In July 2023, the Serbian Parliament has finally adopted amendments to the laws “On Foreigners” and “On the Employment of Foreigners”. The discussions on the exact reading of the text of the amendments to the legislative framework were conducted in several stages, starting from March 2023.
European Commission tried to prevent the decision to simplify the acquisition of Serbian citizenship and promised to cancel the visa-free regime with Serbia because of the risks to EU national security.
However, the Ministry of European Integration officially admitted that the visa-free regime with Serbia could not be threatened by the proposed law.
Eventually, the proposed amendments, aimed to simplify the procedures for legalizing foreigners, were adopted.
It is still possible to purchase any property in Serbia and apply for a residence permit the basis of the property holder status. The price of the real estate object is of no importance and is not regarded by the authorities.
Instructions:
1. It is necessary to issue a temporary registration of place of stay (Beli Karton) within one day after arrival in Serbia. Upon check-in at the hotel, this service is free and obligatory for all guests. In the case of rental housing, the hosts also take care of this formality and do not charge additional fees.
2. Next, you need to open a bank account. You should provide a passport and temporary registration form.
3. Then you need to purchase a property and register the title for the new owner. The term of state registration takes about 7 working days. You can follow the process on the official website of the Cadaster.
4. After the completion of the transaction, it is necessary to obtain an extract from the Cadaster identifying the new owner (List Nepokretnosti).
5. The new should register his place of stay at the address of the acquired property.
6. The applicant should obtain a health insurance for the whole duration of stay in the country.
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Important! If you own real estate in Serbia and have received a residence permit on this basis, you will have to obtain a work permit separately.
! A court interpreter should translate all applications and documents into Serbian.
The family members of the main applicant - spouse, parents and children may also apply for a residence permit.
Examination of all the documents for a residence permit in Serbia lasts about one month.
In the case of a positive decision, the permit will be inserted into the applicant's passport. However, in the near future the authorities plan to modify the document and issue resident plastic cards.
Starting from February 2024 it will be possible to apply for an extension of a residence permit until the day before the expiration of the current permit. Now the deadline is 30 days before the expiration date of the residence permit.
According to the new rules, after three years in the status of resident, a foreigner has the right to apply for permanent residence permit.
Important! The holder of a residence permit should permanently reside in Serbia for three years and not be absent from the country for more than six months in a row.
Innovations in the legislative framework allow applicants to apply for citizenship immediately after receiving permanent residence, and this is after three years of residence in the country.
In addition to staying in Serbia for a specified period, the applicant should:
Important! Spouses of Serbian citizens who do NOT live in the country may also apply for citizenship, but they have to be officially married for at least 10 years.
Photo by Fred Romero on wikimedia