Obtaining a temporary residence permit in Serbia (instructions)

Why does a residence permit attract Russians?

Why do many Russians seek to obtain a residence permit in the country in question? Such desires are due to the fact that the status in question provides a lot of advantages to representatives of the Russian population, among which the most popular is the opportunity to stay on the territory of this European country for any number of days during the validity period of the permit. Having a residence permit in Serbia, Russians can legally apply for a Schengen visa, and also, after a certain time, obtain the right to permanent residence in the state according to a simplified scheme (this right can later be exchanged for citizenship of the country by going through a special procedure). Do Russians who have obtained a residence permit in this state need a visa to Serbia? No, this document is not required - this is another circumstance that attracts migrants.

Russians who have a residence permit in the state in question have the full right to receive medical services in local state-run clinics. All of them will be provided free of charge, based on the provided medical card.

For Russians, a residence permit in Serbia gives the right to purchase a car in this country. As you know, the cost of used cars in this country is significantly lower than that established on car markets in the Russian Federation. After purchasing a car, a person has every right to register it on a general basis.

In their comments, Russians note that a residence permit in this state gives the full right to trouble-free residence in a European country, where a decent standard of living is easily ensured and there is a stable income. Moreover, Serbia is famous for its low crime rate, which also attracts foreigners. Some Russians are attracted by favorable climatic conditions. Many of our compatriots note a decent standard of living in Serbia. Judging by the reviews, the country has low prices for real estate, as well as for food and essential goods.

Possible immigration options to Serbia for Russian citizens

There are several ways to immigrate to Serbia for citizens of the Russian Federation:

Starting a business and investing.
Business cooperation with Serbian organizations.
Employment.
Creating a family with Serbian citizens (both civil registered partnership and official marriage are possible).
Family reunification.
Training and advanced training.
Treatment.
Ownership of real estate in Serbia.
Serbian origin.

Emigration, immigration and migration are completely different concepts. Migration is the movement of people. Emigration is moving from the state discussed in the context. And immigration is entry for permanent or temporary residence into the country in question.
For ease of understanding, let's give an example. A Russian citizen moves for permanent residence to Serbia. For a Ukrainian he will be a migrant, for other Russians he will be an emigrant, and for citizens of Serbia he will be an immigrant.

Spouses of Serbian citizens can obtain a residence permit

What does a Serbian residence permit provide?

Among the advantages of a Serbian residence permit are:

the right to permanent residence in the territory of Serbia during the validity period of the document without limiting the number of entries,
the possibility of staying without a visa in the Schengen area for 90 days in a six-month period,
registration of visas of foreign countries on the territory of Serbia,
the opportunity to obtain a medical insurance policy for free care in local health care institutions,
the right to purchase and register a vehicle,
the possibility of obtaining permanent resident status and citizenship in the future.

Who can apply for a residence permit

Knowing what a residence permit in Serbia provides, many Russians strive to apply for it as quickly as possible in order to take advantage of all the benefits of this status. However, as practice shows, not all Russians who want to move to this country for a certain period of time have the right to obtain a residence permit. Who is allowed to do this?

These groups of people include primarily those who have a desire to make a significant contribution to the economy of the state. In particular, this applies to those who have a desire to open a business in the country, as well as make investments in a certain area of the Serbian economy.

Persons wishing to purchase real estate in Serbia are also granted this right. A separate group of persons who have the right in question are those who enter into a legal marriage with a citizen of the state.

A residence permit in Serbia can be obtained without any problems by those Russians who plan to find employment in the country or enroll in studies at one of the local universities.

Let us next consider in more detail the specifics of the procedure for obtaining a residence permit in a given state by the specified groups of persons, as well as the general list of documents required for this.

Specifics of the procedure for obtaining a residence permit

The process of obtaining a residence permit is not particularly complicated and generally takes no more than 1 month.

Which organization should I contact?

