days
• visa С – up to 90 days within a 180-day period 
• visa D – 90 to 180 days per year
• transit – no special short stay permits are required to stay in Serbia in this case, provided the stay period does not exceed 24 hours, which is the max allowed time enough to make a stop in Serbia in order to make the connection or change trains and go on with your trip overseas
• residence permit – up to 1 year, with annual renewal.

How can you extend your stay in Serbia?

The International Wealth customers often ask how they can stay in Serbia for more than 30 days in 2023 on lawful grounds and with no issues.

Ways to circumvent the rules in order to legally stay in Serbia without a visa do exist:

1. Visa run – to extend your stay in Serbia for 30 more days, you may exit Serbia to a neighboring state like Montenegro or Bosnia and then re-enter Serbia. Your stay in Serbia is thereby reset to zero and you may stay in Serbia for 30 more days. The number of times you can repeat the trick is unlimited.
2. Short-term visa С to enter Serbia that is issued for a year allowing the holder thereof to stay in the country for 90 days within each 6-month period may be extended for very good reasons only. To achieve the above goal, you should apply for visa C extension attaching the necessary documents to your application.
3. Long-term visa D to enter Serbia that is issued to applicants who intend to get a Serbian residence permit, signed labor agreements to work in Serbia, own property in the country, or meet any other program requirements. To extend your long-term visa D to Serbia, you should submit the required  documents to the corresponding authority stating the reasons for visa extension.

Extending a Serbian residence permit is bound with less hassle. Just go ahead and apply therefor stating the reason for the above residence permit extension for 1 more year. The above reasons may include labor migration, company incorporation in Serbia, studies, taking part in international leadership exchange programs, property ownership, etc. 

Rules regulating your stay in Serbia in 2023 – summary

If you set up your mind to get a residence permit and obtain permanent residency in Serbia, the International Wealth experts will eagerly provide you with all services necessary to get settled therein. A consultation with the International Wealth pros will come handy for you to remain compliant with the rules of stay in Serbia in 2023.

Here’s what you can do when assisted by the International Wealth pros:

• set up a bank account in Serbia and get a bank card, including anonymous multi-currency UnionPay cards
• purchase real estate in attractive regions of Serbia and Belgrade. The International Wealth partners in Serbia have appealing offers for you in stock
• rent an apartment and find a district to reside in Serbia on either permanent or temporary basis that will be both comfortable and interesting like Novi Beograd, Stari Grad, Vračar, Senjak, Dedinje, etc. 
• get a residence permit in exchange for company incorporation in Serbia or business redomiciliation to Serbia. The service is available as a single package with corporate account setup, office rent, and legal consultancy services
• study local sights and places of interest (for tourists and those temporarily staying in Serbia), including inter alia a wine tour, a city sightseeing tour of Belgrade, a trip to local monasteries and convents, and many more