The World Bank classifies Serbia as a medium-income country and the private sector of the country’s economy is gradually gaining greater importance. The crime rate is extremely low in Serbia: significantly lower than it is in most neighboring countries. The lifestyle is slow and relaxed in Serbia as it is in the entire Balkans.
According to statistics, the average net monthly salary in Serbia is a bit more than 500 EUR. Salaries in the IT and software development sectors start at 1,000 EUR per month. Food, clothes, and rent of residential accommodations are significantly lower in Serbia than they are in Western Europe so 500 EUR will see you through the month if you abstain from buying luxury items.
Pluses and minuses of living in Serbia
Serbia welcomes foreigners. Since recently, you can obtain a permanent residence permit after living in Serbia for only 3 years. A passport of the country gives visa-free access to 130 foreign countries and Serbia is planning to join the EU one day.
Other advantages of living in Serbia:
- Low prices for real estate, utilities, groceries, and household items;
- Favorable conditions for opening a business, low start-up capital, and simplicity of the procedure;
- An opportunity to choose where to pay taxes – in Serbia or in your home country;
- Proximity of Balkan countries with access to the sea.
Besides numerous advantages, some downsides are also associated with living in Serbia. These include low pension, a comparatively high cost of gasoline, and restrictions for foreigners in the local labor market. If you have a stable passive income, however, living in Serbia is a pleasure.
How to immigrate to Serbia
There are several routes to legal residence in Serbia. In accordance with the Foreigners Act, you can relocate to Serbia on the following legal grounds:
- Purchase of real property;
- Establishment or purchase of a business company;
- Employment;
- Education;
- Family reunification and marriage;
- Refuge.
You could also become a legal resident of Serbia if you provided religious services in the country or needed long-term medical treatment.
In exceptional cases, permanent residence may be granted to the following foreign individuals in Serbia:
- A foreigner who has lived together with a Serbian national (not necessarily in marriage) for 3 years;
- An underage foreigner if one of his/ her parents is a citizen or a legal resident of Serbia;
- A foreigner who can demonstrate that he/ she or his/ her close relatives are citizens of Serbia by birth;
- A foreigner may also be granted permanent residence in Serbia if this is in keeping with the interest of the Republic of Serbia.
Real property
Purchase of residential or commercial property in Serbia will make you qualified for a 12-month residence permit. The permit is extendable as long as you keep the property in your possession. After 5 years of using the property, you can apply for a permanent residence permit.
Business immigration
Opening or buying a company in Serbia will make you qualified for a residence permit. If you keep the company going for 5 years, you can apply for permanent residence. Investing a significant amount of money will make you eligible for a permanent residence permit after 3 years. Please click here to find out how you could register a company in Serbia.
Employment
You can qualify for a residence permit if you make a job agreement with a Serbian employer. However, in accordance with the law, a Serbian employer cannot hire a foreigner if there is a Serbian candidate for the position with similar qualifications. At the same time, finding a job in Serbia is quite possible if you have some unmatched skills.
Education
Enrollment in a Serbian university will make you eligible for a residence permit. The permit is going to be extended until the classes are over. Even if you spend 5 years in a Serbian university, you will not qualify for a permanent residence permit.
Marriage and family reunification
Marry a Serbian national and you will get a permanent residence permit after 3 years (a temporary residence permit is issued immediately). If one of your close relatives is a Serbian citizen or legal resident, you can apply for family reunification. Close relatives include spouses and children including adopted children of the age below 18.
Other methods of acquiring legal residence in Serbia
You can seek asylum in Serbia if you are able to prove that you are illegally prosecuted in your home country. In addition, you can provide religious services if they are legal in Serbia.
Requirements for obtaining a permanent residence permit
You’d have to make Serbia your home country indeed if you are to qualify for a permanent resident permit. When applying, you’d have to show that you have been away from the country for not more than 10 months on aggregate over the 5-year period and that you have never left Serbia for more than 6 consecutive months.
Required application documents
You’d have to submit quite a lot of documents that can show that Serbia has really turned into your home country over the last five years and that you need a permanent residence permit beyond any doubt. The documents include the following ones:
- A valid passport (a copy to be attached to the application document package);
- Documents demonstrating your solvency;
- A medical insurance policy;
- Registration at you residential address;
- A receipt for paying the state duty.
Depending on the legal grounds that you have used to apply for temporary residence, you will have to submit some of the following additional documents:
- Property ownership certificate;
- Your job contract;
- Marriage certificate not less than 6 months old;
- Testimonies from two witnesses confirming the fact that you live with your Serbian partner if you have not signed an official marriage contract;
- Birth certificate issued in Serbia.
All documents that have been issued in foreign countries have to be translated into Serbian by a sworn translator and notarized.
Temporary residence permit
Before you can apply for a permanent residence permit, you have to obtain a temporary one. The process of obtaining a temporary residence permit consists of several steps in Serbia:
- Enter Serbia – no visa is required for most nationalities.
- Register at an address in Serbia within 24 hours. Registration at a residential address is a substitution for a visa.
- Apply for a temporary residence permit at the nearest police station.
- Acquire a temporary residence card with an electronic chip that will carry your personal information.
To conclude, you don’t really need a residence permit to stay in Serbia forever. Foreigners can stay in the country for 30 to 90 days without visas so you can infinitely live in the country without a residence permit if you don’t mind border-running. The clock is set to zero every time you return to Serbia from one of the neighboring countries.