The applicant submits an application for a residence permit in person to the Police Department in Belgrade, which is subordinate to the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is located at: Despot Stefan Boulevard, building 107.

Submission of applications for residence permits at diplomatic missions (embassies and consulates) of Serbia abroad is not provided.

Who has the right to receive the document

The following categories of immigrants can become holders of a residence permit:

businessmen who founded a company, a bank or opened a branch of a previously existing organization in Serbia;
employees of foreign companies who have signed cooperation agreements with Serbian enterprises;
employees who have entered into an employment contract;
athletes who have entered into a contract with one of the sports clubs;
spouses (including civil partners) of Serbian citizens;
relatives of Serbian citizens;
foreigners invited by Serbian citizens for a private visit;
journalists;
priests;
language course students;
students and trainees;
highly qualified specialists invited by the Serbian organization;
lecturers and university professors;
employees of diplomatic and consular institutions of foreign states in Serbia;
persons planning to undergo treatment or rehabilitation;
employees of international organizations and consulting companies (for example, the European Commission, IMF);
owners of residential and commercial real estate in Serbia.

Residence permits can be obtained by students, trainees, and language course participants

Basic requirements for applicants and required documents

Russians have the right to legally stay in Serbia for up to 30 days without a visa. During this period, they can apply for a residence permit.

The list of basic documents includes:

international passport;
confirmation of place of residence (lease agreement, purchase of housing, notarized residence permit from relatives);
2 color photographs 3 × 4 cm (full face);
3 completed application forms (issued by the police);
receipt for payment of the fee for obtaining a residence permit;
papers confirming the purpose of stay (they can be found at the link).

Pensioners must additionally provide evidence of a stable income. As such a document, you can attach a certificate from the Pension Fund about payments or financial guarantees from relatives who will ensure the pensioner’s accommodation in Serbia.

If a residence permit is issued for a child together with his parents, only his birth certificate will be additionally required. But in cases where a minor will stay in Serbia with one of the parents or without their care, a notarized consent from the other parent or from both is required.

The acquisition of real estate residential or commercial property in Serbia is a direct basis for obtaining a residence permit.

The photograph to submit an application must be in color.

Where to go

When planning migration from Russia to Serbia, many people think about where to go and what documents need to be provided to obtain a residence permit in the European country in question. As practice shows, this procedure can be performed independently - as a rule, this does not cause any difficulties. You just need to remember that only those representatives of the Russian population who entered the territory of Serbia no later than three months ago have the right to obtain a residence permit.

In order to obtain the coveted right, a citizen of the Russian Federation must appear at the police station and go to the department for working with foreign citizens. In response to the submitted appeal, the inspector must provide a number of documents to pay the fees required by law. Reviews from experienced migrants often note that it is best to make such a visit early in the morning - around 8-9 o’clock.

After an appointment with an inspector, a citizen of the Russian Federation must make copies of all documents, as well as obtain medical insurance for each family member who will live with him in the country. As practice shows, the insurance company offers the most acceptable conditions for this.

After all the necessary documents have been collected and the fees have been paid, the migrant can again be sent to the police station to the same inspector. Under his guidance, it is necessary to fill out all the forms, then hand in the papers and wait for an official response to the submitted request.

Obtaining a temporary residence permit in Serbia (brief instructions)

Self-submitting documents for a temporary residence permit in Serbia should not cause any particular difficulties. I will try to outline my personal experience of obtaining a residence permit based on real estate in the form of brief step-by-step instructions.

Step 1. Appear at the police (MUP - Ministry of Internal Affairs) to the inspector for work with foreigners (inspector for stranzi) and inform him of your desire to obtain a residence permit (privremi borawak). In response, the inspector will give a printed paper with a list of necessary documents and, most importantly, with the amount of fees that will have to be paid to receive a boravka and a sticker (moulding) in the passport. These measurements change periodically, which is why it is important to obtain them from an inspector. It is better to come to the inspector early in the morning, around 8-9 o’clock.

Step 2. Take 2 photographs as for a Schengen visa.

