Serbia · Business / Startup
Serbia Self-employed permit
First stay: 3 yrs
Single permit — self-employment (registered founder or owner)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Self-employed permit is a business / startup route for Serbia. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- RSD 430 ≈ $4 · RSD 23k ≈ $220
- Processing
- Up to 15 days
- First stay
- 3 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fees RSD 23k ≈ $220 in total (2 fees); decision: up to 15 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesRSD 430 ≈ $4 · RSD 23k ≈ $220
- RSD 430 (≈ $4)Application submission fee (citizens of North Macedonia, Mongolia, Cyprus and Belarus pay only this fee).
- RSD 22,770 (≈ $220)Fee for approval of the single permit.
RenewalRenewable
Issued for up to three years and extendable for the same period.
Permanent residenceAfter 3 years of residence
Permanent residence after 3 years of continuous residence on temporary residence or a single permit; a decision is due within 60 days.
Government of the Republic of SerbiaMinistry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia
CitizenshipAfter 3 years as a permanent resident
Citizenship needs 3 years of uninterrupted registered permanent residence before applying (a spouse married 3 years can also qualify), plus release from other citizenship.
ProcessingUp to 15 days
A decision on a single permit is due within 15 days of an orderly request.
Presence rulesAbsence limits
Absences of up to ten months in total or six months at a time over the three years do not break continuity.
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- Applicants are the founder or owner of a registered business.
What you must show1
- The administrative fee is paid.
Documents6
- A registration excerpt showing the foreigner as founder or owner is submitted.
- A certificate of qualification for the activity is submitted.
- A valid passport is submitted, valid at least three months beyond the requested permit.
- Proof of subsistence is submitted.
- Proof of health insurance is submitted.
- A registered address is shown.
Steps1
- Applications are filed on the Foreign Nationals Portal or at the police directorate.
After you arrive1
- Extension is requested no earlier than three months before expiry and no later than expiry.
What happens at day 183
How Serbia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 3 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in 12-month period beginning or ending in the tax yearPresence in Serbia for 183 or more days, continuous or interrupted.
- Foreign-source income
Worldwide, foreign tax credit
Residents are taxed on income earned in Serbia and in another state; salary and self-employment income are taxed at 10%, capital income and capital gains at 15%, royalties and property income at 20%, with a tax credit for income tax paid abroad up to the Serbian tax on that income.
All tax rules for Serbia Tax records checked
Full official text
Single permit for a foreigner registered as founder or owner of a business in Serbia, with proof of qualifications for the activity. 1 2 3 4
What you must show and pay
- A fee of RSD 430 (≈ $4) · Application submission fee (citizens of North Macedonia, Mongolia, Cyprus and Belarus pay only this fee). 4
- A fee of RSD 22,770 (≈ $220) · Fee for approval of the single permit. 4
Requirements
- Applicants are the founder or owner of a registered business. 1
- The administrative fee is paid. 1 2
- A registration excerpt showing the foreigner as founder or owner is submitted. 1
- A certificate of qualification for the activity is submitted. 1
- A valid passport is submitted, valid at least three months beyond the requested permit. 1 2
- Proof of subsistence is submitted. 1 2
- Proof of health insurance is submitted. 1 2
- A registered address is shown. 1 2
- Applications are filed on the Foreign Nationals Portal or at the police directorate. 1 2
- Extension is requested no earlier than three months before expiry and no later than expiry. 1
Stay
- Up to three years, extendable for the same period.
- First stay: up to 36 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
entry visa depends on nationality, and a D visa grounds must match the permit grounds.
Work
Work in the registered business.
Family
Spouse or common-law partner, unmarried children under 18 (including adopted and stepchildren) and parents of such children can get temporary residence on family reunification; dependent relatives and adult children unable to care for themselves only exceptionally.
Official sources
- Temporary residence: grounds, single permit to reside and work, required documents · Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia · checked 2026-10-10
- Law on Foreigners (Sl. glasnik RS 24/2018, 31/2019, 62/2023), Serbian text · Paragraf (reprint of the Official Gazette text) · checked 2026-10-10
- Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette of the RS, as amended 2023) · Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia · checked 2026-10-11
- Frequently asked questions: temporary residence and single permit fees · Government of the Republic of Serbia (Welcome to Serbia portal) · checked 2026-10-11
- Citizenship: acquiring citizenship by admission · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia · checked 2026-10-11
Self-employed permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed permit | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Independent professional | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Startup founder residence | Needs income of RSD 1M+ ≈ $9,530 | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Startup Visa Portugal | Needs savings of €6,446+ ≈ $7,200 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Entrepreneur visa Spain | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Self-employed permit?
A fee of RSD 430 (≈ $4). Application submission fee (citizens of North Macedonia, Mongolia, Cyprus and Belarus pay only this fee). A fee of RSD 22,770 (≈ $220). Fee for approval of the single permit.
How long can I stay on the Self-employed permit?
Up to three years, extendable for the same period.
How long does the Self-employed permit take to process?
A decision on a single permit is due within 15 days of an orderly request.
Can I work on the Self-employed permit?
Work in the registered business.
Can I bring my family on the Self-employed permit?
Spouse or common-law partner, unmarried children under 18 (including adopted and stepchildren) and parents of such children can get temporary residence on family reunification; dependent relatives and adult children unable to care for themselves only exceptionally.
Does the Self-employed permit lead to permanent residence in Serbia?
Time on the Self-employed permit counts toward permanent residence in Serbia, which the rules allow after 3 years of residence. Time on the Self-employed permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 3 years as a permanent resident.
How are Self-employed permit holders taxed in Serbia?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Self-employed permit. The standard rules apply: Residents are taxed on income earned in Serbia and in another state; salary and self-employment income are taxed at 10%, capital income and capital gains at 15%, royalties and property income at 20%, with a tax credit for income tax paid abroad up to the Serbian tax on that income.
More in Serbia
Business / startup visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Temporary residence: grounds, single permit to reside and work, required documents · Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia · checked 2026-10-10
- Law on Foreigners (Sl. glasnik RS 24/2018, 31/2019, 62/2023), Serbian text · Paragraf (reprint of the Official Gazette text) · checked 2026-10-10
- Law on Foreigners (Official Gazette of the RS, as amended 2023) · Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia · checked 2026-10-11
- Frequently asked questions: temporary residence and single permit fees · Government of the Republic of Serbia (Welcome to Serbia portal) · checked 2026-10-11
- Citizenship: acquiring citizenship by admission · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.