Step 3. Make copies of existing documents:

“white cardboard” - certificate of registration with the police at the place of stay indicating the date of entry into Serbia;
foreign passport (page spread with photo);
a document confirming the existence of property (a sheet of title, if any, or a purchase and sale agreement, if the property has just been purchased)
if family members of its owner are registered on the basis of real estate, it is also necessary to make copies of documents confirming kinship (marriage certificate, birth certificate)

Step 3. Obtain health insurance for all family members who will live in Serbia. (For example, at the insurance company Dunav osiguranje - this is the most budget option that has been found to date. You need to ask for insurance to get a timely insurance policy - experienced people will understand you).

Step 4. Receive a bank statement indicating the availability of funds in the account. The required amount is not officially announced, but experience shows that 1,500 euros per person per year is enough.

Step 5. If you need documents confirming your relationship, you need to order their translation from the Sudsky tumach (a translator from Russian who has a round seal. If there is no round seal, the documents will not be accepted.)

Step 6. To apply for a temporary residence permit, relatives must submit a letter of guarantee, which indicates that you undertake to provide them with housing and pay all expenses (otherwise, a separate bank account statement will be required for each relative). This letter is drawn up in Serbian (can be ordered from the same court official) and certified in court. To do this, you need to come to the local court with a letter printed in 3 copies and with your passport and find out where the documents are certified. The process is quick, but you will have to pay a small fee, the amount of which will be determined in court.

Step 7. Pay the fees for the provision of timely wart and molding in accordance with the instructions of the inspector for work with foreigners for each family member. This can be done at a kiosk next to the police, where your passports and a piece of paper received from the inspector will be processed in the proper form.

Step 8. Print out the application forms for a residence permit (if you want to get approval in time), carefully fill them out (in Serbian, in capital letters in Latin or Cyrillic) and attach two photographs with a paper clip. The same Sudski Tumach can help you fill out the form.

Applications can be found here:

Step 9. Disassemble all the documents collected in the previous stages, arrange them into files and submit them to the office located on the ground floor of the police building. Just in case, the next day you can go to the inspector and inform him that all documents have been submitted. After which you can wait for the results.

To find useful information on our website, use the “Guide”.

List of documents

Do Russians need a visa to Serbia? Of course, this document will be required in order to cross the border of this European state in both directions. Moreover, its provision is necessary in case of obtaining a residence permit in Serbia. What other documents are needed to acquire this status? Let us consider this list in more detail below.

In order to obtain a residence permit in Serbia, you must provide not only a valid visa, but also a foreign passport, as well as a document that certifies the identity of a person in the Russian Federation (internal passport). These documents must be accompanied by medical insurance covering the entire permissible period of a Russian’s stay in the country, and a certificate confirming the availability of sufficient material resources to live in Serbia.

The general package of documents should be accompanied by an act indicating the availability of a place for a Russian citizen to live in Serbia for the entire period of his stay in the state - this must be obtained from the police department immediately upon arrival in the country. Moreover, the police inspector will certainly request a couple of color photographs taken in accordance with established requirements, as well as an autobiography written in Serbian. In addition to everything, the Russian must attach a statement of intent to obtain a residence permit, as well as other documents on the basis of which this status can be granted to him (a contract for the purchase and sale of housing, a contract with the employer, an order for enrollment among students of a Serbian university, etc. . P.).

It should be noted that people planning their migration from Russia to Serbia do not need to provide any documents confirming the absence of a criminal record. We’ll talk further about what exactly needs to be taken into account when collecting documents for obtaining a residence permit.

Procedure for obtaining citizenship

To obtain citizenship in Serbia, you must first apply for a residence permit. This can be done during the period of visa-free stay in the country (Serbia and Russia have entered into an agreement with the possibility of entry for Russians without permission for 30 days). To obtain a residence permit, you will need to prepare the following package of documents:

a corresponding application for the issuance of a form;
a valid foreign passport of a foreigner;
temporary or permanent registration at the place of residence;
several photographs with the salon stamp;
receipt of payment of state duty;
medical insurance of the applicant for a residence permit;
confirmation of official income in the country.

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If there are minor children, they are required to provide birth certificates and certificates of enrollment in an educational institution. Documentation is submitted to the local police department. To obtain a residence permit, an appropriate basis is required: the presence of real estate, business, relatives, education or periodic work (up to 90 days). Subsequently, after living in the country for more than 3 years, you can submit a request for citizenship. In such a situation, the following documentation is required:

relevant statement;
a valid foreign passport;
income certificate or bank statement;
issued medical insurance;
receipt of payment of state duty;
confirmation of no criminal record in Russia;
several color photographs;
documentary evidence of renunciation of previous citizenship.

If there are children, birth certificates are submitted. Additionally, proof of marriage or divorce may be required. Documentation is provided in the form of originals with a translation certified by a notary. Subsequently, the request for a Serbian passport will be considered within a year.

Important! An integral part of the procedure will be taking an oath of allegiance to the state and its people.

About health insurance

To be granted a residence permit in the country in question, Russian citizens must take out medical insurance. In order to do this, applicants are advised to contact trusted insurance companies that have been on the market for a long time. Of these, Dunav and Delta Generale most often stand out - these are the agents who are ready to offer the cheapest and at the same time, if you believe the reviews, reliable insurance options.

As practice shows, the optimal insurance coverage is 50 euros per person. In the event that a Russian receives a residence permit on the basis of the presence of real estate acquired by him in Serbia, he needs to know that this right applies to all members of his family. In this regard, close relatives of an applicant for this status must also bring their medical insurance to the police department.

Photo requirements

Police officers reviewing submitted requests for a residence permit pay special attention to what photos are provided in the general package of documents. They are subject to certain requirements that must be strictly observed if there is no desire to be refused.

Photo cards should be 3 x 4 cm in size. The image should be clear, printed on glossy paper. Its quality should be as high as possible, and therefore, to create a photo, it is best to contact a specialized studio.

The photo must show the applicant's face in a frontal position, against a light background, without any unnecessary elements that significantly distort the applicant's real appearance.

Confirmation of financial solvency

Among the documents provided to obtain a residence permit in Serbia, there must be those that confirm that the Russian has certain financial support. As such, you can provide statements from bank accounts or cards issued in the name of the applicant. As practice shows, an amount of about 3,500 euros (almost 270 thousand rubles) is quite enough for a migrant family to receive a positive response to the submitted petition. If we are talking about a request for one person, then its size is reduced to an amount equivalent to 2000 euros (just over 153 thousand rubles). It should be noted that these dimensions are not provided for by the legislation of the country, but are required by police officers.

Obtaining a residence permit as a result of purchasing real estate

Many Russians strive to obtain a residence permit in Serbia in this way, since it is considered the easiest to implement. It should be noted that it does not matter at all what type of property is purchased: commercial or residential.

The main advantage of this method of obtaining a residence permit is that the acquired housing gives the right to acquire the status in question not only to its owner, but also to all members of his family, which can legally include children, spouse and parents.

Despite the ease of obtaining a residence permit in Serbia when purchasing real estate, there is one rather serious snag in this method: to purchase a home, you must first obtain the appropriate permit issued by the cadastral commission. Practice shows that, as a rule, employees of this structure have a favorable attitude towards foreigners wishing to purchase real estate outside the territory of Serbia. But it takes about three weeks to consider the submitted request, after which the actual process of registering housing ownership lasts approximately the same amount of time. Before carrying out this procedure, the buyer must pay the seller 10% of the total cost of the property in advance - these funds will be used to pay the tax.

The peculiarity of Serbian legislation is that it prohibits the acquisition of land for private ownership. According to the law, only land lease is allowed - both by migrants and citizens of the country - for a period of up to 30 years.

In order to obtain a residence permit in Serbia on this basis, the applicant must attach a completed and notarized purchase and sale agreement for the property to the general package of documents.

Starting a business

If you want to obtain the coveted residence permit in the country by opening your own business, a citizen of the Russian Federation must go through all stages of the enterprise registration procedure established by local legislation. Practice shows that this option for obtaining a residence permit is not good enough, since building a business in this state is a rather problematic process. People note that if it is successfully carried out, financial investments can be returned in at least a year.

If, nevertheless, this is the path to obtaining the coveted status was chosen, then the Russian should prepare for a two-week registration of the case, as well as an almost round-the-clock presence in all government authorities.

A big advantage of officially registering a business in Serbia is that its owners, providing jobs for the country’s citizens, pay a small tax.

Obtaining a residence permit through employment

How to obtain a residence permit in Serbia through employment? It should be noted that this opportunity has become available to citizens of the Russian Federation since 2018. Some Russians who tried to use it noted that this method of acquiring the status in question is quite complicated, since it requires the submission of a large package of documents, which include not only passports, photos and an application filled out by the applicant, but also various certificates (about the absence criminal record, financial status, marital status). Also, the main package of documents must be accompanied by a conclusion on passing a medical examination, medical insurance, a diploma of education and some other papers that the employer may request separately.

In order to obtain a residence permit based on the fact of employment in the country, a migrant must take care of his own registration at the place of residence. Alternatively, this could be a rented apartment or room, but in this case, the legal owner of this housing is obliged to come with the person to the police station and confirm the stated fact.

Advantages of obtaining a residence permit

The Serbian state is a fairly popular country for travel among foreigners. There is not only picturesque nature here, but also a calm, safe atmosphere.

The main advantages of having a residence permit are:

unhindered travel across European countries without obtaining additional entry permits;
reasonable prices for food and real estate;
the level of wages allows citizens to live comfortably;
low crime rate;
the opportunity to get a decent education and get a prestigious job or implement your own business project.

Serbia is hospitable to its tourists. When purchasing real estate, a temporary residence permit can be issued within a month.

Residence permit for students

Moving to Serbia for the purpose of further obtaining a residence permit can be organized by receiving education at any university in the country in question. Practice shows that in recent years this basis has been considered the main one for acquiring the status in question.

In order to acquire a residence permit, a Russian must pass all the entrance tests necessary to begin the process of studying at a specific Serbian university, and then provide the police department with a certificate issued by him, the content of which confirms this fact.

Initially, a residence permit on this basis is issued for a period of one year, but subsequently it can be extended for another similar period, and so on an unlimited number of times.

Price and validity period

A residence permit in Serbia can be valid for different periods depending on the basis on which this status was granted. Thus, if a Russian has purchased real estate on the territory of the state, then the residence permit granted to him is issued for a period of 6 months. If the basis is employment or enrollment as a student at a Serbian university, then the residence permit is issued for a year.

It should be noted that a residence permit issued on any basis can be changed to permanent residence. Only a person who, within 5 years from the date of purchasing real estate in the country (10 years for those who received permission on the basis of opening a business), has not left its territory for more than six months can apply for such status. As experts in the field of international and Serbian legislation note, having received permanent residence in Serbia, you can immediately apply for the status of a citizen of the state.

There is no point in talking about the cost of a residence permit in Serbia - this status is provided completely free of charge. Russians bear material costs only when they pay the established state duties, the amount of which changes every year. In 2018, their total amount was about 17,490 dinars, which in Russian currency is just under 11.5 thousand rubles.

Validity period of residence permit

As previously noted, for each situation there is a certain period of validity of the residence permit. Thus, a residence permit is issued to entrepreneurs and businessmen for 1 year. After this time, they have the right to extend it up to three years.

For people who have bought real estate in Serbia, the residence permit is valid for only 6 months. In the future, it can be extended for 1 year.

Upon employment, a residence permit is issued for only 1 year with the right to further extension.